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The Aristotle's "Οικονομικά" contribution on the economic thought of modern times

• Μπαλόγλου, Χρήστος Π.

The work «Oeconomica» consists of three books. The third book has been survived by two latin thranslation and has the title «Νόμοι ανδρός και γαμέτης». It is of later origin and is of no economic interest. This book contains little that is Peripatetic, and is closer to the Neapythagorean writings. The first book consists of six chapters. The most of the material is an imitation of Aristotle's «Politica» and in Xenophon's «Oeconomicus», we find rather new ideas. The second book consists of two parts. The fist part (I) is purely theoretical. Aristotle devotes his attention to the question of acquisition relavant to the poleis and kings, and makes an interesting classification : There are four forms of economy-royal, provincial, political and private. Aristotle states the important economic principle, that expenditure should not exceed revenues. This is the common characteristic of these kinds of economy. The discrimination of the economies and their connection with the kind of government for the three kinds considers the significance of Aristotle's ideas and also the remarkable fact in the development of the economic thought of the Greeks. The kind of the government plays a decisive role and describes the economic structure of the polis. The work «Oeconomica» was a significant part of the European intellectual corpus, studied as relevant to current problems by rulers as well as by ordinary men of affairs.

• Economics and Business

• Οικονομική ιστορία

Εκφράζω τις ευχαριστίες μου στον ομότιμο Καθηγητή του Πανεπιστημίου Πειραιώς, Λ.Θ. Χουμανίδη, τα κριτικά σχόλια του οποίου με βοήθησαν να βελτιώσω το κείμενο. Χάριτες εκφράζω επίσης στην φιλόλογο-καθηγήτρια 'Ελένη Γεωργαντά για τη βοήθεια της στα λατινικά κείμενα.