Economic theory of the ancient States: Weber's view of the question of capitalism in Antiquity

Abstract

The article discusses the problem of capitalism in Antiquity, as formulated by Max Weber. It seeks to reconstruct Weber's understanding of the phenomenon, that is, the forms of economic organization in Antiquity. An analysis of Weber's 1908 text "Agrarverhältnissen im Altertum" [Agrarian relations in Antiquity] provides the basis for the discussion as a whole. However the article also examines the intellectual context of Weber's problematization, such as the Meyer-Bücher polemic concerning the fundamental aspects of the ancient economy, as well as specific aspects of ancient capitalism, as Weber understood them, where the relation with the political dimension assumes a prominent role.