the attic stelai - The American School of Classical Studies at Athens

THE ATTIC STELAI 211
a result of the low demand even among the wealthier citizens of Athens for commodities
like furniture, after so many expensive years of war.
Table A, wherein the furniture prices in the Attic Stelai are summarized, may
help to make clear our statement about the cost of furnishing the typical Athenian
house. Assume even a very large town house with an upstairs room, and a family of
four adults, three children and fifteen slaves living comfortably: "if the prices of the
required items of furniture, as given in our list, are totalled, the result, after amounts
for utensils and furnishings have been added, is a figure of something near 650
drachmas.
TABLE A. FURNITURE
PRICES
ARTICLE OF ATTIC STELAI DELOS ELSEWHERE IN GREECE
FURNITURE drachmas obols drachmas obols drachmcas obols
aLVAKXTL9- 2 1
or 6 1?
/aadopov I I
&'iPo9 1 2
EITtKXATPOV 15
Opavi8tov 5
Opo4vog
Ovpa 18 Epidauros 3rd c.
{39 2
20 3
8taptrro 20 4
crvvSpop4s 11 3/
KWfl/T69 (OVpAS.) 21 Eleusis 4th c.
20
r6
Epidauros ca. 300 B.C.
KXtv7) {6 4 19 12
MtXq7rtovpys {8 1
17 3
KXtV&8tOV 6 1
KXLVr7np
Brunswick, 1951, p. 72. In addition, it should be noted that Finley (Political Science Quarterly,
LXVIII, 1953, p. 255) believes that the property marked by a horos was as a rule worth at least
twice the amount of the indebtedness.
5 The figures for slaves are an extreme. I am well aware that Professor Gomme (J.H.S., LXVI,
1946, p. 128) would not allow, on the average, more than one domestic servant per adult among
the hoplite and richer classes, very few among the thetes.