Although Classical Athens is traditionally associated with a flowering of the arts and sciences, philosophy and democracy, a new book sheds light on an unlikely field for classicists: manufacturing. Written by Peter Acton, former vice president at the Boston Consulting Group, Poiesis: Manufacturing in Classical Athens, it portrays classical Athens as a vibrant society of producers. Furthermore, Acton surprisingly applies modern theories of competitive advantage to the ancient economy, thus offering a promising new analytical framework for historians.

In a conversation with Insights by Stanford Business, the writer stated that the high standard of living in Athens was based on a busy manufacturing sector. He added that his analysis revealed that modern ideas of competitive advantage held true in the ancient world, as the levels of development of ancient industrial sectors was consistent with the levels of competitive advantage that could be attained within them.