ABSTRACT
In the model of the ancient economy proposed by Jones and Finley and their successors such as Hopkins and Garnsey, the chief source of wealth was agricultural production. 1 Agricultural products were mostly consumed by those who raised them, but a surplus was sold to produce cash for the payment of taxes and rents. These payments could be and were at various times made ‘in kind.’ Redistribution of wealth might occur through trade but also through taxation, gift, or religious organizations. The cities were the abode of the wealthy land-owners who embraced urban centers as the residence of choice. Within the cities, artisans and tradesmen functioned to produce clothing, implements, and objects of ornamentation. The consumers of agricultural surplus, artisan production, and various services included not only individuals of varying degrees of wealth, but also government officials, churches, and of course, primarily, the state itself. 2
