Emporion

Due to the generally poor quality of soil in Greece, cities were heavily reliant on external trade for the provision of many goods needed for daily life. Most often, items passed through the hands of the Kapeloi, or traders. These individuals rented a space in the Agora, which served both as a marketplace and as a centre of public life, where trials and government took place. Due to Kapeloi's role as 'middle men', individuals such as Aristotle accused them of a parasitic existence; the comic Aristophanes played on this prejudice by portraying his enemy Cleon as a ‘sausage seller’. In reality, their importance to the city ensured its success, if not respect.