The Erosion of Hierarchy in Greek Cities

Aristotle spoke of the athenian poor as falling slave to the rich. What he appears to have meant was that, in harsh years, many poor farmers fell into debt. As a result, they ended up as share croppers on their own property dependents. Some were even sold abroad as slaves. The moment when commercial markets developed, greek cities quickly developed all the social problems that had been plaguing middle eastern cities for millennia.