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Chapter 3 - The Generosity of the Roman Emperor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2023

Panayiotis Christoforou
Panayiotis Christoforou
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

This chapter focusses on the importance of conspicuous generosity to the emperors and their heirs. Euergetism describes a performed relationship between rulers and ruled, where exchanges of goods, money, and clout are transacted. The expectation of such generosity is important for the stability and legitimacy of an emperor’s reign, which makes the question of succession a secondary focus of this chapter: how did the Roman emperor secure the future legitimacy of his position?

Keywords

euergetismgenerosityentertainmentsuccessionacceptance
Type
Chapter
Information
Imagining the Roman Emperor
Perceptions of Rulers in the High Empire
 , pp. 99 - 130
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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