Edward E. Cohen is Chairman of the Executive Committee at JeffBanks, Inc., a bank-holding company based in Philadelphia. He holds a Ph.D. in classics from Princeton University and is author of Ancient Athenian Maritime Courts (Princeton).

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsCh. 1Market Economy - Banking Reality3The Athenian Economy3The Trapeza as True Bank8Currency Exchange18False Anachronism: The Modern Invention of the Athenian Pawnshop22Ch. 2A Methodological Alternative to the Misuse of Statistics26The Perils of Cliometrics27"Forensic Attestation": An Alternative Approach36Ch. 3Financial Context and Concepts41Freedom from Regulation and Oligopoly42In Lieu of Interest: "Maritime" and "Landed" Yields44Ch. 4Wives, Slaves, and the Athenian Banker61A "Strictly Personal" Business62Assets, Human and Other66Unavailable and Undesirable: Free Citizens as Bank Employees70Slaves and Wives73The Banking Household: A Traditional Form Transformed82Adaptation to Slave Enterprise90Women, Law, and Property101Ch. 5Banking Operations: "Risk-Laden Revenues from 'Other People's Money'"111Obtaining "Other People's Money"114Deploying Other People's Money for Maritime Loans121Maritime Finance136Denial of the Role of Bankers in Sea Finance160The Bankers' Own Money183Ch. 6The Banks' Role in the Economy190The "Invisible Economy"191The Structure of Credit207Bank Failures and Economic History215Works Cited225Index of Passages Cited255General Index269

Winner of the 1993 Herbert Feis Award, American Historical Association One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993 "Cohen embodies a role of traditional relevance in research on classical antiquity, but one that is increasingly a rarity: he is a 'man of affairs' who brings his practical, professional experience to bear on his historical research... [He] has now given us a very fine book on ancient banking, a work that has been well worth the wait."--Thomas J. Figueira, Bryn Mawr Classical Review "[Cohen] possesses an impressive knowledge of the relevant classical and modern literature as well as a close practical acquaintance with contemporary banking, an unusual but fortuitous set of qualifications... Highly readable and contains a wealth of interesting details on social conditions generally."--John R. Love, American Historical Review "A thoroughly documented and imaginatively argued book that will mark a new stage in the study of Athenian banking."--David C. Mirhady, Classical World

Edward E. Cohen is Chairman of the Executive Committee at JeffBanks, Inc., a bank-holding company based in Philadelphia. He holds a Ph.D. in classics from Princeton University and is author of Ancient Athenian Maritime Courts (Princeton).

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsCh. 1Market Economy - Banking Reality3The Athenian Economy3The Trapeza as True Bank8Currency Exchange18False Anachronism: The Modern Invention of the Athenian Pawnshop22Ch. 2A Methodological Alternative to the Misuse of Statistics26The Perils of Cliometrics27"Forensic Attestation": An Alternative Approach36Ch. 3Financial Context and Concepts41Freedom from Regulation and Oligopoly42In Lieu of Interest: "Maritime" and "Landed" Yields44Ch. 4Wives, Slaves, and the Athenian Banker61A "Strictly Personal" Business62Assets, Human and Other66Unavailable and Undesirable: Free Citizens as Bank Employees70Slaves and Wives73The Banking Household: A Traditional Form Transformed82Adaptation to Slave Enterprise90Women, Law, and Property101Ch. 5Banking Operations: "Risk-Laden Revenues from 'Other People's Money'"111Obtaining "Other People's Money"114Deploying Other People's Money for Maritime Loans121Maritime Finance136Denial of the Role of Bankers in Sea Finance160The Bankers' Own Money183Ch. 6The Banks' Role in the Economy190The "Invisible Economy"191The Structure of Credit207Bank Failures and Economic History215Works Cited225Index of Passages Cited255General Index269

Winner of the 1993 Herbert Feis Award, American Historical Association One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993 "Cohen embodies a role of traditional relevance in research on classical antiquity, but one that is increasingly a rarity: he is a 'man of affairs' who brings his practical, professional experience to bear on his historical research... [He] has now given us a very fine book on ancient banking, a work that has been well worth the wait."--Thomas J. Figueira, Bryn Mawr Classical Review "[Cohen] possesses an impressive knowledge of the relevant classical and modern literature as well as a close practical acquaintance with contemporary banking, an unusual but fortuitous set of qualifications... Highly readable and contains a wealth of interesting details on social conditions generally."--John R. Love, American Historical Review "A thoroughly documented and imaginatively argued book that will mark a new stage in the study of Athenian banking."--David C. Mirhady, Classical World

Edward E. Cohen is Chairman of the Executive Committee at JeffBanks, Inc., a bank-holding company based in Philadelphia. He holds a Ph.D. in classics from Princeton University and is author of Ancient Athenian Maritime Courts (Princeton).

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsCh. 1Market Economy - Banking Reality3The Athenian Economy3The Trapeza as True Bank8Currency Exchange18False Anachronism: The Modern Invention of the Athenian Pawnshop22Ch. 2A Methodological Alternative to the Misuse of Statistics26The Perils of Cliometrics27"Forensic Attestation": An Alternative Approach36Ch. 3Financial Context and Concepts41Freedom from Regulation and Oligopoly42In Lieu of Interest: "Maritime" and "Landed" Yields44Ch. 4Wives, Slaves, and the Athenian Banker61A "Strictly Personal" Business62Assets, Human and Other66Unavailable and Undesirable: Free Citizens as Bank Employees70Slaves and Wives73The Banking Household: A Traditional Form Transformed82Adaptation to Slave Enterprise90Women, Law, and Property101Ch. 5Banking Operations: "Risk-Laden Revenues from 'Other People's Money'"111Obtaining "Other People's Money"114Deploying Other People's Money for Maritime Loans121Maritime Finance136Denial of the Role of Bankers in Sea Finance160The Bankers' Own Money183Ch. 6The Banks' Role in the Economy190The "Invisible Economy"191The Structure of Credit207Bank Failures and Economic History215Works Cited225Index of Passages Cited255General Index269

Winner of the 1993 Herbert Feis Award, American Historical Association One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 1993 "Cohen embodies a role of traditional relevance in research on classical antiquity, but one that is increasingly a rarity: he is a 'man of affairs' who brings his practical, professional experience to bear on his historical research... [He] has now given us a very fine book on ancient banking, a work that has been well worth the wait."--Thomas J. Figueira, Bryn Mawr Classical Review "[Cohen] possesses an impressive knowledge of the relevant classical and modern literature as well as a close practical acquaintance with contemporary banking, an unusual but fortuitous set of qualifications... Highly readable and contains a wealth of interesting details on social conditions generally."--John R. Love, American Historical Review "A thoroughly documented and imaginatively argued book that will mark a new stage in the study of Athenian banking."--David C. Mirhady, Classical World