The Economics of the Panhellenic Games

1
The Economics of the Panhellenic Games

• Who Paid for the events?
• Liturgies - a form of taxation of the wealthy
• Both a financial burden and a civic duty and
  honour

2
A Liturgy

• Variety of costs from small to large
• Repairs to temples, roads, public works
• Cost of building temples, other public buildings
• Training and clothing of a chorus for a dramatic
  competition Choregos
• Outfitting of a trireme (warship) for a year -
  trirarch

3
Who were the Sponsors

• Rich men who paid for games
• Agonothetes givers of games
• Also the Athlothetes and Hellanodikes
• Were also responsible for organization
• Usually a board of several wealthy men

4
Gymnasiarchos

• Leader of the gymnasion
• Elected or chosen by lot in his city state
• Responsible for physical training
• Selected and organized teams
• Also contributed financially supply of oil for
  athletes, for example

5
Other Resources

• Ticket Prices? Evidence not clear
• Theatre Seats were paid for
• Athens Theoric Fund paid for seats in theatron
  for poor citizens

6
Prizes

• At Crown (stephanic) Games - prizes had only
  symbolic value
• Cash Prizes given by home towns
• Other festivals often gave money (chrematic)
  prizes for victors (Arete Ch. 5 120
• Paid for by organizers

7
Other contributions by sponsors

• Food supply for visitors at Panathenaea
• Physicians for visitors
• Hellenistic and Roman Period also payments
  sometimes for accomodations for athletes

8
Liturgies and Social Status

• Payment of Liturgies was a duty and an honour for
  the top income classes
• Enabled the rich to display and increase their
  social status
• Honorary inscriptions set up
• Some agonothetai paid huge sums of their own
  money to persuade Olympic champions to compete at
  games they put on

9
Foreign Benefactors

• Arete Ch. 136
• Proxenos

10
The impact on the Local Economy

• Lots of work for local Workers and Contractors
• Rental income from tents for hire, huts, market
  stands,
• Mules, donkeys
• Food stands, beverages
• Souvenir industry sales of terracotta figurines
  for offerings to the gods, etc.,
• Entertainment for crowds between events
• Accommodations (Arete 144)

11
Dio Chrysostom

• Account of the circus surrounding the Games
• Arete 145