There were number of mechanisms helped assure that the grain supply did not come under serious threat for a while. For one, Athens’ hegemony over the Delian League gave her control over sea routes. This helped secure the safe passage of merchant ships into the region.

There was tribute being paid by member states that eventually made its way into the Athenian economy, paying for rowers and craftsmen. Additionally, Athens more agriculturally productive neighbors, such as Euboea, supplied Athens with grain. For some time, the grain market was left largely out of the political realm, instead being conducted by private merchants and dealers.

The turning point for Athens was at the end of the Peloponnesian War. The control of her own territory in Attica was lost; domination of the sea routes was eventually wrested from her. As a result, the production of grain from Attica and its availability as an import area diminished. Many factors contributed to this. For one, Euboea revolted and left the League in 411, effectively cutting off the supply of their grain.

In addition, the Spartan general Lysander took the Hellespont, cutting off trade routes to the Black Sea. The combination of these circumstances contributed to the first known “famine” in Athens in 405/4 BCE.

In the 5th century BCE, Athens began importing its grain from other areas around the Mediterranean including Sicily and Egypt as main export regions.

The major exporter of wheat from the Black Sea region that did the most business with other Greek states was the Greek Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus situated around the Sea of Azov and in Crimea.