Public Spending and Democracy in Classical Athens

Pritchard has written an important book on Athenian public finances. More interesting than the debates he claims to have settled, however, are the new debates that it can be expected to open, not only about how much the Athenians actually spent, but also about the principles and processes which shaped their financial decision-making. Phoenix

Pritchard’s consideration of . . . diverse evidence – both literary and epigraphic, and dating largely from the 420s, 370s and 330s – allows him not merely to confirm . . . that the military was far and away the Athenians’ most expensive public undertaking, but also to develop a clear model of Athenian public expenditures that ancient historians will find useful both in its own right and as a catalyst for future study. The Classical Review

There should be no doubt that the work is an extremely valuable contribution to the literature on the political economy of classical Athens. Future scholarship on this topic will find Pritchard's book impossible to ignore. Ancient History

Which cost the more, or the most, which did Athenian democracy of classical times usually prioritize: religious festivals, warmaking, or everyday politics? In this characteristically high-octane and provocative book, David Pritchard aims to settle these fundamental and now almost two-centuries-old scholarly questions. Paul Cartledge, A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, University of Cambridge

This is undoubtedly an important and most useful book. Using careful calculations, applying clearly formulated methods, and exploiting all available ancient evidence and a vast range of modern scholarship, Pritchard corrects old and firmly established misconceptions in clarifying the spending priorities of the classical Athenian democracy. His demonstration that the Athenians spent many times more money for war than they did for political and religious issues is entirely compelling. His book fills a long-standing gap, and it does so quite brilliantly. Kurt A. Raaflaub, Professor of Classics and History Emeritus, Brown University

To discover the real motives and values behind the representations of Classical Athenians, one must ‘follow the money.’ For the first time in two hundred years. David Pritchard throws open the ancient democracy’s ledgers to reveal where Athens’ real priorities lay. This wide-ranging investigation will bring profit to anyone who aspires to understand Athenian politics, mentality, or culture. Csapo Eric, Professor of Classics, University of Sydney