9/19/2023 0 Comments Sparta iron money![]() ![]() These coins were made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver that was highly prized and abundant in that area. ![]() These coins were issued either by the non-Greek Lydians for their own use or perhaps because Greek mercenaries wanted to be paid in precious metal at the conclusion of their time of service, and wanted to have their payments marked in a way that would authenticate them. The earliest known electrum coins, Lydian and East Greek coins found under the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, are currently dated to around 640 BC. Ionia, Uncertain city (possibly Kyme, Aeolis) 600–550 BC, Hemiobol. ![]() In addition to its original meaning (which also gave the diminutive " obelisk", "little spit"), the word obol (ὀβολός, obolós, or ὀβελός, obelós) was retained as a Greek word for coins of small value, still used as such in Modern Greek slang (όβολα, óvola, "monies"). Because of this very aspect, Spartan legislation famously forbade issuance of Spartan coin, and enforced the use of iron ingots, called pelanoi in order to discourage avarice and the hoarding of wealth. In archaic, pre-numismatic times iron was valued for making durable tools and weapons, and its casting in spit form may have actually represented a form of transportable bullion, which eventually became bulky and inconvenient after the adoption of precious metals. This suggests that before coinage came to be used in Greece, spits in prehistoric times were used as measures in daily transactions. Drachmae were divided into six obols (from the Greek word for a spit ), and six spits made a "handful". The word drachm(a) means "a handful", literally "a grasp". Trading with Sparta was also difficult because they did not use coins, instead they used heavy iron bars as their money.The three most important standards of the ancient Greek monetary system were the Attic standard, based on the Athenian drachma of 4.3 grams (2.8 pennyweights) of silver, the Corinthian standard based on the stater of 8.6 g (5.5 dwt) of silver, that was subdivided into three silver drachmas of 2.9 g (1.9 dwt), and the Aeginetan stater or didrachm of 12.2 g (7.8 dwt), based on a drachma of 6.1 g (3.9 dwt). The Spartans feared that contact with other city-states would lead to new ideas and weaken their government. They also conducted some trade with the other city-states. The periokoi made such neccesary items as shoes, red cloaks for the soldiers, iron tools like knives and spears, and pottery. They could serve in the army when needed, but they could not participate in the government. The Spartans also made use of non citizens, called periokoi. These helots were allowed to continue to live in their own villages, but they were forced to give much of the food they grew to the Spartan citizens. The Spartans would turn the people they conquered into slaves called helots. Because Spartan men spent their lives as warriors, Sparta had to use slaves and non citizens to produce goods. Sparta did not have enough land to feed all its people, so they took the land they needed from their neighbors. Unlike Athens, Sparta's economy relied on both farming and conquering other people. ![]()
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