The Athenians' Measures to Pay for the Financial Crisis

The revolts of mightleine strained Athenian financial resources beyond any predictions that paracles could have made at the start of the war. The available reserves had fallen to less than a thousand talents, and the financial crisis had set in at Athens. In order to pay for the current financial state of affairs, the Athenians took two extraordinary measures. First, they increased the tribute assessments from their subject allies. They also introduced an ice fora, or a property tax. It was meant not only to protect Methimna, but to force mightleine to surrender.