Fitting in by Decree
Freed Slaves, Euergetism, and Local Politics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23478249 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Marc Kleijwegt (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Pages | 86-118 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-23 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Freed Persons in the Roman World (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1017/9781009438544.005 |
| OpenAlex | W4396975097 |
| ISBN | 9781009438544 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
This chapter analyzes a number of municipal decrees and honorary inscriptions from Campania which can be dated to the second century CE. In these texts freed persons receive honors and privileges as a reward for their benefactions towards the community. The phenomenon itself is not surprising, but most acts of generosity by freed persons were done in their capacity as Augustales . In all cases discussed in this chapter the benefactions were done on a voluntary basis after negotiations with representatives of the city’s main political bodies. The most striking aspect of these texts is the language in which the benefactors are praised. They are heralded as role models whose behavior should be imitated by their fellow-citizens and their acts of generosity are praised as contributions to the political landscape. The benefactors provide a service to the community which corresponds to the standing of the city. While these texts may not prove that freed persons at the municipal level were consistently viewed in a positive light, a case can be made that at least some of them were regarded as valued members of the community. This evidence can then be used to broaden our perspective on the integration of freed persons in Roman society.
Decree · Political science · Classical Antiquity Studies · Law
Les fils d’affranchis dans l’Ordo Pompeianus
Civic Monuments and the Augustales in Roman Italy
The Scribes of Rome
Roman Slavery and Roman Material Culture
The Freedman in the Roman World
The Cambridge Manual of Latin Epigraphy
The Municipal Decrees of the Roman West
The Lex Irnitana
The Family and the Imperial City
Roman Citizenship of Italian *Augustales. Evidence, Problems, Competitive Advantages
Apuleius' Florida
Observations on the Development of the Style of Latin Honorific Inscriptions during the Empire
The Freedman's Son in Municipal Life
Public Land in the Roman Republic
Livy’s Exemplary History
Municipal Virtues in the Roman Empire
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |