S. Hodkinson’s recent book on ‘Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta’ has reached definitive conclusions on many aspects of the Spartan economic system. On the puzzling question of the archaia moira, however, the reconstruction put forward raises certain doubts. As is well known, a passage from Herakleides Lembos’ writings On the Constitutions states that the sale of the archaia moira was forbidden at Sparta; although the context of the passage seems to assure that this ‘ancient portion’ was land, it has been argued that the archaia moira actually was the tribute from the land paid by the helot farm workers to their Spartiate landowners. This article re-states the usual identification between ancient portions and plots of land, and denies that this and some other evidence on Spartan land tenure may be ascribed to the propaganda of a third-century revolution.
L'archaia moira. Osservazioni sul regime fondiario spartano a partire da un libro recente
LUPI, Marcello
2003
Abstract
S. Hodkinson’s recent book on ‘Property and Wealth in Classical Sparta’ has reached definitive conclusions on many aspects of the Spartan economic system. On the puzzling question of the archaia moira, however, the reconstruction put forward raises certain doubts. As is well known, a passage from Herakleides Lembos’ writings On the Constitutions states that the sale of the archaia moira was forbidden at Sparta; although the context of the passage seems to assure that this ‘ancient portion’ was land, it has been argued that the archaia moira actually was the tribute from the land paid by the helot farm workers to their Spartiate landowners. This article re-states the usual identification between ancient portions and plots of land, and denies that this and some other evidence on Spartan land tenure may be ascribed to the propaganda of a third-century revolution.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
