This is an extract from:

The Economic History of Byzantium:

From the Seventh through the Fifteenth Century
Angeliki E. Laiou, Editor-in-Chief
Scholarly Committee
Charalambos Bouras
Ccile Morrisson
Nicolas Oikonomides

Constantine Pitsakis
Published by
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
Washington,D.C.
in three volumes as number 39 in the series
Dumbarton Oaks Studies
2002 Dumbarton Oaks
Trustees for Harvard University
Washington,D.C.
Printed in the United States of America
www.doaks.org/etexts.html
DUMBARTON OAKS STUDIES
XXXIX
THE ECONOMIC HISTORY OF BYZANTIUM
Volume 1
The book is being published in two editions:
a Greek version by MIET in Athens and this English
version by Dumbarton Oaks.
THE ECONOMIC HISTORY OF BYZANTIUM
From the Seventh through the Fifteenth Century
Volume 1
Angeliki E. Laiou, Editor-in-Chief
Scholarly Committee
Charalambos Bouras
Ce cile Morrisson
Nicolas Oikonomides
Constantine Pitsakis
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection
Washington, D.C.
2002 Dumbarton Oaks
Trustees for Harvard University
Washington, D.C.
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The economic history of Byzantium: from the seventh through the fteenth century / Angeliki E.
Laiou, editor-in-chief; scholarly committee, Charalambos Bouras . . . [et al.].
p. cm.Dumbarton Oaks studies ; 39)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-88402-288-9 (pbk.)
1. Byzantine EmpireEconomic conditions. I. Laiou, Angeliki E. II. Bouras,
Charalampos. III. Series.
HC294.E25 2001
330.9495dc21
2001032597
Contents
Volume 1
Preface ix
Introduction
Writing the Economic History of Byzantium 3
Angeliki E. Laiou
Political History: An Outline 9
Angeliki E. Laiou
Part One: The Natural Environment, Resources, Communications,
and Production Techniques
Physical Factors in the Evolution of the Landscape and Land Use 31
Bernard Geyer
The Human Resources 46
Angeliki E. Laiou
Land and Sea Communications, FourthFifteenth Centuries 55
Anna Avramea
Ships 89
George Makris
The Means of Agricultural Production: Muscle and Tools 99
Anthony Bryer
Mining 112
Klaus-Peter Matschke
Metallurgy and Metalworking Techniques 118
Maria K. Papathanassiou
Marble and Stoneworking in Byzantium, SeventhFifteenth Centuries 125
Jean-Pierre Sodini
Essential Processes, Looms, and Technical Aspects of the Production of
Silk Textiles 143
Anna Muthesius
Part Two: The Sixth Century, Background
The Sixth-Century Economy 165
Ce cile Morrisson and Jean-Pierre Sodini
Case Study
Anemourion 214
James Russell
Part Three: Structures, Organization, and Development of Production
Agriculture
The Rural Economy, SeventhTwelfth Centuries 225
Jacques Lefort
The Agrarian Economy, ThirteenthFifteenth Centuries 305
Angeliki E. Laiou
Byzantium and the Mediterranean Agrarian Civilization 370
Pierre Toubert
Volume 2
Urban Economy
The Urban Economy, SeventhTwelfth Centuries 385
Gilbert Dagron
The Late Byzantine Urban Economy, ThirteenthFifteenth Centuries 454
Klaus-Peter Matschke
Aspects of the Byzantine City, EighthFifteenth Centuries 487
Charalambos Bouras
Medieval Constantinople: Built Environment and Urban Development 519
Paul Magdalino
Master Craftsmen, Craftsmen, and Building Activities in Byzantium 528
Charalambos Bouras
The Industries of Art 544
Anthony Cutler
Writing Materials, Documents, and Books 577
Nicolas Oikonomides
Pottery and Glass in Byzantium 581
Ve ronique Franc ois and Jean-Michel Spieser
Byzantine Weights 598
Christopher Entwistle
vi Contents
Case Studies
Sardis 602
Clive Foss and Jane Ayer Scott
The Urban Economy of Pergamon 610
Klaus Rheidt
Thebes 617
Aspasia Louvi-Kizi
Medieval Athens 625
Maria Kazanaki-Lappa
Corinth 633
G. D. R. Sanders
Numismatic Circulation in Corinth from 976 to 1204 641
Vasso Penna
Kherson and Its Region 645
Anne Bortoli and Michel Kazanski
Preslav 652
Ivan Jordanov
Turnovo, SixthFourteenth Centuries 657
Konstantin Dochev
Part Four: Exchange, Trade, and Markets
Economic and Non-Economic Exchange 665
Angeliki E. Laiou
Exchange and Trade, SeventhTwelfth Centuries 681
Angeliki E. Laiou
Commerce, Trade, Markets, and Money, ThirteenthFifteenth Centuries 755
Klaus-Peter Matschke
The Levant Trade in the Middle Ages 791
John Day
Prices and Wages in the Byzantine World 799
Ce cile Morrisson and Jean-Claude Cheynet
Special Topics
Monemvasia, SeventhFifteenth Centuries 863
Haris Kalligas
Byzantine Shipwrecks 882
Frederick van Doorninck, Jr.
Contents vii
Volume 3
Part Five: Economic Institutions and the State
Byzantine Money: Its Production and Circulation 891
Ce cile Morrisson
A Note on Monetary Mechanisms, East and West 945
John Day
The Role of the Byzantine State in the Economy 951
Nicolas Oikonomides
Legal Aspects of the Economy
Legal Institutions and Practice in Matters of Ecclesiastical Property 1037
Eleutheria Papagianni
Protimesis (Preemption) in Byzantium 1048
Eleutheria Papagianni
Byzantine Legislation on Economic Activity Relative to Social Class 1060
Eleutheria Papagianni
The Byzantine Law of Interest 1071
Demetrios Gofas
Legal Aspects of the Financing of Trade 1081
Olga Maridaki-Karatza
Part Six: General Traits of the Byzantine Economy
Economic Thought and Ideology 1099
Angeliki E. Laiou
The Byzantine Economy: An Overview 1121
Angeliki E. Laiou
List of Abbreviations 1141
Index 1147
viii Contents
Preface
The idea of producing a book on the economic history of the Byzantine Empire was
rst oated some years ago, when the late and much regretted Nicholas Svoronos, who
would have played a major role, was still alive. A number of unfavorable circumstances
did not allow us to proceed further. Eventually, that rst idea was revisited, was in-
vested with substance, and became reality; the volumes at hand are the result. The
successful completion of this large and difcult project is owed to the enlightened inter-
est, indeed commitment, of certain individuals and institutions whose contribution has
been decisive. The institutional sponsors are the Bank of Greece and the Union of
Greek Banks, while the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece (MIET)
has been responsible for the practical aspects of the coordination and for the publica-
tion of the Greek edition.
Efthymios Christodoulou, who was governor of the Bank of Greece when support
for the project was being sought, had always shown great interest in the history of
the Byzantine economy, for he realizes the importance of Byzantium in the history of
humankind, and therefore the need for a global examination of the economy that
formed the underpinnings of the state and culture of Byzantium. His enthusiasm was
expressed through his continued encouragement and moral support, and it took ma-
terial form in the considerable contribution of the Bank of Greece in nancing the
project.
The late Manolis Kasdaglis, director for many years of the Cultural Foundation of
the National Bank of Greece, was one of the rst individuals to conceive the idea of
such a project and gave his unwavering support to its realization. It is a matter of deep
regret that his untimely death did not allow him to see the publication of this book.
The late Michael Vranopoulos, when he was chairman of the Union of Greek Banks,
also expressed interest in the project; we owe the participation of the Union in the
sponsorship of the project to him and to the Governing Board of the Union. Successive
governors and directors of the Bank of Greece and the Union of Greek Banks respec-
tively showed unagging interest and facilitated our work in a number of ways. I
should like to thank Loukas Papademos, currently governor of the Bank of Greece,
and Georgios Mirkos, former governor of the National Bank of Greece. Special thanks
are owed to Theodoros Karatzas, currently governor of the National Bank of Greece
and chairman of the Union of Greek Banks, for his unwavering support and for mak-
ing decisive contributions which ensured that the project would reach completion. I
am particularly grateful to Yiannis Manos, former general secretary of the Union of
Greek Banks, for his manifold help. I am also happy to acknowledge the support of
the governing boards of the Union of Greek Banks and MIET.
The Scholarly Committee, consisting of Ce cile Morrisson, Charalambos Bouras, Ni-
colas Oikonomides, and Constantine Pitsakis, collaborated in exemplary fashion on
the organinzation and realization of the project. Along with their contribution to gen-
eral issues, members of the committee had editorial supervision of specic chapters:
N. Oikonomides of the chapters on the agrarian economy, Ch. Bouras of those on the
urban economy, C. Morrisson of the chapters on commerce, and C. Pitsakis of the
chapters that treat legal issues. I am particularly grateful to C. Morrisson, who gave
generous and valuable help, reading and commenting on chapters for which she was
not formally responsible. I bear the responsibility for the supervision of the entire work.
I should like to thank a number of economistsVassilis Droukopoulos, Georgios
Krimbas, Georgios Liodakis, and Stavros Thomadakiswho, at an early stage of the
project, participated in a workshop and contributed, with their knowledge of the sci-
ence of economics, to the better conceptualization of the topics with which we were
dealing.
Given the large number of participants, the work of coordination was immense and
difcult. I should like to thank the staff of MIET, and most particularly Olga Drosinou,
for the assistance they provided. Agamemnon Tselikas and Demetrios Kyritses helped
with the illustrations, and I am grateful to them. I should also like to thank Charles
Dibble for his contribution to the onerous task of checking the translations.
Finally, I should like to thank all of the authors for their contribution to this collec-
tive effort. Their scholarship, their enthusiasm for the project, and the patience they
showed throughout our lengthy collaboration made a difcult task pleasant and pro-
ductive.
Angeliki E. Laiou
x Preface