Euergetism is a term coined by French historian A Boulanger, deriving from Greek εύεργετέω meaning "I do good things". It is the practice of wealth or high-status individuals distributing a part of their wealth to the community, rather than to individuals, as was the case with patron-client relations in ancient Rome

Patronage in ancient Rome

Patronage was the distinctive relationship in ancient Roman society between the patronus and his client . The relationship was hierarchical, but obligations were mutual. The patronus was the protector, sponsor, and benefactor of the client...

.

Development of Euergetism in the Hellenistic period

In particular since the second half of the 4th century BC., and even more in the Hellenistic period, that profound changes affecting the financing of public life as it was organized until then. Without the principle of funding by the wealthy, at least symbolically, to be called into question the legitimacy of their appointment by the city no longer consensus. The idea spreads that the richest do not contribute less if they are required not to compel them: at the same time, around 355, Demosthenes and Xenophon mention it, one in the Counter Leptines, the other in Poroi.

Finally, at the end of the century, Demetrius Phalereus abolishes the two most important Athenian liturgies, the trierarchy no longer necessary in view of withdrawal of the Athens international arena after his defeat at 322,, and choregy, replaced by a judiciary elective, "the presidential contest (agonothésie), whose funding was supported by the État.

However, many honorary decrees in honor agonothetai are 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, cease to be reimbursed by the city money it avancées. Similarly, some old magistrates are given more often funded by their owner: Athens, priests generally provide 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 Just as the city does not have to spend this year.
We thus gradually 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 faites.

However, until the middle of the 2nd century BC., the Greek philanthropy does 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 does 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) enable 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 develop next to a liturgical system "which is both a continuation and denial" , allows 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 can 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 book their wealth to their personal use.

The gradual disappearance of the liturgies such as occurs 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

This social practice appeared in the Hellenistic world, and soon became a moral obligation for wealthy people, especially when seeking high magistrate charges, such as Consul

Consul

Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...

 or Aedile

Aedile

Aedile was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulation of public festivals. They also had powers to enforce public order. There were two pairs of aediles. Two aediles were from the ranks of plebeians and the other...

. Benefits included not only panis et circenses

Bread and circuses

"Bread and Circuses" is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement...

, but also public buildings and roads

Roman road

The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...

 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, economic pressure made euergetism more difficult to practice, and it eventually disappeared with Justinian, being later replaced by the churches' redistribution action.