{"id":3758,"date":"2005-04-15T00:45:32","date_gmt":"2005-04-15T04:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/04\/15\/taxes-and-sycophants-in-athen"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:57:48","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:57:48","slug":"taxes-and-sycophants-in-athens-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/04\/15\/taxes-and-sycophants-in-athens-2\/","title":{"rendered":"taxes and sycophants in athens"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Like last year, I hereby declare this website a <\/FONT>tax-whiner-free zone<\/FONT><\/A> today.  By coincidence,  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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while reading last night, I came upon the following brief description of the way they <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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“paid for Democracy” in ancient Athens, in Paul Woodruff’s little gem, <\/FONT>First Democracy<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A>: <\/FONT><\/EM><\/DIV>
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The Challenge of an Ancient Idea<\/EM> (Oxford Press, 2005):<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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                                                                                                              “TaxDayN” <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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“The hard labor of slaves paid for just about everything in the ancient Mediterranean,  <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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including democracy.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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      “Throughout the period of democracy, wealthy residents of Athens <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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were subject to special levies, depending on their wealth and the needs<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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of the city.  The richest 2 or 3 percent were expected to pay for the <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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religious festivals that gave Athens both a civic life and a public education.<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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These included dramatic performances.  Citizens only, most often the super <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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rich, were expected to pay for the ships in the navy of Athens.  Both military <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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and religious financial duties were known as liturgies; they were a source of <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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pride and fame to the rich.  After performing a liturgy, you would be exempt <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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from further demands for a year, or, in the case of paying for ships, two years. <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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How were the donors selected?  It was an honor to be asked to perform a <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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liturgy, but if you thought someone else was richer, and that he therefore should <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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be ahead of you in line to pay for a ship or a festival, you could challenge him in <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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court, either to exchange his wealth for yours or to take on the liturgy.”<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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