Nonagricultural Production, Capital, and Innovation

Abstract

This chapter examines the logic of capital and innovation in nonagricultural production in Classical and Hellenistic Greece. It begins with a discussion of fish production and consumption in ancient Greece, focusing on salt production and the preservation of food supplies by means of salt and salting, before discussing the Greek cities' exploitation of their coastal waters. It then considers the importance of fish trade and fish consumption to food supply, artisanal trades, and the distinctive character of artisanal production. In particular, it analyzes the structures of production and the kinds of constraints, both in terms of technology and capital, involved in artisanal work. It also explains how enterprises were structured and how unskilled labor was used by looking at the case of textile manufacturing. Finally, it describes technological innovation in textile manufacturing and in the artisanal trades, including the introduction of rotary movement and the watermill.