Trapézite
the trapézites are the bankers of the ancient Greece. Their name comes from the table behind which they were held ( trapeza ) in shops sometimes assigned to another trade, but generally intended for the banking negociations.
The trapézites could be privately held companies, Temple S, Cités, or ordinary persons using like capital their equities.
The most important banks are those of the large sanctuaries, where the priests make bear fruit the money that they receive in deposit by granting loans to the private individuals and to the cities. The sanctuary of Olympe is the bank of the
Peloponnese; that of
Delphes is that of the cities of central Greece; and that of Athéna Parthénos lends to
Athens.
Privately held companies, as the bank of Passion to
Athens play also a big role in the ancient economy, in particular by the means of branches present in the principal cities and delivering Bill of exchanges.
The cities have also their clean trapézites, but their capacity is restricted and their role is limited to supervise the good behavior of the banking loans conceded by the public sphere. It is necessary to wait the hellenistic time to see the State Banks developing and becoming actors of foreground. In Egypt lagide, each administrative department (the Names) thus has its royal bank (Basilikê trapeza) supplied with the surpluses of public receipts.