 Among the things expected of wealthy Athenians, besides special war taxes and religious obligations, were the production of comic and tragic dramas, paying for choral competitions, dancers, athletic contests, trireme races, equipping triremes for battle in the war, serving in positions such as "trierarch", and contributing to the "eisphora", and a tax on the wealth of the very rich—levied only when needed—usually in times of war.Kagan points out that, according to ancient documents, "Nicias, one of the richest men in Athens, was expected to leave an estate of no more than 100 talents and that his son, not a notorious wastrel, left no more than 14 talents to his heir.