Feeding the Polis: Democracy and Food Security in Fifth- and Fourth-Century Athens

The Athenian diet, democracy, economy, and agricultural practices have typically been considered in isolation. My research seeks to investigate the Athenian food economy in its totality, taking a systematic approach to all available evidence to gain a more accurate understanding of how these factors interacted and manifested. Traditional studies have sought to classify these aspects individually, and without appreciation of the nuances of the Athenian food economy, therefore reaching weakened and incomplete conclusions.

The Athenian diet was as varied as it was rich, and was enabled by sophisticated agricultural practices, and massive importation of food. This was complimented by advanced commercialised markets throughout Attica, and a high degree of monetisation. The democracy was able to effectively regulate and facilitate this trade and markets, protecting their delicate complexity. The food economy was the centre of the Athenian state itself, bridging the gap between the lives of its everyday people, the economic capabilities of the government, the foreign affairs and functioning of the democracy, and the work engaged in by Athenians. By examining the Athenian diet, agricultural practices, economic systems, and democratic engagement in a complimentary investigation, I intend to reach a more representative and accurate understanding of the Athenian food economy.

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