Table Of ContentCivic 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.
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ISSN0169-8958
ISBN978-90-04-21466-8(hardback)
ISBN978-90-04-26171-6(e-book)
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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
