Tithe

The Church owned large amounts of land and benefited from farming and rents. It also received tithes, payments of one-tenth of agricultural produce. Its economic power therefore rested partly on the same rural resources that supported kings and nobles.

In 1.28.2, Pausanias describes a large bronze Athena by Pheidias, known as Athena Promachos. He links its dedication to a tithe from the Persian landing at Marathon. In his account, an offering to Athena preserved the memory of victory over the Persians.

People paid compulsory tithes, but they also voluntarily gave substantial sums to their parish churches. These donations are important evidence of attachment to traditional religion: the Church’s resources did not come only from demands imposed on an unwilling population.