phoros

Phoros (Ancient Greek: φόρος) is a term used in Greek antiquity to denote a burden, levy, or tribute. Etymologically related to the verb φέρειν (pherrein), meaning to carry, phoros signifies something that must be borne or paid by a person, city, or member of a political group. In various contexts it refers to a financial obligation imposed by a ruler, league, or allied structure.

In classical Greece, phoros commonly described a formal tax or contribution assessed to support political or military needs. The most famous usage is the tribute levied by the Delian League on its member states, whose payments were collected to fund collective defense and naval power. These obligations were periodically assessed and recorded in tribute lists, and payments could be rendered in coin or in kind. Beyond imperial or league contexts, phoros could also denote tolls, customs duties, or other compulsory charges.

In the Hellenistic period, phoros continued as a general term for taxes and obligatory contributions imposed by rulers, satraps, or federations. It was commonly described as a burden borne by subjugated communities and is attested in inscriptions and administrative documents that enumerate cities and their assessed amounts.

The term survives in modern Greek as φόρος, meaning tax or levy, and is used in related legal and fiscal vocabulary. In scholarly discussions of ancient Greek finance and imperial administration, phoros remains a foundational concept for understanding state revenue, inter-city relations, and the economics of ancient political communities.