Sosias, Silver Mining, and the Wealth of Classical Athens

Slavery is often considered a throwback to an older, less efficient way of organizing an economy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Sosias, a mining overseer from Thrace, was one of the most expensive slaves ever sold in classical Athens. What made him worth so much money? The answer reveals a great deal about classical Athens, its economy, and slavery's place in a sophisticated economic world.

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