"Cooperation" concept within the context of Greek trade activities in 7th and 6th centuries BC

Abstract

During the 7th and 6th centuries B.C., Greek commercial activities were under the influence of religiously and sociopolitically oriented institutions and practices to a great extent. In this period, certain practices, such as "xe-nia" and "proxenoi" facilitating the integration among peoples from different ethnic backgrounds, and religious institutions and organizations like sanctuaries, cults, and temples were particularly employed by the Greek poleis deliberately in a way that certain aspects of these practices, institutions and organizations that laid the groundwork for trade contacts, cooperation, or partnership were highlighted. Since trade agreements representing the guarantee of public authority were not fully established then, it is understood that the precautions (such as the oaths in the form of "spondai" and "horkoi"), which were introduced for the commercial exchanges to be more secure, were mainly based on the guarantorship of divine powers. It seems that while in the Archaic Period Greek poleis tried to strengthen their trade links by means of religiously and sociopolitically oriented institutions and practices, they made efforts to develop these links by taking steps to establish cooperation. Even though such attempts do not correspond to a large-scale organization among the Greek poleis, the foundations of a number of cities, such as Naukratis, Massalia, Emporion, Poseidonia, indicates that certain steps towards cooperation were taken and that these poleis managed to act together with even local peoples when the conditions make this action necessary.