Most merchants, lacking sufficient cash assets,
resorted to borrowing to finance all or part of their expeditions. A typical loan for a large venture in 4th century BCE Athens, was generally a large sum of cash (usually less than 2,000 drachmas), lent for a short time (the length of the voyage, a matter of several weeks or months), at a high rate of interest (often 12% but reaching levels as high as 100%).

The correct answer is A.