Epidoseis () was a form of non-compulsory, non-tax financial giving in

ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...

. An epidoseis was a voluntary contribution, either in money, arms, or ships, which was made by a citizen of

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

in order to meet the extraordinary demands of the state. When the expenses of the state were greater than its revenue, it was usual for the

prytaneis The ''prytaneis'' (πρυτάνεις; sing.: πρύτανις ''prytanis'') were the executives of the '' boule'' of Ancient Athens. They served in a prytaneion. Origins When Cleisthenes reorganized the Athenian government in 508/7 BCE, he rep ...

to summon an assembly of the people -- ''

ecclesia Ecclesia (Greek: ἐκκλησία ''ekklēsia'') may refer to: Organizations * Ecclesia (ancient Greece) or Ekklēsia, the principal assembly of ancient Greece during its Golden Age * Ecclesia (Sparta), the citizens' assembly of Sparta, often w ...

'' -- and, after explaining the necessities of the state, to call upon the citizens to contribute according to their means. Those who were willing to contribute then rose and said what they would give; while those who were unwilling to give anything, remained silent or retired privately from the assembly.

Demosthenes Demosthenes (; ; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide insight into the politics and cu ...

, '' Against Meidias'' pp. 566-567. 23 The names of those who had promised to contribute, together with the amount of their contributions, were written on tablets, which were placed before the statues of the Eponymi, where they remained until the amount was paid. These voluntary contributions were frequently very large. Sometimes the more wealthy citizens voluntarily undertook a "trierarchy", or the expenses of equipping a

trireme A trireme ( ; ; cf. ) was an ancient navies and vessels, ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean Sea, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greece, ancient Greeks and ancient R ...

. We read that the freedman

Pasion Pasion (also Pasio; ; 440 – 370 BC) was a slave who rose to become a successful banker and Athenian citizen in Ancient Athens in the early 4th century BC. Life Pasion was born some time before 430 BC. It is unknown where Pasion came from ...

furnished 1000 shields, together with five triremes, which he equipped at his own expense.

Chrysippus Chrysippus of Soli (; , ; ) was a Ancient Greece, Greek Stoicism, Stoic Philosophy, philosopher. He was a native of Soli, Cilicia, but moved to Athens as a young man, where he became a pupil of the Stoic philosopher Cleanthes. When Cleanthes ...

presented a talent to the state, when

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

moved against Thebes during the

Battle of Thebes The Battle of Thebes took place between Alexander the Great and the ancient Greece, Greek city of Thebes, Greece, Thebes in 335 BC immediately outside of and in the city proper in Boeotia. After being made Hegemony, hegemon of the League of ...

; Aristophanes, son of Nicophemus, gave 30,000

drachma Drachma may refer to: * Ancient drachma, an ancient Greek currency * Modern drachma The drachma ( ) was the official currency of modern Greece from 1832 until the launch of the euro in 2001. First modern drachma The drachma was reintroduce ...

e for an expedition against

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

;

Charidemus Charidemus (or Kharidemos, ), of Oreus in Euboea, was an ancient Greek mercenary leader of the 4th century BC. He had a complicated relationship with Athens, sometimes aiding the city in its efforts to secure its interests in the northern Aegean, ...

and Diotimus, two commanders, made a free gift of 800 shields; and similar instances of liberality are mentioned by German classical scholar

August Böckh August Böckh or Boeckh (; ; 24 November 1785 – 3 August 1867) was a German classical scholar and antiquarian. Life He was born in Karlsruhe, and educated at the local gymnasium; in 1803 he left for the University of Halle, where he studied t ...

, from whom the preceding examples have been taken.

, ''The Public Economy of Athens'' pp. 586, 587, 2nd. ed.

Notes

{{DGRA, author=WS, title=Epidoseis, page=468, url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/acl4256.0001.001/482 History of taxation Personal taxes Giving Ancient Greek law Economy of ancient Greece Taxation in ancient Athens