Civic Patronage in the Roman Empire

363 Pages·2014·2.047 MB·English

by  John Nicols

Civic Patronage in the Roman Empire
Mnemosyne
Supplements
History and Archaeology
of Classical Antiquity
Editedby
SusanE.Alcock,BrownUniversity
ThomasHarrison,Liverpool
HansvanWees,London
VOLUME365
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/mns
Civic Patronage in
the Roman Empire
By
JohnNicols
LEIDEN•BOSTON
2014
Coverillustration:Pentagonalbronzetablet(roughly37×25cm)celebratingtheestablishmentof
hospitiumandclientela/patrociniumbetweentheRomanmunicipalityofMunigua,theclient,and
CurviusSilvinus,aRomanpro-magistrateintheprovinceof"FurtherSpain"duringtheEarly
Principate.ItisanexcellentexampleofthepracticeofpatrociniumpublicumintheRomanEmpire.
Publication:AE1962,287;AE1972,263.
Theuseandpublicationofthecoverimagewasmadepossiblethroughthegenerosityofthe
GermanArchaeologicalInstitute,MadriderAbteilung.IamgratefultoMichaelKunstfor
completingthearrangements.AccessnumberintheMadridarchiveis:
D-DAI-MAD-WUN-PLF-0544(FotografR.Wunderlich).
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Nicols,John,Ph.D.
CivicpatronageintheRomanEmpire/byJohnNicols.
pagescm.–(Mnemosynesupplements,ISSN0169-8958;volume365)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindexes.
ISBN978-90-04-21466-8(hardback:acid-freepaper)–ISBN978-90-04-26171-6(e-book)
1.Patronandclient–Rome–History.2.Communitylife–Rome–History.3.Power(Social
sciences)–Rome–History.4.Exchange–Rome–History.5.Rome–Socialconditions.6.Rome–Politics
andgovernment.7.Rome–Antiquities.I.Title.
DG83.3.N522013
305.5'220937–dc23
2013033852
Thispublicationhasbeentypesetinthemultilingual“Brill”typeface.Withover5,100characters
coveringLatin,IPA,Greek,andCyrillic,thistypefaceisespeciallysuitableforuseinthehumanities.
Formoreinformation,pleaseseewww.brill.com/brill-typeface.
ISSN0169-8958
ISBN978-90-04-21466-8(hardback)
ISBN978-90-04-26171-6(e-book)
Copyright2014byKoninklijkeBrillNV,Leiden,TheNetherlands.
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CONTENTS
Foreword ............................................................... ix
ListofTablesandGraphs............................................... xi
SomeRepresentativeTexts ............................................. xiii
1. Introduction ......................................................... 1
1.1. VarietiesofPatronage........................................... 2
1.2. OntheTheoryandPracticeofPatronageinModern
Scholarship ..................................................... 5
1.3. OntheNatureofExchange ..................................... 8
1.4. ConcerningEvidenceandMethods............................. 13
1.5. RedefiningCivicPatronageandPatrociniumPublicum ......... 16
1.6. OnCauseandEffect/MutualReinforcement .................. 17
1.7. CentralIssuesandQuestions ................................... 18
1.8. OntheOrganizationofthisMonograph ........................ 19
2. CivicPatronageintheLateRepublic ................................ 21
2.1. PatrociniumandClientelainCaesar’sBellumGallicum.......... 24
2.2. Caesar,PompeiusandthePatronageofMassilia................ 33
2.3. TheSpanishClientelaeofPompeiusandCaesar ................ 40
2.3.1. TheClienteleofPompeius ............................... 41
2.3.2. TheClienteleofCaesar................................... 47
2.3.3. Caesar’sFirstSettlementofSpain........................ 50
2.3.4. CaesarandtheSpanishCommunitiesafterIlerda ....... 51
2.4. ItalianClientelaeintheLateRepublic .......................... 56
2.4.1. QuinctiusC.f.ValgusandAeclanum..................... 57
2.4.2. SullaandPompeii........................................ 59
2.4.3. CiceroandhisClientsinCapuaandReate............... 60
2.4.4. TheClienteleofPompeiusinPicenum................... 62
2.4.5. PatronsandClientCommunitiesafterCaesar’sDeath... 65
2.5. PatronageoftheGreekCitiesoftheEast........................ 70
2.6. Conclusion...................................................... 75
3. AugustusandCivicPatronage ....................................... 83
3.1. TheTheoryandPracticeofCivicPatronageintheAgeof
Augustus ........................................................ 88
vi contents
3.2. ThePrincepsandtheImperialFamily........................... 92
3.3. AemulatioPrincipis:CivicPatronageandtheUrbanPolicyof
Augustus ........................................................ 104
3.4. PatronageandUrbanPolicy..................................... 108
3.5. PatronageinthePrincipateofAugustus:TheQuestionof
Status ........................................................... 115
3.6. TheFateoftheCivicClientelaeoftheRepublicanNobility ..... 119
3.7. MutualObligations ............................................. 120
4. CivicPatronageinthePrincipate .................................... 125
4.1. CivicPatronageintheLiteraryEvidenceofthePrincipate...... 125
4.2. PlinyandHisClientCommunities.............................. 131
4.2.1. PlinyandTifernum....................................... 131
4.2.2. PlinyandtheBaetici ..................................... 135
4.2.3. PlinyandFirmum........................................ 144
4.2.4. PlinyandComum........................................ 145
4.2.5. PatronageandBenefactioninPliny’sLetters............. 146
4.3. FrontoandCirta ................................................ 147
4.4. EpictetusandthePatronofCnossos............................ 152
4.5. TacitusontheLimitsofCivicPatronage ........................ 155
4.6. Conclusion...................................................... 159
5. CivicPatronageintheVerrines ...................................... 163
5.0. Introduction .................................................... 163
5.1. TheWorkingofPatronageintheVerrines....................... 165
5.1.1. Patronuscausae .......................................... 166
5.1.2. ThePatronsofSicilianCommunities .................... 167
5.1.3. PatronsoftheProvince................................... 168
5.1.4. PatronsofCommunities ................................. 176
5.1.5. PatronsofIndividuals.................................... 182
5.1.6. Conclusions.............................................. 184
5.2. TheWorkingofHospitium...................................... 185
5.2.1. TheHospites.............................................. 186
5.2.2. EqualityandInequality .................................. 187
5.2.3. HospitiumandProxenia.................................. 188
5.2.4. PubliceandPrivatim...................................... 189
5.2.5. TheInitiationoftheRelationship........................ 189
5.2.6. TheDutiesoftheHospites................................ 190
5.2.7. TheViolationofHospitium............................... 191
5.2.8. TheRenunciationofHospitium .......................... 192
contents vii
5.3. CiceroandtheSicilians ......................................... 193
5.4. TheRepresentationofPatrociniumandHospitium ............. 196
5.4.1. StatuesandInscriptions(monumenta)................... 197
5.4.2. LaudationesandLegationes .............................. 200
5.5. Conclusions..................................................... 203
6. CivicPatronageinRomanLaw....................................... 207
6.1. TheRegulationsoftheCentralGovernment.................... 208
6.1.1. TheRequestoftheSiciliansin70bc ..................... 210
6.1.2. The‘lexJuliarepetundarum’of59bc ..................... 211
6.1.3. AugustanLegislationofad11............................. 213
6.1.4. TheEpigraphicalRecord ................................. 218
6.1.5. PatternsandAnomalies.................................. 220
6.2. OtherRegulations............................................... 224
6.2.1. TheRegulationsinMunicipalCharters .................. 224
6.2.2. MunicipalDecrees ....................................... 228
6.3. TheEffectivenessoftheLegislation............................. 230
6.4. Conclusions..................................................... 235
7. CivicPatronageintheEpigraphicalRecord.......................... 239
7.0. Introduction .................................................... 239
7.1. GeneralCharacteristicsoftheData............................. 241
7.2. SomeRegionalVariations....................................... 247
7.3. ObservationsontheRankofthePatronandStatusofthe
Client ........................................................... 248
7.4. MunicipalPatronsofOtherRanks .............................. 255
7.4.1. WomenasCivicPatrons.................................. 255
7.4.2. FreedmenasCivicPatrons ............................... 257
7.4.3. ClientKingsasMunicipalPatrons ....................... 258
7.5. Benefactions .................................................... 258
7.5.1. ThePreferenceforGeneralities .......................... 259
7.5.2. FromtheGeneraltotheSpecific......................... 262
7.5.3. AdministrativeActivityofPatrons ....................... 264
7.5.4. OtherFormsofBenefaction.............................. 268
7.6. ReflectionsontheEpigraphicalRecord......................... 273
8. PatronageandthePatronsofCanusium:ACaseStudy .............. 279
8.1. TheProblemandtheCity....................................... 279
8.2. TheTextandItsCharacteristics................................. 283
8.3. TheRankingofthePatronsofCanusium ....................... 289
viii contents
8.3.1. ImperialPrefectsasPatrons.............................. 289
8.3.2. PatronsofConsularRank ................................ 293
8.3.3. TheRankingofPrefectsandConsulars .................. 295
8.3.4. ThePatronsofPraetorianRank .......................... 298
8.3.5. PatronsofLowerSenatorialRank ........................ 299
8.3.6. PatronsofEquestrianRank .............................. 299
8.4. TheNeedsandExpectationsoftheClientCommunity......... 301
8.5. Conclusions..................................................... 308
Appendices .......................................................... 310
1. TheRevisionoftheAlbum ............................... 310
2. TheBruttii................................................ 310
3. HowLongWastheAlbumDisplayed?.................... 311
9. ReflectionsontheEvolutionofCivicPatronage ..................... 313
SelectBibliography ..................................................... 321
GeneralIndex........................................................... 335
IndexofPersons ........................................................ 341
FOREWORD
I first began to comprehend the nature of patronage while working as a
wissenschaftlicherAssistentintheSeminarfürAlteGeschichteattheUni-
verstitätFreiburgimBreisgau.Iwasveryfortunatetobeabletoworkunder
anoptimuspatronus,ProfessorWalterSchimitthenner.Notonlydidhestim-
ulatemetoexploretheworkingofpatronageintheancientworld,butalso
toseeitasadeviceforunderstandingandsucceedingintheGermanuni-
versitysystem.Iremainverygratefultohimforthemanyinsightsheshared
withme.
A stipend from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation took me to
MunichtoworkwithProfessorDieterNörr.Thechaptersthatdealwiththe
legalevidenceforcivicpatronageowemuchtohimandtoProfessorMichael
Crawford.AFulbrightFellowshipallowedmetoworkontheepigraphical
evidencewithprofessorsWernerEckinCologneandGézaAlföldyinHeidel-
berg,andalsowithDr.ArminStylowattheKommissionfürAlteGeschichte
inMunichandinMadrid.
I have also benefitted greatly from my discussions and exchanges with
professorsJensUweKrauseandClaudeEilerswhosebooksonRomanpa-
tronage in Late Antiquity and in Greek Cities respectively complement
this volume. While we do not agree on a number of critical issues, their
suggestionsandinsightsimprovedtheargument.
Studentassistantsalsomadeitpossibletomoveforwardwiththeproject.
AshlieCrawfordworkedonthedatabase;KaitlinHoffman,TaylorSmithand
GarrettWesthelpedwithcorrectionstothetext.PeterKinzigcorrectedthe
Bibliography.
I owe a particular debt to Professor Wim Jongman (Groningen) and to
the Humboldt Foundation. Without their support this book might never
havebeenpublished.IamalsogratefultothestaffofBrill,andtoJohannes
RustenburgandhiscolleaguesatTATZetwerkwhodidthetypesetting.
Thegestationperiodofthebookwaslong,andinpartduetomyuncer-
taintyabouthowtopublishtheepigraphicaldatabase.“Toobigtoprint”,one
universitypresstoldmewithregret.ButthenagainIrealizedthatprinting
thedatawouldalsomakeitimpossibletosupplement,correctandkeepthe
informationup-to-date.
I cannot claim to have found the ideal solution, but the epigraphi-
cal material will appear as a set of PDF files on the Scholars Bank of the