Economic changes in the early Hellenistic kingdoms of Macedonia and Thrace

Abstract

The end of the fourth century B.C. saw large-scale political overhauls with powerful monarchies replacing the former polis-centred Greek world. With these political changes came economic changes. Evidence around the Greek world at this time shows expanding number and shifting roles of market officials, the foundation of urban centres, and changes in land distribution. The kings, starting with Philip II, played significant roles in many of these developments. Macedon and Thrace, however, offer less evidence for such changes than other regions. New archaeological evidence, however, of amphoras produced near ancient Mende shows a clear difference between earlier practices of organizing amphora production and those practices from the late fourth century. The changes in amphora stamping show an increase in personal accountability and complexity of organization thereby providing substantial detail to the more general evidence for economic change Macedonia and the Chalkidike.