The Origins of Greek Honor and Debt

Ancient greek literature gives us a unique opportunity to observe the transformation as it was actually taking place. The world of the homeric epocs is one dominated by heroic warriors who are disdainful of trade. Men lived their lives in pursuit of honor, which took material form in followers and treasure. This is, no doubt, how time first came to mean both honor and price. In such a world, no one sensed any sort of contradiction between the two. All this was to change dramatically when commercial markets began to develop 200 years later.