Greece is a land of extremes; a land of dizzying heights and low valleys, of impenetrable mountain ranges and peaceful waters. It is quite amazing how those ancient Greek people molded themselves into one of the greatest and the most prosperous civilizations the west has ever known. But where is the key to the success of this eminent culture? The answer does not lie in naval power, nor is it because Greece was rich in gold and silver and crops. As we shall see, it is because the Greeks had developed a brilliant trade system which allowed them to become the renowned people whom we have come to know.

Grains were not quite abundant in ancient Greece, although the hilly landscape was ideal for growing vineyards and olive groves. But in other parts, the terrain was far too mountainous to grow anything. Also, in a time period of several hundred years, the ancient Greeks had used up their timber supply, and in another few centuries, they had depleted their metal reserves. Moreover, they lacked cinnamon, pepper, and spices. All these products had to be acquired from some other foreign civilization; and this need for those things they did not have is exactly what drove the ancient Greeks to develop a remarkable and far-ranging trade.

The ancient Greeks traded many things, although they imported many more goods than they exported. Since Greece was relevantly situated for sea trade, a large number of foreign items could be exploited. For instance, wine and olives were trade in exchange for cheese and pork from Sicily, rugs from Carthage, ivory from Ethiopia, glass from Egypt, perfumes from Araby, and gold from the Hittite region. In addition, the ancient Greeks imported pepper, spices, cinnamon, silver, honey, and timber.

But the most important product was corn. Since only a quarter of the land was suitable for growing corn, more than 70% of it had to be imported from overseas. In the Greek city-states, the export of corn was forbidden by officials, and the protection of corn routes was always a determinant policy throughout the history of ancient Greece. Therefore, it was a considerably valuable trade item to the Greek people.

Wheat and barley were also extremely important produce. Greek traders sailed long distances to the Black Sea and Sicily to trade for wheat and barley. Many historians believe that they may have also sailed south to trade with Egypt.

While the ancient Greeks acquired hundreds of foreign things, they only exported several produce of their own. They only gave away surplus goods, such as wine, olives, pottery, olive oil, fresh-water fish, and jewelry. This may be mainly due to the fact that Greece could not afford to lose many of the products that it produced.

The ancient Greeks exported their home grown goods to many civilizations in the Mediterranean, Africa, and some parts of Asia. Besides trading with Sicily and Egypt, they also traded with Phoenicia, Persia, Araby, Carthage, Ethiopia, and a people living near the Black Sea named the Scythians. Greece also traded with the colonies around it. They included Thessaly, Macedonia, Corinth, and Sikyon.

The ancient Greek’s trade routes ranged from the westernmost tip of Europe to the Black Sea and Africa. One trade route was developed from the Greek mainland to Asia Minor and it was probably used to obtain goods from Palestine and the Mesopotamia. More well-renowned routes are the pepper route, which ranged from the port of Gordion to India, the cinnamon route, and the Silk Road, which was formed 50 years after Alexander the Great’s death.

These people also had trading ports and trade centers where items could be exchanged. Petra and Gordion were two very important trading posts during the seventh century B.C. Hellespont, a settlement near the legendary city of Troy, was a commercial center which supplied Athens with a south-Russian type of grain. During the 5th century, the seaport Piraeus was constructed and served as a seaport. On the other hand, Olbia supplied corn and other products from the Persian Empire, Naucratis supplied produce from the Egyptians, and Al Mina in Syria provided the Greeks with goods from the Syrians.

But not all the history of Greece was a success story. The periods in which it thrived were very choppy like a roller coaster. For example, trade was extremely successful during the Minoan age, then it slipped into a downward spiral when the Mycenean kings took over. The business recovered but was again overshadowed by the Dark Age of Greece. Finally, with the advent of the eight century B.C., things got on track once more. Those days lasted until 550 B.C. when the Persian Wars intervened. However, Athens managed to heal and, under the leadership of Pericles, entered the Golden Age and regained its thriving trade system. The Golden Age of Athens continued until 431 B.C. That was when the Spartans rose up and overthrew Athens. The Spartan government did not care as much about trade as the Athenians did; so since Sparta was the ruling power of Greece, the business was virtually abandoned. When Philip II and his son, Alexander the Great, conquered Greece, the economy recovered once more.

Greek merchants, too, had a rough time. They led a life similar to that of a sailor. They survived mainly as sailors and most of them were put on the same social level as that of sailors. Other merchants who went about by land commonly became peddlers or tinkers. Although these traders were accomplishing a lot for their country, the public didn’t realize it. In some cases, merchants were thought to be no better than mechanical laborers, and were generally greatly disliked by the other citizens. Even Socrates wrote a text describing his bad feelings towards tradesmen.

What kind of life did Greek merchants live anyway and what was their social status in society? First of all, they were not powerful men; the most respectable Greeks grew things rather than sold them. Greek traders were people who made a living by distributing and exchanging the products that other people produced. They could amass a large amount of money in a few years if they were successful, while it is extremely difficult for farmers to do the same because the land of Greece is not overly productive in crops. Next, merchants never followed one line of business. If something went wrong in the business of trade, nothing could prevent the average trader from taking a walk into other professions. In short, he was a mixture of skipper, shipper, and merchant.

Called “Cross-channel men” by the people of ancient Greece, the merchants were certainly an important component of Greek economy. And the business of trade, which they helped to bring forth, was also a significant constituent. It is quite safe to conclude that classical Greece did not perish mainly because of its unique and equally great trade system. If you take away ancient Greek trade, it is possible that ancient Greece itself would have shattered into pieces.

Credit:

"Ancient Greek Trade" from the Ancient Greece Research Project.

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