Poiesis - Manufacturing in Classical Athens

Brings together ancient texts and inscriptions, recent scholarly analysis, archaeological finds, and the expertise of modern craftsmen to investigate all that can be known of Athens' manufacturing activities

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Foreword


• Table of Contents


• Acknowledgements


• Chapter 1: Introduction


• A. Athens, the Manufacturing City


• B. Original Sources


• i. Ancient Literature


• ii. Archaeology and Epigraphy


• C. Methodology


• i. Embeddedness and Empirical Analysis


• ii. Theories of Firm Size


• iii. The Theory of Competitive Advantage


• iv. Competitive Advantage and Industry Structure


• v. Applying the Competitive Advantage Framework


• Chapter 2: Industry Formation


• A. Early Manufacturing


• B. Homer and the Households of the Rich


• C. Hesiod and the Peasant Economy


• D. Empirical Evidence


• i. Metalworking


• ii. Leatherwork


• iii. Cosmetics and Perfumes


• iv. Textiles


• E. Supply and Demand in a Competitive Market


• Chapter 3: The Pottery Industry


• A. The Evidence


• i. Original Texts


• ii. Pots


• iii. Potteries and Kilns


• iv. Stamps and Graffiti


• v. Vase Paintings


• B. Industry and Workshop Size


• C. Labour Force


• i. The Process of Making Pots


• ii. Staffing Needs


• iii. Justifying a Full-Time Team


• D. Bases for Differentiation


• E. Subsequent Changes in Competitive Dynamics and Industry Structure


• F. Summary


• Chapter 4: Mining, Metals and Armour


• A. Mining


• B. Ore Processing


• C. General Metalworking


• D. Jewellery and Ornaments


• E. Coinage


• F. Bronze Armour


• G. Shield Manufacture


• H. Knives


• I. Summary


• Chapter 5: Textiles, Clothing and Footwear


• A. Textiles and Clothing


• i. Spinning and Weaving


• ii. Scouring and Finishing


• B. Footwear


• i. Tanning


• ii. Shoemaking


• C. Summary


• Chapter 6: Woodworking


• A. Furniture


• B. General and Specialised Woodworking Segments


• C. Boat Building


• i. The Trireme: Development and Configuration


• ii. Responsibility for Building Triremes


• iii. Manufacturing: the Hull


• iv. Manufacturing: Components


• v. Shipbuilding and Supplying Industries


• D. Summary


• Chapter 7: Construction Industries


• A. Public Buildings


• B. Monumental Statues


• C. Private Housing and Infrastructure


• D. Summary


• Chapter 8: Food, Drink and Personal Care


• A. Agricultural Products


• i. The Athenian Diet


• ii. Processing


• iii. Food Service


• B. Cosmetics, Perfumes and Medicines


• C. Summary


• Chapter 9: Athens' Manufacturers


• A. Citizen Investors


• B. Citizen Craftsmen


• C. Women


• D. Foreign Residents


• E. Slaves


• Coda


• Athenian Currency


• Appendix: Quantifying Manufacturing Preparation


• A. Supply Analysis


• B. Demand Analysis


• Secondary Sources


• Photo Credits


• Index

Über den Autor / die Autorin

Peter Acton has a degree in Classics from Oxford University, an MBA from Stanford Business School, and a Ph.D. in Ancient History from the University of Melbourne. He was a Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group from 1986 to 1999.

Zusammenfassung

Despite the fact that Athenians consumed great quantities of manufactured goods, and around half of the residents of classical Athens can be shown to have been more or less dependent for survival on manufacturing in some form, this subject has been almost completely neglected by historians. Poiesis brings together ancient texts and inscriptions, recent scholarly analysis, archaeological finds, and the expertise of modern craftsmen to investigate every known facet of Athens' manufacturing activities. Authored by a management consultant and a recent PhD in Ancient History, the book presents the information in terms of contemporary business principles, drawing on supply and demand and risk-return analysis to explain events and choices. Manufacturing operations are classified in a novel framework based on competitive advantage and barriers to entry, concepts previously absent from ancient history. The framework explains why certain segments were suited to the sole craftsman and others to teams of slaves, and deduces earnings potential based upon competitive differentiation. The result is a new angle on how Athenian society operated; in particular it shows how fragmented industry structures, often the result of primitive technology, were fundamental to the workings of the Athenian democracy by enabling citizens to supplement their income through casual manufacturing activity. The book explains how manufacturing for sale emerged from autarchic peasant households, explores whether any of the industries examined changed to any great extent in Hellenistic and Roman times, and shows how some were transformed by the Industrial Revolution. It includes a methodology for quantifying the demographics of participation in manufacturing.

By presenting a new paradigm of historical analysis, one complementing political, military, and literary perspectives, the book will be valuable to classicists and ancient and economic historians while remaining accessible to the general reader.

Zusatztext

a beautifully written, fully documented work of the very highest importance -- a real game-changer in our understanding of the ancient economy.

Produktdetails

• Autoren: Peter Acton, Peter (Has a Degree in Classics From Oxford Acton
• Verlag: Oxford University Press
• Sprache: Englisch
• Produktform: Fester Einband
• Erschienen: 12.11.2014
• EAN: 9780199335930
• ISBN: 978-0-19-933593-0
• Seiten: 408
• Themen: Geisteswissenschaften, Kunst, Musik > Geschichte > Altertum; Schule und Lernen > Berufs- & Fachschulbücher; Sozialwissenschaften, Recht,Wirtschaft > Wirtschaft > Allgemeines, Lexika