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

THE ATTIC STELAI 269
that choria in addition to arable land contained grazing areas.73 Finley usually translates
the word simply as ' land,' 7 but in one case uses ' property.' 7
Two of our properties which are designated by the term chorion are located in
town demes.76 This might seem to weigh against interpreting choria as 'farms,' but
both demes, Bate and Ankyle, which are in the town trittys of the phyle Aigeis, are
located southeast of the city walls in the direction of Mt. Hymettos.77 This area must
have included some farms. Another bit of evidence from our lists is the small fee paid
for the chorion in Aphidna-ten drachmas. Even a small tract of agricultural land
would presumably be worth a higher figure. Moreover, many of the horoi which refer
to choria have been found within the modern city and particularly in the area of the
ancient Agora. It must be granted that the place of discovery may be at some distance
from the original site; yet the percentage of these horoi mentioning choria is so high
that it is difficult to believe some did not refer to urban holdings. I have therefore
used the word 'land' to translated chorion; but 'landed property' or 'estate' would
seem to be equally suitable.78
In summary, the following table presents our interpretation of the meaning which
the words designating real property bear in the poletai lists.
1. Agros Field for cultivation in the country
2. Ge psile Land cultivated for cereals, vines and the like
3. Gepedon Plot of ground (exact meaning uncertain)
4. Dryinon Oak grove
5. Kepos Garden (non-specialized)
6. Oikia Private residence
7. Oikopedon House-site
8. Orgas Woody mountainous tract
9. Pityinon Pine grove
10. Synoikia Tenement-house
11. Chorion Land, Landed property
PRICES
In Table A are listed the prices and locations of the various types of real property
which had been owned by the Hermokopidai and Profaners of the Mysteries. Table
73op. cit., p. 318, note 240.
74 Op. cit., p. 54 and frequently thereafter.
75 Ibid., p. 238, note 26.
76 VI, 80 and 94. Cf. Demosthenes, LV, Against Kallikles, 17.
77 See W. Judeich, Topographie von Athen2, Munich, 1931, pp. 169-172.
78 See Buck, Dictionary, p. 1310. It may be noted that in Byzantine and modern Greek a is
popularly used for ' town,' and Xwpto has the meaning of ' village.' See Buck, Dictionary, pp. 1302 and
1308.