The Study On The Economic Thought Of Greece In Archaic And Classical Ages

Greece is the source of the west civilization. Greek had thought carefully many economic problems in the ancient. The economic thought is an important part of the cultural achievement of the ancient Greece. There are many quintessence in the economic thought of the ancient Greece, and which has an important effect on the people of future generation, even is paid great attention by many scholars now.The natural environment, for example, geography and climate, had played an outstanding part in the course of development of Ancient Greek civilization, and left its mark on the economic thought of the ancient Greece. An essential feature of Greek geography is mountainous patterns of land. Meanwhile climate gives Greece its most recognizable character. Greek planted a lot of olive trees, fig trees and grape-vine in the ancient, their agricultural structure appeared the outside feature. Ancient Greeks had made extensive commercial ties with the Mediterranean and the Pontus regions by foundation of colony; by500 the Greeks were interlocked a relatively advanced commercial system, and oversea trade became the most active part of the ancient Greek commerce.By investigation of the history of the economic thought of the ancient Greece, we find that Greek economic activity was characteristic in the Crete Civilization and the Mycenaean society; Greek oversea trade was active, and had frequent commercial contacts with many areas of the Mediterranean. Throughout the Dark Age, material civilization was not flourishing, and by the archeological exploration, variation in grave goods was very limited. But by the ninth century, objects and materials of non-Aegean origin were appearing in the Greek world. Ties between the Aegean and the Near East had probably never been completely broken. In recent years scholarship has reached a fairly general agreement that the Iliad and the Odyssey reflected the social and economic conditions of the later of the Dark Age. During the age Greek had been trying to explore in many economic fields. Their economic idea had made an important effect on the thoughts of the archaic and classical Greece.Archaic age is an important historic phase of Greece, and is an essential stage when the economic idea of ancient Greece formed. Many features of classical Greek economic thought appeared in the archaic period. Ancient Greeks had made extensive commercial ties with the outside world by foundation of colony in the Mediterranean and the Pontus regions; with the appearance of coinage in the Greek world, it was a trend to pursue wealth and coinage, and Greeks were tending to mercantilism.Greeks were reclaiming many pieces of land in hillsides and valleys, then they planted-olive trees, fig trees and grape-vine. Greek agricultural structure begined to change.Colony made Greek economy the outside feature.Oversea trade had gradually become an important part of economic activity in ancient Greece.The ancient Greek civilization was growing prosperous in the Classical age, the economic thought of ancient Greece had become more mature than before. Although the "economy" never was for the Greeks an autonomous category, Greek states had the economic behavior, for example, the policy of import trade, the fiscal policy, the taxation, the control of economic activity, and so on. In general, the governments of city-state had their economic behavior, there were the thought of intervening in the economic activity n the ancient Greek society. Meanwhile Greeks had reached the peak of the ancient economic thought, the thoughts of Xenophon, Plato and Aristotle presented the top achievement in the ancient Greece. Their many thoughts had affected the coming generations, for instance, Xenophon's thought of labor division, Plato's thought of public ownership of wealth, and Aristotle's thoughts of commerce, value and coinage.The economic thoughts contained in the works of comedy in ancient Greece. Religion is one important feature of the ancient Greek Civilization. Greek Religion has penetrated into every aspects of the ancient Greek society by its special ways, especially in the realm of the economy. Not only religious affair made an effect on the economy of the city-states, but also it was in itself a work with the economical meaning. Comparison with the other social activities, religion was most extensive in the ancient Greek society, and so religion showed more economic thoughts.As an important part of the economic thought of the ancient Greece, the economic thought of the masses shows a lot of characteristics.Compared with the the economic thought of the philosophers, they displayed directly, and could reflecte the true conditions of ancient Greece. The common people paid great attention material interest. They worked hard, and opposed the behavior of reaping without sowing. The ancient Greeks had thought that slave was a part of wealth, one kind of productive tools. They usually linked war with the ways of aquainment, tended to look warship as one economic behavior.The Greeks was an excellent technician, and an extremely competent trader. Especially in the archaic age, The Greeks had not any prejudice against manual labour. Solon decreed that a father must see that his son be thought a craft; Herodtus had said that the Corinthians hold handicraftsmen in least disesteem.The economic thought of the essential people and the economic thought of the masses are the important parts of the economic thought of ancient Greece, and had made a great effect on the whole west economic thoughts. Until the present days, it is begin of study on the history of economic thought.