Broadly speaking, the Athenians spent money in several different areas: military, religious institutions, religious and civic festivals/feasts, and city projects and "beautification." There is much more specific information out there, though, and I'm hoping to quantify these categories (and all the rest I have forgotten to list here). If I can quantify them I can see which were receiving the majority of the money, which has obvious religious implications.
What I'm testing for is where the money went and whether the expenditure was of rational use to the Athenians. For example, if I find much of the money going towards the military, with the justification being that the gods support their military campaigns, then this is support for my ideas. If, however, I see them continuing to spend money on things like temple-upkeep even when they are in the middle of a massive war and are running out of money for their military, this may undermine my arguments.
Is this where the money went?
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