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It is in the nature of men to try and better themselves. Throughout history, there exists countless examples of mankind's drive for improvement, from advances in their technology to simply new techniques in doing their labors. It then makes sense that humanity is particularly focused on improvement for one of the most important parts of their lives: that of their government. The policies of a government affect their entire regime and their subjects. Xenophon himself expresses this idea in his own attempt to better the fortunes of Athens, the Poroi.
Covering a wide variety of topics like silver, public slavery, and peace, Xenophon's manifestio is certianly ambitious, but most of his ideas are hard to justify and ultimately unattainable.
First, Xenophon outlines the natural advantages held by the Athenian land. Both the soil and the physical location receives praise, the former for its fertility in growing grain and the latter for its prime location in commerce. This study of the land may sound odd in an economic treaty, but by detailing the advantages, Xenophon is laying the cards on the table- explaining to the reader what natural resources Athens possesses.
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With the natural treasures of his polis explained, Xenophon commences his ideas for improving Athens' economic standards, keeping in mind these natural resources
Next, Xenophon proposes that in addition to the natural advantages enjoyed by Athens,
that "attentive care should be taken of the resident aliens first". Going into detail, he proposes that the resident aliens should, in addition to receiving honor in combat, benefit from certain programs designed to integrate them into the city.
One idea held is for the city to "grant ownership of houses to those would build them, after they asked and were deemed worthy of doing so." Another one offered is to create a "office of protectors of resident aliens....and if there should be an honor for those would enroll the most resident aliens." This idea sounds practical; let the aliens provide for their own housing, and then reward them for being self-reliant. However, Xenophon is careful to sooth the worries of those Atheinans who would be concerned about the sudden influx of aliens- by granting awards to their protectors, he establishes a self-interest in looking after them. Furthermore he is careful to note that any burdens that do benefit the city should still be intact upon the aliens. Xenophon's proposals here seek to improve the rights of the aliens while still furthering the economic means of the city.
Next, Xenophon delves into the commerce trade. Here, his idea is to create a rewarding environment for the various merchants and shipowners that often visit the coast of Athens. By supporting the magistrates settling disputes between them quickly and granting successful merchants hospitality, Xenophon hopes to create a welcoming base for traders. Of course, such a generous invitation requires generous funds, and here Xenophon proposes creating a capital fund. He cites instances where money was raised to help the Arcadians and of the time of Hegesilaus. Yet, the examples he cites were times of military need, to defend allies and to protect themselves. The citizens voted one way in a crisis; their votes may be different in a time where their funds are not necessary for the continued survival of the city. The idea itself is sound- by creating a positive environment, the merchants would lean towards patronizing Athens. This idea is supported by Xenophon's evaluation of Athens' location as being in the center of Greece. However, as sound as Xenophon's idea for the coast is, it cannot stand by itself without the financial foundations necessary.
Next, Xenophon turns his gaze upon the silver mines, perhaps the idea he has the most passion for. However, he has been allured by the presitige of silver, and blinded by the reality of his situation. There are no resources that are truly inexhaustible in the world, so obviously the silver mines will run out. Yet, Xenophon claims that "silver will never lose its value." He does defend his argument by noting that silver can be used for various items in both war and peacetime, but this lies counter with an additional argument earlier, where he claims that "with regard to household utensils, whenever someone has acquired a sufficient amount for his house, he will certainly not purchase still more." Silver can be used to create objects, but by Xenophon's own words this is not a long lasting solution, as the public will always eventually tire of objects to use. Therefore, we are almost forced to assume that he is talking about currency- but then the issue of inflation comes into play. Minting too much currency will drive down the value of the existing coins. Regardless of his arguments, merely increasing the mining of the silver mines cannot be a permanent idea for revenue.
Furthermore, Xenophon's next idea on the same subject seems to compound his delusion about the silver mines; he suggests public slaves. First, this idea seems almost hypocritical when one looks to his earlier suggestions to make resident aliens a more integral part of Athens' society. Second, the import of more slaves, and therefore more workers, would accelerate the decline of the silver mines. A gradual introduction of slaves, as Xenophon proposes would avoid an immediate overtaxing of the environment, but would only be delaying the inevitable. Thirdly, there is a danger in attempting to dig in a new place, as noted by Xenophon; "For he who finds good production becomes rich; he who does not find anything loses everything he spent." In response, Xenophon proposes a solution: the ten tribes of the city would receive an equal amount of slaves. Then, each tribe would collaborate in digging, and then if one or more tribes discover silver, they would share the profit. Of course, the danger with this strategy lies in the possibility of one tribe discovering a hefty amount, and then deciding to buy out. After all, if they are the only ones discovering anything, why would they need to share with the other. True, the slaves that were given by the city would ensure compliance, but the tribe could easily just acquire their own slaves, and thus cut off ties with Athens altogether. The idea of slaves working for the good of the common man is ill at odds with the other ideas of Xenophon.
Next, Xenophon promotes the idea of long-lasting peace. "Cities", Xenophon claims, "that spend the most time in peace are said to be the happiest." Peace would be beneficial to such a commercial and trading-based market such as Athens, for war brings amok disruptions and distractions that prevent the ease of trading. Furthermore, an increase in the number of poleis that are favorable to Athens obviously means an increase in favorable markets. By this time, the empire of the Atheinians had fallen apart, so here Xenophon is offering a reversal of state policy. Instead of ruling over a vast empire, a more economical government would provide a different means to glory and prominence. There is one potential problem with Xenophon's analysis- by closing off force as a way of acquiring new territory, he must search for another alternative to acquire land and resources in the future. Land would be necessary due to the increase of population brought in by the public slaves and the resident aliens attracted by his other proposed policies. Aside from this concern about living space, Xenophon's peace aligns with both the state of Athens and his other proposed policies.
Finally, Xenophon ends the document with an overview of its potential effects upon Atheinan society, and an urge to "send to both Dodona and Delphi and ask the gods whether it is more agreeable and better for the city to prepare itself in this way." The use of this "divine confirmation," of having a way for your religious figures approve of a certain plan is a double edged sword. On one hand, if your diety approves (of course, assuming that there is a way that they can give their opinion), then you can win the support from your more pious citizenry. On the other hand, if they do not approve, then you will face more opposition from your opponents. As per usual, Xenophon failed to take the potential consequences of his arguments into account.
In conclusion, it is obviously no crime to have the desire for increasing the revenues of the city and to try and improve your government. In fact, Xenophon's proposal has many quality ideas within the text. Augmenting the silver mines, using trade to establish economical prestige and desiring peace (so as to smooth the aforementioned trade) are all fine ideas. The problem is that Xenophon does not seem to take into mind certain foundations that his ideas hinge upon. The long term effects of his plans, and the willingness of people to go along with said plans, seems to elude his grasp. In other words, although the ideas themselves are mostly stable, the foundations are unstable. Despite the benefits of some proposals, the lack of solid rationale undermines many of Xenophon's ideas, leaving them impractical for the economic and political system of Athens.
It is in the nature of men to try and better themselves. (2019, Dec 18). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/it-is-in-the-nature-of-men-to-try-and-better-themselves-example-essay
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