Le misthoseis ad Atene nella prospettiva di Domenico Musti: processi economici e rapporti sociali

Domenico Musti has devoted to economic history in the Greek world major works, though not always fully exploited by modern studies. Many perspectives and suggestions contained in his reflections are still waiting to be used in all their richness. This article aims to highlight in particular the attention paid by Musti to misthoseis in the greek world, through a review of the positions expressed in different contributions, which shows a continuous and progressive effort to define the importance of this practice. Misthoseis were gradually seen not only as an element of the economic dynamism of classical Athens, but also as a more widespread cultural marker, implying a mindset, which used this tool to try to reconcile the fulfillment of economic processes with the needs of social life, creating new relationships and new socio-economic balance between the euporoi, the rich, and the aporoi, the poor.