Symmoria

The ''symmoria'' ( el, συμμορία, pl. συμμορίαι, ''symmoriai'') was a group of wealthy citizens in Classical Athens during the 4th century BC, assessed together for the purposes of taxation.

Fiscal ''symmoriai''

The ''symmoriai'' were first instituted in the archonship of Nausinikos (378/7 BC), when wealthy Athenian citizens, who were liable for the property tax known as '' eisphora'', were grouped into such groups. The new measure was probably connected with the establishment of the Second Athenian League and the renewed conflict with Sparta that began in that year.

The number of the ''symmoriai'' is disputed, especially in view of the later establishment of the naval ''symmoriai'', but 100 are mentioned by Kleidemos, and the number seems to correspond with other features of the Athenian fiscal system. It is generally assumed that the ''symmoriai'' formed units of approximately equal fiscal value, so that they paid equal tax. Due to the inevitable delays in collecting taxes from so many people, shortly after 360s BC, the ''proeisphora'' was introduced, whereby the three richest members–the ''hegemon'' (ἠγεμῶν, "leader") or ''protos'' (πρῶτος, "first"), after whom each ''symmoria'' was named, and the ''deuteros'' (δεύτερος, "second") and ''tritos'' (τρίτος, "third")—of each ''symmoria'' paid in advance the sum due from the rest. Each ''symmoria'' had a ''diagrapheus'' (διαγραφεύς), responsible for keeping and updating the group's register (''diagramma'', διάγραμμα). They were answerable to the city's ten ''strategoi'', who were ultimately responsible for the ''symmoriai''.

The metics were grouped into ''symmoriai'' of their own (''metikoikai symmoriai'', μετικοικαὶ συμμορίαι). Each was headed by a treasurer (''tamias'', ταμίας), and the tax officials, likewise drawn from the metics, were termed ''epigrapheis'' (ἐπιγραφεῖς).

Naval ''symmoriai''

Among the heaviest financial burdens borne by the wealthy classes of Athens was the trierarchy, i.e. the obligation (liturgy) of wealthy Athenians to equip (and command) a trireme for one year. Already from the last years of the 5th century, in an effort to alleviate it, the syntrierarchy (co-trierachy), in which the obligation was shared by two citizens, had been introduced. By the middle of the 4th century, however, the trierarchic system had become dysfunctional, not least due to the growing unwillingness of the wealthy classes to contribute time and money to the task. As a result, in 358/7 or 357/6 BC, a citizen called Periandros extended the system of the ''symmories'' to the trierarchy: a list of the 1,200 richest citizens (the ''synteleis'', "joint contributors"), who were liable for the trierarchy, were grouped into twenty ''symmoriai'' of sixty men each.

The orator Demosthenes, in his speech ''On the Symmories'' in 354, proposed to reform the system further, but this was not done until 340. He also proposed to extend the ''symmoriai'' to the liturgies of the great Panathenaea and Dionysia festivals as well.

In the 330s or 320s BC, one of the ten ''strategoi'' of Athens was given charge of the ''symmoriai'' system, and was termed ''strategos epi tas symmorias''.

Other uses

The term is also found in the later Hellenistic period in Teos and in the Roman period in Nysa as a term for a public or private corporation, or as the subdivision of a ''phyle'' (tribe).

References

Sources

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* {{cite encyclopedia , last = Welwei , first = Karl-Wilhelm , title = Trierarchia , encyclopedia = Brill's New Pauly , publisher = Brill Online , url = http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/trierarchia-e1220420 , access-date = 20 February 2015

Taxation in ancient Athens
Navy of ancient Athens