BRIBERY IN CLASSICAL ATHENS Kellam ... - Historia Antigua

Conover Bribery in Classical Athens Chapter Three
corporate groups, not individuals, responsible for the sums, the city thus diminished the
impact that shirkers would have on the final total collected. Similarly, Agyrrhius’ grain
tax law of 374/3 was designed to guarantee that a certain financial outcome—there, a
specific amount of grain—would accrue to the city. 68
These reforms were critical to Athens’ financial recovery particularly because the
city no longer had revenue coming in from the allied tribute; even when the Second
Athenian League was established in 378/7, allied contributions did not go towards the
democracy’s administrative expenses. 69 Instead of a tribute, however, Athens did depend
on considerable subsidies from Persia: not only monies for specific public projects, like
the building of the Long Walls, but also payments to support the efforts of Athenian
generals and soldiers. 70 Although funding problems continued for Athenian generals, the
financial boon was appreciated and relied on all the same. 71 In this respect, it is telling
that, whereas in the fifth century the receipt of Persian gold carried with it the stigma of
treasonous plotting, in the fourth century Conon was actually honored for his ability to
leverage the King’s funds. 72
68 Ober (2008: 260-3) illustrates this point well; see also Stroud (1998), Osborne (2000).
69 Davies (1978: 224), Cargill (1981: 124-7), de Ste Croix (1981: 293), Dreher (1995: 79-80). So IG ii²
123.11-12 expressly indicates that allied syntaxeis were to be controlled by the synedrion of the League,
not by the Athenian dēmos.
70 Long Walls and Persian gold: Xen. Hell. 4.8.8-10, Diod.14.84.5-85.4. Persian subsidies of the Athenian
fleet began soon after 401, when Cyrus broke from his brother, thereby breaking the previously strong link
between Persia and Sparta. In 397 Pharnabazos gave 500 talents of silver for equipment and soldier pay
(Diod. 14.39.1), although ultimately the fleet ended up being very poorly paid (Hell.Oxy. 19.2, Isoc. 4.142).
In 395, 220 talents were given to pay for the fleet, but Conon eventually had to ask for more money (Diod.
14.81.5-6). For discussion and further context, see Lewis (1979: 232-3). The trend towards mercenary
armies begins at this time, as the armies of Conon and Iphicrates, and later Chabrias, Chares and Timotheus
were hired out by foreign poleis: Pritchett (1974: 56-116), although see now Trundle (2004) on the
problematic appellation of ‘mercenary’.
71 In the 370’s Timotheus had numerous problems on his expedition to Corcyra: [Dem.] 49.9, 49.13, Lys.
fr. 228; cf. Diod. 15.47.2-3. Likewise, Iphicrates: Xen. Hell. 6.211-14. Pseudo-Demosthenes points out
that, because regular pay was almost impossible, desertion was a problem, and generals had to continually
conscript soldiers: [Dem.] 50.6, 11, 23.
72 Hence not all gifts of ‘Persian gold’ were ill-received, as Lewis (1989) and Mitchell (1997: 111-33)
rightly explore. Treason and Persian gold recur throughout Herodotus’ Histories: Hdt. 1.69.1, 1.105.1,
158