Bread and Circuses': Euergetism and Municipal Patronage in Roman Italy

by Kathryn Lomas (editor), Tim J. Cornell (Editor)

Cities in the ancient world relied on private generosity to provide many basic amenities, as well as expecting leading citizens to pay for 'bread and circuses' - free food and public entertainment. This collection of essays by leading scholars from the UK and USA explores the important phenomenon of benefaction and public patronage in Roman Italy. Ranging from the late republican period to the later Roman Empire, the contributions cover a wide range of topics, including the impact of benefactions and benefactors on the urban development of Roman Italy, on cultural and economic activity, and on the changing role of games and festivals in Roman society. They also explore the relationship between communities and their benefactors, whether these were local notables, senators, or the emperor himself, and examine how the nature of benefaction changed under the Empire. Much work done on public benefaction in recent years is available only in French or Italian, and this volume is the first to open this research up to an Anglophone audience.; The extensive chronological range of the book, and its coverage of Italy rather than the city of Rome alone, make it significant for a broad readership.

Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2002

About the author

Kathryn Lomas is Honorary Research Fellow and part-time lecturer in Classics and Ancient History at Durham University.