Beyond Munificence: Economic Thinking and Financial Transactions in Roman Aphrodisias
- Autores: Eugenia Vitello
- Localización: Journal of European Economic History, ISSN 0391-5115, Vol. 53, Nº. 2, 2024, págs. 69-103
- Idioma: inglés
- Enlaces
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Resumen
During the Hadrianic period (117-138 CE), Attalos Adrastos of Aphrodisias left two generous endowments to fund civic and reli gious services. Although private donations are common means of civic up-keeping, at a closer look Adrastos employed financial de vices that allowed him to profit from his own gifts both in terms of social and economic assets. The present paper will present Adras tos’ benefactions as exemplar of the donors’ financial behaviour, uncovering their personal economic interests lying behind appar ently selfless euergetic acts. Through a careful re-reading of the in scriptions in their historic context, I will prove that ancient donations were not conceived as means of spreading wealth more equally within the urban fabric, but rather of accumulating material and im material capital more firmly in the hands of the benefactors and their kins by creatively employing conscious investment-schemes to minimize the expenses while maximizing the profits
