Greek merchants, too, had a rough time. They led a life similar to that of a sailor. They survived mainly as sailors and most of them were put on the same social level as that of sailors. Other merchants who went about by land commonly became peddlers or tinkers. Although these traders were accomplishing a lot for their country, the public didn’t realize it. In some cases, merchants were thought to be no better than mechanical laborers, and were generally greatly disliked by the other citizens. Even Socrates wrote a text describing his bad feelings towards tradesmen.

What kind of life did Greek merchants live anyway and what was their social status in society? First of all, they were not powerful men; the most respectable Greeks grew things rather than sold them. Greek traders were people who made a living by distributing and exchanging the products that other people produced. They could amass a large amount of money in a few years if they were successful, while it is extremely difficult for farmers to do the same because the land of Greece is not overly productive in crops. Next, merchants never followed one line of business. If something went wrong in the business of trade, nothing could prevent the average trader from taking a walk into other professions. In short, he was a mixture of skipper, shipper, and merchant.

Called “Cross-channel men” by the people of ancient Greece, the merchants were certainly an important component of Greek economy. And the business of trade, which they helped to bring forth, was also a significant constituent. It is quite safe to conclude that classical Greece did not perish mainly because of its unique and equally great trade system. If you take away ancient Greek trade, it is possible that ancient Greece itself would have shattered into pieces.

       

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