ARGYRO´LOGOI
ARGYRO´LOGOI (
ἀργυρολόγοι, with or without
νῆες),
the money-collecting ships of the Athenians, occur frequently in the
Peloponnesian War (
Thuc. 3.19,
4.50,
4.75;
Xen. Hell. 1.1,
8;
Aristoph. Kn. 1071). They
were ostensibly employed in levying the regular tribute from the
subject-allies; but as the needs of Athens became more pressing, their
commanders often resorted to arbitrary exactions, even from neutrals. As
they acted in small detachments, the number of strategi sent out was large
in proportion to that of ships; and the bitterness they provoked is shown by
armed resistance and sometimes by the destruction of the plunderers
(Classen, on
Thuc. 3.19). Alcibiades, who
combined skill with popularity, was extremely successful in this kind of
business, and on one occasion raised 100 talents in Caria alone (
Xen. Hell. 4.4,
9). Boeckh is perhaps unduly severe in arguing, from the single
instance of Miltiades, who after all was punished (
Hdt.
3.133 ff.), that the Athenians went about as pirates even in the
earlier and better times (Boeckh,
P. E. p. 586; Hermann,
Staatsalterth. § 166 ; cf. Grote, ch. 36, 3.312
ff:; ch. 47, 4.147 ff.).
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W.W]
