Euergetism

Euergetism (also called evergetism), derived from the Greek word "εὐεργετέω," meaning "doing good deeds," was the ancient practice of high-status and wealthy individuals in society distributing part of their wealth to the community. This was evident in the patron-client relations in ancient Rome. The modern term was coined by French historian André Boulanger and subsequently used in the works of Paul Veyne.

Development of Euergetism in the Hellenistic Period

Inscription honoring Aristoxenos, son of Demophon probably benefactor of the gymnasium in Athens, late third or second century BC., Musée du Louvre.

During the second half of the 4th century BC, profound changes occurred in the financing of public institution. Without the backing of funding from the wealthy, at least symbolically, the legitimacy of these institutions could be called into question by the city. The idea emerged that the rich people were not contributing unless required or compelled to do so. At the same time, around 355 BC, Demosthenes mentioned the lack of funding from the wealthy in the Against Leptines and Xenophon in Poroi.

At the end of the century, Demetrius Phalereus abolished the two most important Athenian liturgies. The trierarchy was no longer necessary because Athens withdrew from the international arena after his defeat at 322, and choregy, was replaced by a judiciary elective, "the presidential contest (agonothésie), whose funding was supported by the State".

However, many honorary degrees in honor agonothetai were available, showing that the amounts incurred by them voluntarily to supplement those supported by the city far exceeded the cost of the former choregy. Thus, in 284/3, the agonothetai elected, the poet Philippides, ceased to be reimbursed by the city money it advanced. Similarly, some old magistrates were often funded by their owner: Athens, priests generally provided the victims of sacrifice, when the cosmetic and continues to oversee the ephebia in the Hellenistic period, that is now on his own money that finances most of the sacrifices, prizes for competitions, and routine maintenance of equipment and buildings. Although no document mentions as such that the holder of the office shall assume the financial cost of its charge, entries published annually in his honor shows that oversees the flow of the institution, some emphasizing that this city does not have to spend this year.

We thus gradually chose to operate close to the philanthropy, which, like Aristotle wrote, "to safeguard the oligarchs" for the most important [...], magistrates must attach their public expenditure, so that people do not agree to participate and have the same indulgence to the judges that they must pay their judiciaries of a large sum. Therefore, "at their facility, judges will make magnificent sacrifices, and build some monuments and the people, then taking part in the banquets and feasts, and seeing the city splendidly decorated temples and buildings, wish to maintain the constitution and it will be for the rich as many beautiful testimonies of items they made.

However, until the middle of the 2nd century BC., the Greek philanthropy did not match the definition in Veyne. As demonstrated Philip Gauthier, this is a philanthropy that takes place most often "exclusively in official and civil (judicial and official business)". Moreover, in the 4th century BC and perhaps even the high Hellenistic period, the city did not create for his benefactors (benefactors) of separate status, superior to other citizens, and it recognizes their quality and not the title of benefactor. She thanked them and "get up with his service as any other citizen, but with higher average", the same way that voluntary contributions (epidoseis) enabled everyone, in proportion to his income, to demonstrate its commitment to the city by a gift of many talents or just a few pence.

The Euergetism, as they developed next to a liturgical system "which is both a continuation and denial", allowed the city to direct its service expenditures of the richest of its members with greater emphasis before the official honors due to them in thanks. The latter could thus be obtained, whenever necessary, that funding is assured for the most urgent of needs, without incurring unnecessary costs, and without giving the feeling of stress to members of its elite, which retain the ability to book their wealth to their personal use.

The gradual disappearance of the liturgies occurred in the shift of the vocabulary of the Hellenistic period: the name leitourgia - and the verb leitourgein - loses its meaning strictly "expenditure imposed by the city" to mean "any part taken in an expenditure of public interest", including in conjunction with a public office (Judicial or priesthood).

This dilution of the immune system in a Liturgy of Euergetism will be consumed as part of low Hellenistic period. Financing Cities can then be compared to that in force throughout the Roman Empire at that time, the full Euergetism analyzed by Veyne in his book Bread and Circuses.

Hellenistic Generosity

Hellenistic Generosity is a social practice where rich people help out poor ones, and it appeared in the Hellenistic world for the first time. This soon became a moral obligation for the wealthy citizens when seeking high magistrate positions, such as Consul or Aedile. Hellenistic generosity not only benefited panis et circenses, but also public buildings and roads, which bore the inscription D.S.P.F. (De Sua Pecunia Fecit, "Done with His Own Money") along with the name of the donator.

End of euergetism

From the 3rd century AD on, economic pressures made euergetism more difficult to practice. It eventually disappeared after Justinian's death and was replaced by the churches' redistribution action.

See also

• liturgy
• philanthropy