On Revenues | Page 5

after Cobet, omits the words so rendered.
[8] See "Hipparch." ix. 3, where Xenophon in almost identical words
recommends that reform.
In the next place, seeing that there are at present numerous building
sites within the city walls as yet devoid of houses, supposing the state
were to make free grants of such land[9] to foreigners for building
purposes in cases where there could be no doubt as to the respectability
of the applicant, if I am not mistaken, the result of such a measure will
be that a larger number of persons, and of a better class, will be
attracted to Athens as a place of residence.
[9] Or, "offer the fee simple of such property to."
Lastly, if we could bring ourselves to appoint, as a new government
office, a board of guardians of foreign residents like our Guardians of
Orphans,[10] with special privileges assigned to those guardians who
should show on their books the greatest number of resident aliens
--such a measure would tend to improve the goodwill of the class in
question, and in all probability all people without a city of their own
would aspire to the status of foreign residents in Athens, and so further
increase the revenues of the city.[11]

[10] "The Archon was the legal protector of all orphans. It was his duty
to appoint guardians, if none were named in the father's will."--C. R.
Kennedy, Note to "Select Speeches of Demosthenes." The orphans of
those who had fallen in the war (Thuc. ii. 46) were specially cared for.
[11] Or, "help to swell the state exchequer."

III
At this point I propose to offer some remarks in proof of the attractions
and advantages of Athens as a centre of commercial enterprise. In the
first place, it will hardly be denied that we possess the finest and safest
harbourage for shipping, where vessels of all sorts can come to
moorings and be laid up in absolute security[1] as far as stress of
weather is concerned. But further than that, in most states the trader is
under the necessity of lading his vessel with some merchandise[2] or
other in exchange for his cargo, since the current coin[3] has no
circulation beyond the frontier. But at Athens he has a choice: he can
either in return for his wares export a variety of goods, such as human
beings seek after, or, if he does not desire to take goods in exchange for
goods, he has simply to export silver, and he cannot have a more
excellent freight to export, since wherever he likes to sell it he may
look to realise a large percentage on his capital.[4]
[1] Reading {adeos} after Cobet, or if {edeos}, transl. "in perfect
comfort."
[2] Or, "of exchanging cargo for cargo to the exclusion of specie."
[3] I.e. of the particular locality. See "The Types of Greek Coins,"
Percy Gardner, ch. ii. "International Currencies among the Greeks."
[4] Or, "on the original outlay."
Or again, supposing prizes[5] were offered to the magistrates in charge
of the market[6] for equitable and speedy settlements of points in
dispute[7] to enable any one so wishing to proceed on his voyage
without hindrance, the result would be that far more traders would trade
with us and with greater satisfaction.
[5] Cf. "Hiero," ix. 6, 7, 11; "Hipparch." i. 26.
[6] {to tou emporiou arkhe}. Probably he is referring to the {epimeletai
emporiou} (overseers of the market). See Harpocr. s.v.; Aristot.
"Athenian Polity," 51.
[7] For the sort of case, see Demosth. (or Deinarch.) "c. Theocr." 1324;

Zurborg ad loc.; Boeckh, I. ix. xv. (pp. 48, 81, Eng. tr.)
It would indeed be a good and noble institution to pay special marks of
honour, such as the privilege of the front seat, to merchants and
shipowners, and on occasion to invite to hospitable entertainment those
who, through something notable in the quality of ship or merchandise,
may claim to have done the state a service. The recipients of these
honours will rush into our arms as friends, not only under the incentive
of gain, but of distinction also.
Now the greater the number of people attracted to Athens either as
visitors or as residents, clearly the greater the development of imports
and exports. More goods will be sent out of the country,[8] there will
be more buying and selling, with a consequent influx of money in the
shape of rents to individuals and dues and customs to the state
exchequer. And to secure this augmentation of the revenues, mind you,
not the outlay of one single penny; nothing needed beyond one or two
philanthropic measures and certain details of supervision.[9]
[8] See Zurborg, "Comm." p. 24.
[9] See Aristot. "Pol." iv. 15, 3.
With regard to the other sources of revenue which I contemplate, I