The Stakes of Cliometrics in Ancient History

2011/01/01 by Claude Diebolt, Diebolt, Claude
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Antike #Economic Theory and Institutions #Forschungsansatz #Forschungsstand #Greece #Griechenland #Historical Economic and Legal Thought #Historical Economic and Social Studies #Marktwirtschaft #Messung #Methode #Roman Empire #Römisches Reich #Wirtschaft #Wirtschaftsforschung #Wirtschaftsgeschichte #antiquity #economic history #economic research #economic theory #economy #market economy #measurement #method #quantitative Methode #quantitative method #research approach #research status #ökonomische Theorie

paper · pdf · doi:10.12759/hsr.36.2011.3.350-361

openalex publication_date 2011/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

According to Finley, markets and economic motivations played little, if any, role in ancient economies. Status and civic ideology governed the allocation of scarce resources. Hence, the application of economic theory to the ancient economy was at best a futile exercise and at worst a source of grave misunderstandings. Temin's contributions lead to other conclusions and, as in the myth of Sisyphus, the boulder seems again to be at the bottom of the hill! The author's feeling is that the Gordian knot remains the same now as over the past decades: should cliometrics be used in the social sciences/humanities in general, and ancient history especially?

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