Xenophon
On Revenues
"On Revenues" by Xenophon is an essay written in 355 BC. Addressed to Athens's Council of Five Hundred after the city's defeat in the Social War, this work proposes economic reforms to rescue Athens from financial ruin. Xenophon argues that Athens can sustain itself through peaceful trade and commerce rather than warfare and empire. His proposals include attracting foreign residents, expanding silver mining operations, and establishing Athens as a commercial center—a vision for prosperity through peace rather than conquest.