Peter Jones

Xenophon’s answer to a budget crisis – more non-doms!

His proposals were guaranteed to annoy the Ancient Greek equivalent of Ukip

issue 17 May 2014

Nearly half of Britain’s billionaires are foreigners, and government hopes many more will now come in on the government ‘start business — get passport’ scheme. Someone has obviously been reading Xenophon.

In the 350s BC Athens was in serious financial trouble. In his Poroi (‘Revenues’), Xenophon, a soldier and essayist, sketched out a plan to restore Athens’ fortunes. The big target was foreign businessmen, or ‘metics’ as the Greeks called them.

‘Metic’ derives from metoikos, literally someone who had ‘changed residence’, i.e. a Greek or non-Greek who was not Athenian. To live in Athens they had to have a citizen sponsor, be registered and pay a monthly tax. They were liable for military service, and could not own land or take any political role. They were there to work. Since Athens was a flourishing international city, there was money to be made from being part of it.

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