Benefactors and the Polis : The Public Gift in the Greek Cities From the Homeric World to Late Antiquity

"Historians generally study elite public gift-giving in ancient Greek cities as a phenomenon that gained prominence only in the Hellenistic and Roman imperial periods. The contributors to this volume challenge this perspective by offering analyses of various manifestations of elite public giving in the Greek cities from Homeric times until Late Antiquity, highlighting this as a structural feature of polis society from its origins in the early Archaic age to the world of the Christian Greek city in the early Byzantine period. They discuss existing interpretations, offer novel ideas and arguments, and stress continuities and changes over time. Bracketed by a substantial Introduction and Conclusion, the volume is accessible both to ancient historians and to scholars studying giftgiving in other times and places"-- Provided by publisher Cover Half-title Title page Copyright information Contents List of Figures List of Tables Notes on Contributors Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction: Benefactors and the Polis, a Long-Term Perspective The Rise of a Subject Recent Developments This Volume Bibliography Part I Benefiting the Community in Early Greece Chapter 1 Heroic Benefactors?: The Limits of Generosity in Homer Generosity in the Homeric World: Modern Interpretations The Homeric Gift: Payment and Tribute Gifts to Foreigners: Reciprocity, Profit and Public Funding The Homeric Feast: Elite Reciprocity and Public Funding The Lords and Their People: 'Public Service' and Its Rewards Conclusion: Transformations of Generosity Bibliography Chapter 2 The Garden of Pisistratus: Benefactions and Dues in Archaic Athens Introduction: Plunderers of the Lambs and Kids of Their Own People Dues for the Tyrants Dotinai and Chremata Dekate and Eikoste Geras Generosity and Cult under the Tyrants A Fountain House for the Demos Garden Fruit for the Demos Tyrants: Thieves of Common Goods? Conclusion Bibliography Part II Classical Benefactors Chapter 3 Classical Athens and the Invention of Civic Euergetism The 'Poisoned Chalice' Gifts, Dependence and Power Reciprocity and Honors Honors and Controversies The Impact of the Peloponnesian War: Victorious Generals, Champions of Democracy, and Wealthy Donors Financial Needs, Great Commanders and the Democratization of Euergetism Euergetism and the Administration of the Polis Public Discourse and the Limits of Euergetism Conclusion Bibliography Chapter 4 The Scale of Benefaction Benefaction Should Not Be Separated from Gift-Giving Benefaction Exists Independently of Its Publicly Advertised Rewards What Corporate Groups Need How Scale Changes the Culture of Benefaction Conclusion Bibliography Part III Hellenistic Benefactors Chapter 5 The Politics of Endowments The Theatre of Public Generosity Endowments and the Political Symbolism of Hellenistic Euergetism Euergetism and Democracy Endowments, Monuments and Democratic Communication Conclusions Bibliography Chapter 6 'To be magnanimous and grateful': The Entanglement of Cities and Empires in the Hellenistic Aegean Cities and Empires in the Hellenistic Aegean The Hellenistic Polis: The State of the Question The Financial Resources of Kings and Cities Material Benefactions and the Patronage of Sanctuaries The Freedom of the Greeks The Entanglement of Civic and Imperial Elites Conclusion: World Empire and Local Autonomy Bibliography Chapter 7 Socially Embedded Benefaction on Delos Delos as a Space for Competition and Display: Festivals Similarity of Presentation and Treatment of the Offerings Similarity of Offering and Festival Expenditure Similar Breadth of Divine Honorands and Approach to the Human-Divine Relationship The Profile of Dedicators Clustering of Foundation Dates Bibliography Part IV Benefactors and the Polis under Rome Chapter 8 Emperors, Benefaction and Honorific Practice in the Roman Imperial Greek Polis Bibliography Chapter 9 Benefactors and the Poleis in the Roman Empire: Civic Munificence in the Roman East in the Context of the Longue Durée Introduction Benefactors and the Polis: Explaining the Centrality of the Public Gift Benefactors and the Poleis under the Roman Empire: Explaining Continuities and Changes Bibliography Chapter 10 Festivals and Benefactors Festivals as Opportunities for Benefaction Festival Euergetism as Source of Prestige Emperors and Festival Euergetism Tensions Conclusion Bibliography Part V The Decline and Fall of Euergetism? Chapter 11 Bishops and the Politics of Lithomania in Early Byzantium Three Cases of Lithomania in the Early Fifth Century Christian Ideology, Core Constituencies and Ecclesiastical Funds of the Poor Needful Amenities, Episcopal Benefactions and Ecclesiastical Compassion Lay Benefactions, Episcopal Fundraising and Communal Solidarity Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Sources Chapter 12 Euergetism, Christianity and Municipal Culture in Late Antiquity, from Aquileia to Gerasa (Fourth to Sixth Centuries CE) Portraits of Benefactors in Late Antique Aquileia The Long and Complex Story of the Aquileian 'Double Basilica' Who Paid for It? The Cost of the Northern Building and Its Mosaic Pavement Portraying Christian Benefactors in Late Antique Aquileia Municipal Consciousness and Its Christian Asylum From Italy to Jordan, from Late Antique to Later Late Antique Cities: The Mirror of Social Transformation Bibliography Conclusion Index Index locorum Fresh analysis of elite public giving in the Greek cities in all periods of ancient history, highlighting it as a structural feature of polis society. Surveys the main scholarly debates on the phenomenon and continuities and changes between periods, and provides new theories and insights.