Economy and Institutions in ancient Greek Proverbs. A Contribute on Trade and Taxation

The report analyzes forms of trade and taxation in the Greek poleis through an unusual source represented by some proverbs in the collections of the two main Greek paroemiographoi. A first group contains proverbs about building ships, on the navigation, on the knowledge of the routes and the proverbial show of skill of the Attic rowers when they sailed for a military expedition. Also the trade in the Mediterranean has left numerous traces in the proverbial expressions whose reading is very interesting because they give useful information about the goods in overseas trade, the identity and reliability of the traders. The final part of the contribution registers several allusions to taxes and responsibles for taxation in the proverbs of Zenobius and Diogenian. The most stimulating way of saying is in Zenob. 1, 74 and portrays a vivid scene set in Athens. It certifies: 1- the transport of honey from the countryside to the city; 2- the different taxes for the goods (the barley-tax was lower than the honey-tax); 3- the existence of telonai as stewards/tax collectors near the gates.