ANATOKISMOS
ANATOKISMOS (
ἀνατοκισμός),
compound interest, and the correlative
εὐθυτοκία, simple interest, do not occur in the classical
authors, but are often found in inscriptions; the former as a Latin word in
Cic. Att. 5.2. 1,
11, “centesimae cum anatocismo
anniversario.” The equivalent phrase
τόκοι
τόκων occurs
Aristoph. Cl.
1156. As to the Athenian law on this subject, the researches of
Büchsenschütz (
Besitz und Erwerb, p. 499)
and Caillemer (
Étude ix. p. 26, also in Daremberg
and Saglio s. v.) cannot be said to lead to any definite conclusions. It
appears probable that the utmost freedom of contract was allowed. For the
Greek feeling against usurers, and the subject generally, see
FENUS (Greek).
[
W.W]
