ABSTRACT
Who were the Athenians in 403? What was their numerical distribution among social and economic classes? No one can answer these questions precisely. As A. W. Gomme wrote in 1933, 'We cannot even attempt (and perhaps never shall be able to attempt) a tithe of a true Social Structure of Athens, such as is done for modern countries. ,1
If precise answers are impossible, however, estimates are not. It has long been established that the number of Athenian citizens in 403 had dropped dramatically since the beginning of the Peloponnesian War: there were less than half as many Athenians in 403 than in 43l.
