The emergence of cash distributions in the civic euergetism of the Roman imperial east

43
ISSN 0213-2095 – eISSN 2444-3565
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS
IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM OF THE ROMAN
IMPERIAL EAST*
LA APARICIÓN DE LAS DISTRIBUCIONES MONETARIAS EN EL
EVERGETISMO CÍVICO DEL ORIENTE IMPERIAL ROMANO
Ma cus Chin**
Uni e si y o Ox o d
ABSTRACT: Indi idualised dis ibu ions o money by ci ic bene ac o s, in he o m o coinage, we e a common ea-
u e o public li e in G eece and Asia Mino unde Roman impe ial ule, om he 1s o 3 d cen u ies CE. Howe e , he
ch onological speci ici y o his p ac ice, as opposed o he dis ibu ion o o he ypes o commodi ies (e.g. g ain, oil), has
no o en been no iced. This pape i s sugges s ha public eue ge ic dis ibu ions o coinage only se iously eme ged as a
social phenomenon in he ea ly 1s cen u y CE, be o e ela ing hei eme gence om his poin o se e al ac o s inhe en o
he ans o ma ion o he Roman s a e a his ime: he in luence on he local eli e o impe ial ideology, pa icula ly in cash
handou s ca ied ou a Rome, and de elopmen s in he mone a y and iscal his o y o he egion. The ise o cash handou s
hus p esen s an insigh in o he impac o Roman domina ion on local cul u al p ac ice.
KEYWORDS: Ci ic eue ge ism, public dis ibu ions, Roman G eece, Roman Asia Mino , coinage, axa ion.
RESUMEN: Las dis ibuciones indi idualizadas de dine o po pa e de los bene ac o es de las ciudades, en o ma de
moneda, cons i uían una ca ac e ís ica habi ual de la ida pública en G ecia y Asia Meno du an e el Impe io Romano, en-
e los siglosi-iii d. C. Sin emba go, a amen e se ha pues o en alo la c onología especí ica de es a p ác ica, en oposición a
dis ibuciones de o o ipo de ma e ias (po ejemplo, g ano, acei e). En es e a ículo se sugie e po p ime a ez que las dis i-
buciones públicas de moneda an solo apa ecie on se iamen e a comienzos del siglo I d. C., y después se elaciona es a no e-
dad a pa i de ese momen o con a ios ac o es inhe en es a la ans o mación del es ado omano en ese pe iodo: la in luen-
cia de la ideología impe ial sob e las éli es locales, sob e odo con las dis ibuciones de dine o e ec uadas en la p opia Roma,
y el desa ollo en la his o ia mone a ia y iscal en la egión. El auge de las dis ibuciones de moneda p esen a, po an o, una
e elación del impac o del dominio omano en las p ác icas cul u ales locales.
PALABRAS CLAVE: E e ge ismo cí ico, dis ibuciones públicas, G ecia omana, Asia Meno omana, moneda, iscalidad.
** Co espondence o: Ma cus Chin, Uni e si y o Ox o d, Cen e o he S udy o Ancien Documen s, Ioannou Cen e o Classical & Byzan ine S u-
dies, 66 S . Giles’, OX1 3LU, Ox o d– [email p o ec ed]– h p://o cid.o g/0000-0003-0573-9341.
How o ci e: Chin, Ma cus (2025), «The eme gence o cash dis ibu ions in he ci ic eue ge ism o he Roman impe ial eas », Veleia, 42, 43-75. (h ps://
doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841).
Recei ed: 2023 decembe 18; Final e sion: 2024 may 24.
ISSN 0213-2095 - eISSN 2444-3565 / © 2025 UPV/EHU P ess
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* I would like o hank he pa icipan s o he semina
held a Vi o ia-Gas eiz in Oc obe 2023: Céd ic B élaz, Da-
id Espinosa Espinosa, Pio Głogowski, Andoni Llamaza es
Ma ín (in pa icula o ansla ing he abs ac ) and Elena
To ega ay, as well as Leah Laza , he anonymous e iew-
e s, and he edi o s o Veleia, o hei help ul commen s and
assis ance in he p epa a ion o his a icle. Wo k on i was
suppo ed by unding om he Eu opean Resea ch Council
(ERC) unde he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020 esea ch
and inno a ion p og amme (G an ag eemen No.865680,
«CHANGE. The de elopmen o he mone a y economy o
ancien Ana olia, c. 630-30 BC.»).
44 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
In oduc ion
The subjec o his pape is a signi ican bu pe haps easily o e looked aspec o ci ic li e in he
Roman impe ial eas , chie ly a es ed in he epig aphic emains o he Aegean basin and Asia Mi-
no . I c ops up, o ins ance, in a la e 2nd-cen u y CE dedica o y insc ip ion om Sy os com-
memo a ing he s ephanepho os An aios son o Modes us, who1
…ἔδωκεν [ἑ]|[κάστ]ῳ σφυρίδος δηνάρια πέντε, ἐλευ[θέ]|[ραι]ς δὲ γυναιξὶν πάσαις καὶ
θηλείαι[ς] | [παισὶν] οἶνον· καὶ ἔδωκεν ταῖς μ[ὲν γυ]|[ναιξὶ] διανομῆς ἀνὰ ἀσσάρια ὀ[κτώ], |
[ταῖς δὲ] παισὶν ἀνὰ ἀσσάρια τέσσα[ρα· τῇ] | [δὲ ἑξῆς] ἡμέρᾳ παρέσχεν τοῖς μὲν γε]|[ρουσιασ]
ταῖς καὶ ἄλλοις οἷς ἐβουλήθ[η] | [δεῖπνο]ν καὶ ἔδωκεν ἑκάστῳ διαν[ομῆς] | [ἀνὰ δην]άριον ἕν·
τοῖς [δὲ] λοιποῖς πολεί|[ταις καὶ πα]ισὶν ἐλευθέρ[οι]ς καὶ πα[ρ]οικο[ῦσι] | [παρέσχεν] οἶνον
καὶ ἔδωκεν διανομῆ[ς] | [τοῖς μὲν π]ολείταις ἀνὰ δηνάριον ἕν, [ἐλευ]|[θέροις δὲ] παισὶν ἀνὰ
ἀσσάρια ὀκτώ…
…ga e i e dena ii o each (ge ousias es) in lieu o a baske -lunch, and wine o all he ee women and
gi ls; he ga e eigh assa ia o each woman as a dis ibu ion, and ou assa ia o each child. On he o-
llowing day he p epa ed a dinne o he ge ousias ai and o he s whom he wished, and ga e o each,
as a dis ibu ion, one dena ius; o he o he ci izens and ee child en and pa oikoi he p o ided wine,
and ga e o each ci izen, as a dis ibu ion, one dena ius, and o he ee child en eigh assa ia…
This is he cul u e, among he weal hies s a a o he ci ic eli e, o dis ibu ing mone a y gi s
—making cash handou s— in he o m o coins, o indi iduals o speci ied social g oups. Along-
side dis ibu ions o o he ypes o gi s and commodi ies (g ain, oil, o wine, especially a es-
al banque s), such mone a y dis ibu ions ook place a es i als, he dedica ion o an hono i ic
s a ue, as pa o he p omise o an elec ed o ice-holde (as he e), o some imes simply as a ben-
e ac ion on i s own, and a e mos widely a es ed om he la e 1s o mid-3 d cen u ies CE2. They
ha e la gely been examined wi hin he wide phenomenon o public dis ibu ions mo e gene ally,
as e lec ing a shi owa ds social hie a chisa ion in he impe ial pe iod, and he ole o powe -
ul bene ac o s in e-de ining he e ms o ci ic pa icipa ion and iden i y3. Less a en ion, how-
e e , has been paid o he shee ac ha cash handou s in ol ed he dis ibu ion o coin. Amids
la ge deba es abou he sociology o eue ge ic gi -exchange, i has been easy o ake his mone a y
cha ac e o g an ed, almos as a na u al p oduc o he gene osi y o he weal hy: whe he cash o
commodi y has been unimpo an , because he main poin was ha he ac o gi ing ini ia ed e-
cip ocal exchange, gene a ed honou , and pe pe ua ed memo y4.
Coinage was uniquely e sa ile in ep esen ing bo h a commodi y and mone a y cu ency, and
was pe haps e en he mos elegan ool o de ining, in calculable o m, he inequali ies be ween
he eli e and non-eli e essen ial o eue ge ism5. The e y eme gence o i s use in public dis ibu-
ions, howe e , comp ises an illumina ing episode in cul u al change in he eas e n Medi e anean,
because eue ge ic cash handou s a e a es ed i ually only om he 1s cen u y CE onwa ds. The
p esen discussion conside s how and why his was he case. The i s sec ion su eys he ea lie
1 IG XII.5 663 ll. 14-27 (appendix no.48).
2 See he appendix o e e ences o examples.
3 In pa icula , see Roge s 1991, 39-79, Fe a y &
Rousse 1998, 299-302, Helle 2009, 357-359, Zuide -
hoek 2009, 86-109, and 2017, Ky ousis 2019.
4 E.g. Schmi -Pan el 1992, 352-353.
5 Coinage as oken and commodi y: Ha 1986,
638.
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 45
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841 Veleia, 2021, 38, 43-75
his o y o eue ge ic public dis ibu ions, e ealing he no el y o he use o coinage as a medium
o dis ibu ion in he ea ly impe ial pe iod; he second and hi d sec ions hen p o ide explana o y
con ex s o his inding, in he in luence o impe ial ideology, and de elopmen s in mone a y and
iscal his o y in he Roman eas .
1. F om non-mone a y o mone a y dis ibu ions
The ch onological dis ibu ion o indi idualised mone a y dis ibu ions in he eas e n Medi e a-
nean o e he longue-du ée, om he beginning o coinage in he la e 7 h cen u y BCE o he Roman
impe ial wo ld o he 3 d cen u y CE, p esen s s eep con as s ( ig.1): an a id sca ci y be o e he 1s
cen u y CE makes way o an oasis-like abundance in he 2nd and 3 d cen u ies6. While his in pa e-
lec s signi ican changes in epig aphic habi unde he Roman empi e, wi h insc ip ions being by a
ou main sou ce o e idence o cash handou s, he s eepness o he change sugges s a genuine cul u al
de elopmen was unde way. To unde s and i s his o ical con ingency, howe e , i is necessa y i s ly
o elabo a e on, and in pa explain, he nea -absence o cash handou s in he p e-impe ial pe iod.
Figu e 1. Insc ip ions eco ding eue ge ic cash handou s in he eas e n Medi e anean, 7 h cen u y BCE-3 d
cen u y CE, based on he 109 insc ip ions in he appendix.
6 The numbe s in igu e 1 a e based on he sou ces
in he appendix, and ep esen numbe s o epig aphic
eco ds o eue ge ic cash handou s, some o which (al-
hough only a ely) eco d mo e han one ac o dis-
ibu ion. 7 h-1s cen u ies BCE: nos.1-3. 1s cen u y
CE: nos. 4-14. 2nd cen u y CE: nos. 15-65 (nos.54
and 57 each comp ise wo insc ip ions eco ding a sin-
gle dis ibu ion). 3 d cen u y CE: nos. 66-91. Dis i-
bu ions da ing gene ally o he impe ial pe iod CE:
nos. 92-109.
46 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
Ou i s eco ded ins ance o an indi idualised mone a y dis ibu ion da es o he ea lies pe-
iod o he his o y o coinage: he las Lydian mona ch K oisos ga e wo gold s a e s (his gold
k oisid coins) o each Delphian ci izen in he mid-6 h cen u y, as pa o gi s o Delphi o an o -
acle p esaging his u u e success —mis akenly, i would u n ou — agains Pe sia7. He was likely
exploi ing he adical new powe o coinage as a means o de ining alue and gi in unp eceden -
edly indi idualised ways, ex ending i s use beyond i s o igins in mili a y pay in he la e 7 h cen-
u y8. Inno a i e as i may ha e been, howe e , he no ion o pe sonalised dis ibu ion o coin as
o m o ci ic bene ac ion seems o ha e died wi h he Lydian kingdom – no hing o he so is a -
es ed unde succeeding Achaimenid kings o sa aps, o e en be ween he eli e and non-eli e o
G eek poleis, as hese came in o con ac wi h coinage om he 6 h cen u y onwa ds. Communal
dis ibu ions in he a chaic pe iod, such as a eas s honou ing ic o ious a hle es, we e dis ibu-
ions o sac i icial mea and gi s, bu no o coin9. A ea ly 5 h-cen u y A hens, amously, Kimon
made he ui s o his house and ga dens publicly a ailable o he inhabi an s o his deme (and
possibly o he ci y mo e gene ally), bu conduc ed no dis ibu ion o coined money10. The pa -
e n con inues h oughou he 5 h and 4 h cen u ies a A hens, whe e ou e idence is concen a ed.
The banque s o ganised by he eli e, whe he a local es i als h ough he li u gy o he hes iasis,
o on he in e na ional s age, a e known only o ha e in ol ed dis ibu ions o sac i icial mea o
g ain11. This is ue also o pe sonalised dis ibu ions conduc ed by he s a e a communal e en s,
as in a dec ee o 335/334 on he o ganisa ion o he Lesse Pana henaia12. O cou se, he exis -
ence o coinage o e his pe iod mean ha mone a y dis ibu ions o indi iduals did become a
possibili y, and a A hens we ind dis ibu ions o he p oceeds o sil e mining a Lau ion in he
ea ly 5 h cen u y13, and he es ablishmen o pay o ju o s and assembly-goe s, and o he heo ic
und14. C ucially, howe e , hese we e no dis ibu ions o an o e ly eue ge ic cha ac e , and we e
o ganised by he s a e, no p i a e indi iduals. The dominance o A henian democ a ic ideology,
in empowe ing he demos by allowing i o ac as a bene ac o o i sel , may ha e bo h comple ed
he logic inhe en in coinage, as money whose au ho i y was ounded in he collec i e will o he
communi y, and s i led he ambi ions o p i a e indi iduals o dis ibu ing coinage as a o m o
la gesse15.
Ou e idence o public indi idualised dis ibu ions expands beyond A hens in he Hellenis ic
pe iod, as he epig aphic habi became en enched a communi ies ac oss he Aegean and wes e n
Ana olia om he la e 4 h cen u y onwa ds. E en so, he ends a e la gely he same as hose ound
7 Hd . 1.54; c . Plu . Mo . 556 o ano he dis i-
bu ion by K oisos o Delphi ( ia he sage Aisop) o ou
minas pe head (see appendix no.1).
8 Meadows 2021b, 462-467.
9 Domingo-Gygax, 2016, 69, 76-77, in ela ion o
Pinda ic epinician poe y.
10 A h. pol. 27.3, BNJ 115 (Theopompos o Chios)
F89, 135, Plu . Cim. 10, wi h S ein-Hölkeskamp
1989, 212-213, Schmi -Pan el 1992, 180-186, Do-
mingo-Gygax 2016, 139-143, Azoulay 2017, 144; c .
Plu . Sol. 2.1, men ioning he unspeci ied bene ac ions
(φιλανθρωπίαι) o Solon’s a he .
11 Schmi -Pan el 1992, 121-143, 186-202, Pa ke
1996, 127-128, and Donahue 2004, 44-48.
12 IG II2 334 ll. 10-16; see also, o e he 5 h and
4 h cen u ies, IG I3 14 ll. 2-4, 137 ll. 7-9, 81 ll. 26-
27, IG II2 47 ll. 10-17, SEG 21.527 ll. 20-24. Dis-
ibu ions we e also ca ied ou a he deme-le el: IG
I3 244 (no e C l. 6: ὀβολοί a e spi s, no mone a y
obols).
13 Hd . 7.144.1, Plu . Them. 4.1, Polyaenus, S a .
1.30.6, wi h Laba be 1957, 39-42 and Lau e 1975,
185-186; see also Hd . 3.57.2 (dis ibu ion o mining
p oceeds a Siphnos in 524 BCE).
14 A h. pol. 27.2-3, Plu . Pe . 9.2-3, wi h
Schmi -Pan el 1992, 193-196, Azoulay 2017, 144-
145, o ju o s’ pay; o assembly pay and he heo ic
und, see Csapo 2007, 100-115 and Sing 2021, 128-
134.
15 Domingo-Gygax 2016, 156-161, and in ela ion
o A henian public eas s, Lo aux 1981, 620, Ga nsey
1999, 131-134.
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 47
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841 Veleia, 2021, 38, 43-75
ea lie . Dis ibu ions we e mainly o commodi ies, and we e mainly conduc ed by he s a e, no
indi iduals, and e en whe e eue ge ic dis ibu ions a e a es ed, hese only in ol ed commodi ies,
no coinage. Fo ins ance, he 3 d-cen u y g ain law a Samos ou lines, as well as p o isions o a
g ain- und, a mon hly dis ibu ion o his g ain o he ci ic ibes16. Elsewhe e, such dis ibu ions
o g ain17, bu also o sac i icial mea , we e made on special communal occasions by ci ic go e n-
men s and hei ep esen a i e magis a es: hus, se e al a chons a Kos held a ecep ion- eas o
hei ellow ibesmen, and he epimele ai o he Eleusinian mys e ies a A hens dis ibu ed mea
o he council18. P i a e indi iduals mo eo e played inc easingly g ea e oles in he inancing
and unning o communal sac i ices and banque s19. A la e 3 d-cen u y E esos, he gymnasia ch
Aglano conduc ed eas s o he whole ci izen body in honou ing P olemyIII, and la e also spen
much o his own money owa ds shields, aces, and dis ibu ions o sac i icial mea o he you h
o he gymnasium20. An inc easingly la ge ange o social g oups was included a such sac i icial
e en s and eas s21. Aglano en e ained he «whole demos» a he P olemaia (πανδᾶμι)22; a A kes-
ine on Amo gos, a se ies o a chons who o ganised he es i al o A hena I onia in he 3 d and 2nd
cen u ies dis ibu ed mea no only o ci izens, bu also he ee non-ci izen popula ion, and esi-
den o eigne s23. The endowmen se up by a K i olaos o i ual eas ing in memo y o his son
Aleximachos e en included Romans and hei sons24. O e he la e 2nd o la e 1s cen u ies, in-
deed, a cul u e o compe i i e inclusi i y seems o ha e g ipped he ci ic eli e o he Aegean basin,
as communal eas s a P iene, Kolophon, Kyme, and Pagai, among o he s, inc easingly ea u ed
o eigne s, pa oikoi, eedmen and e en women, child en, and sla es, alongside ci izens25. Mo e-
o e , p oduc s o e e mo e unusual quali y we e also dis ibu ed, beyond sac i icial mea alone,
16 IG XII.6 172 ll. 52-63. The numbe o ecipien s
was p obably small, implying a es i al con ex , a he
han a genuine eme gency measu e: Migeo e 2011,
299-304.
17 E.g. I.Didyma 488 ll. 4-11 (six hemiek a o g ain
o each ci izen on he bi hday o Eumenes II).
18 IG XII.4 456 ll. 3-5, IG II2 847 ll. 25-33
(215/214 BCE); see also IG II2 1303 ll. 17-19 (217/216
BCE) and IG II3.1 1281 l. 16 (187/186 BCE); c .
Schmi -Pan el 1992, 386. Elsewhe e, see e.g. I.P iene2
416 ll. 22-25 (mid-4 h cen u y BCE), IG XII.5 647 ll.
9-17 (Ko essos, ea ly 3 d cen u y BCE), IG II2 1242
ll. 7-9 (3 d cen u y BCE), I.Magnesia 98 ll. 54-59 (c.
197/196 BCE), SEG 56.1227 ll. 21-26 (Kolophon,
180-160 BCE), F.Delphes III.3 328 ll. 5-8 (160-159
BCE, also includes wine dis ibu ion), IG XII.4 292 l.
11 (Kos, mid-2nd cen u y BCE), SEG 27.261B ll. 65-67
(Be oia, mid-2nd cen u y BCE), SEG 45.1508A ll. 9-13
(Ba gylia, la e 2nd cen u y BCE), IG XII.4 350 ll. 48-73
(Kos, la e 2nd cen u y BCE); se e al eco ds o p ies -
hood sales s ipula e dis ibu ion o mea : IG XII.4 278A
l. 23 (Kos, mid-4 h cen u y BCE), I.Mylasa 914 ll. 4-8
(2nd cen u y BCE); see also Lupu 2009, 100, 266-267.
19 In pa icula , Schmi -Pan el 1992, 255-420,
Ga nsey 1999, 134.
20 IG XII Suppl. 122 ll. 12-15, 17-19; see also
IG XII.4 110 ll. 4-6, 121 ll. 12-16 (bo h om Kos,
la e 3 d cen u y BCE), CIG 3066 ll. 14-16, SEG
35.1152 ll. 10-14 (bo h om Teos, 2nd cen u y BCE),
SEG 67.718bis ll. 2-6 (Iasos, mid-2nd cen u y BCE),
I.P iene2 43 ll. 28-43 (c. 130 BCE), IG XII.6 1218 ll.
11-13 (Ika os, la e 2nd cen u y BCE), IG II2 1343 ll.
24-27 (A hens, 37/36 BCE).
21 See also IG XII.5 647 ll. 9-17 (Ko essos, ea ly 3 d
cen u y BCE), conduc ed by he ci y, no a bene ac o .
22 IG XII Suppl. 122 ll. 12-15.
23 IG XII.7 22 ll. 7-16, 35 ll. 3-8, IG XII Suppl. 33
ll. 11-18, 330 ll. 10-18; see also a simila ange a sac-
i icial eas s o He a a Aigiale on Amo gos: IG XII.7
389 ll. 12-19, 390A ll. 10-12.
24 IG XII.7 515 ll. 49-61 wi h Gau hie 1980, 210-
218 o lines 55-58; c . I.His ia 1 ll. 15-18 (mid-3 d
cen u y BCE) o ano he endowed eas .
25 In gene al, see S ubbe 2001 and Beck 2015.
P iene: I.P iene2 64 ll. 253-263, 272-278, 65 ll. 176-
182, 192-219, 69 ll. 53-59, 80-83; see also I.P iene2
55 ll. 12-16, 67 ll. 173-176, 180-182, 72 l. 9, 12-17.
Kla os: SEG 39.1244II ll. 33-41, 39.1243IV ll. 24-
34. Kyme: SEG 33.1036 ll. 18-27, 33.1037 ll. 15-19,
32.1243 ll. 16-19, 33-39, 43-45. Sa deis: I.Sa dis 27 ll.
13-18. E esos: IG XII Suppl. 528 ll. 22-27. Xan hos:
Bake & Thé iaul 2018, 302 ll. 13-14. Pagai: IG VII
190 ll. 10-18, 26-28. And os: IG XII.5 721 ll. 16-19,
26-28.

48 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
wi h some p o iding swee -wine, a ce emonies o glykismos26, and e en ypes o po idge27. Feas s
we e also held a occasions ou side he egula un o ci ic eligious e en s alone: So eles a Pagai
held a eas a he consec a ion ce emony o his hono i ic s a ue, o eshadowing he dis ibu ions
o coin ha would ake place a hono i ic s a ues in he impe ial pe iod, al hough So eles seems o
ha e done no mo e han hold a eas 28. Gymnasia became scenes o public banque s om he 2nd
cen u y onwa ds29, e en as hey wi nessed e e mo e la ish dis ibu ions o aining-oil, some imes
e en o special a ie ies30.
In all, his sizeable e idence o inno a i e o ms o eue ge ic ou lay a public eas s and dis-
ibu ions in he Hellenis ic (and especially la e Hellenis ic) pe iod says much abou he chang-
ing shape o ci izen bodies and ideas o ci izenship in he ace o g owing Roman domina ion31.
The s iking and pe inen ea u e, howe e , is he absence o dis ibu ions o coined money
compa able o hose ound in he impe ial pe iod. This was no o wan o he possibili y o
hinking abou dis ibu ion in mone a y e ms. Dis ibu ion had always in ol ed mone a y cal-
cula ion, and especially in he classical and Hellenis ic pe iods, when sac i icial eas s became
majo a ai s in ol ing la ge numbe s o pa icipan s. Sac i icial animals we e pu chased ac-
co ding o ce ain ea ma ked sums o money, o ins ance32, while some la e Hellenis ic dec ees
highligh he quan i ies o g ain ha we e dis ibu ed o each ecipien , e lec ing excep ional
ac s wo hy o hono i ic p aise, bu also he eali y ha minu e calcula ion was in ol ed33.
Mo eo e , sac i icial mea was also dis ibu ed acco ding o weigh , as in he wo minas’ wo h
o mea a endees ecei ed a eas s a Ko essos, o he Euboian mina o bee handed ou by a
P ienian bene ac o o he 1s cen u y34: hese minas we e mina-weigh s, and no he comme -
cial alue o hese sac i icial po ions in minas, e en i sac i icial mea was some imes sold by
po ion35.
26 I.P iene2 64 ll. 257-259, 272-273, 65 ll. 192-193,
67 ll. 238-239, SEG 39.1243I ll. 11-16, IV ll. 24-31,
SEG 33.1036 ll. 27-30, 33.1037 ll. 19-20, I.Mylasa 155
ll. 11-13, I.His ia 59 l. 10, IG VII 190 ll. 16-18, IG
XII.2 528 l. 28, SEG 32.1243 ll. 31-32; o glukismos in
gene al, see Schmi -Pan el 1992, 344-348.
27 I.P iene2 71 ll. 33 (spel po idge), SEG 32.1243
ll. 34-36 (χονδρόγαλα, a po idge made o milk and
lou ).
28 IG VII 190 ll. 26-28; o impe ial-e a dis ibu-
ions a s a ues, see e.g. I.Ephesos 4123, I.Aph . 11.110,
SEG 65.655, TAM V.3 1475, IGBulg I2 16.
29 E.g. IG XII.7 515 ll. 49-61 (Amo gos, c. 100
BCE), IG XII.9 234 ll. 28-32 (E e ia, c. 100 BCE), IG
XII.5 129 ll. 59-65 (Pa os, 2nd cen u y BCE), I.Ses os 1
ll. 65-67, 72-74, 84-86 (Menas, c. 120s BCE), IGR IV
294 ll. 17-19 (Pe gamon, 69 BCE), I.Sa dis 27 ll. 13-
18 (mid-1s cen u y BCE); o banque s in gymnasia see
Mango 2004.
30 E.g. IG II2 1227 ll. 8-10 (Salamis, 131/130 BCE),
MDAI(A) 35 (1910) 401 n.1 ll. 28-30 (Pe gamon, la e
2nd cen u y BCE), MDAI(A) 35 (1910) 468 n.52 ll.
3-5 (Pe gamon, 2nd-1s cen u ies BCE), IG XII.9 234
ll. 23-24 (E e ia, c. 100 BCE), I.Thespiai 373 ll. 3-4
(Thespiai, la e 2nd-ea ly 1s cen u ies BCE); gymna-
sia chs also supplied oil o esiden o eigne s: I.Ses os
1 ll. 72-74 (la e 2nd cen u y BCE), Michel, Recueil 544
ll. 16-21 (Themisonion, 67 BCE), SEG 54.1101 ll.
7-13 (Mylasa, la e 2nd cen u y BCE); a oma ised oil:
I.P iene2 68 ll. 62-66 (P iene, ea ly 1s cen u y BCE),
MDAI(A) 35 (1910) 409-411 n.3 ll. 21, 23, 26 (Pe -
gamon, 69 BCE); «whi e» oil: MDAI(A) 32 (1907) 278
n.11 ll. 20-21 (Pe gamon, la e 2nd cen u y BCE); o
gymnasia chs, oil, and eue ge ism in he la e Hellenis-
ic pe iod, see Ameling 2004, 151-152, F öhlich 2009,
Cu y 2015.
31 Fo hese hemes in gene al, see Gau hie 1985,
53-75, Sa e 1995, 137-164, F öhlich & Mülle 2005,
Mann & Scholz 2012, Hamon 2007, Ma 2014, 154-
161, and 2018, 291-296, Fo s e 2018, 189-326, 357-
403, and now Boubounelle, Bady & Vlamos 2023.
32 E.g. IG II2 334 ll. 21-25 (335/334 BCE).
33 I.P iene2 64 ll. 272-274 (an eigh h o a medim-
nos), 65 ll. 213-214 ( ou medimnoi); IG XII.7 515 ll.
70-74 (a choinix and hal -choinix); IG IV2.1 66 ll. 37-
38 (hal a medimnos).
34 IG XII.5 647 ll. 11-13, I.P iene2 41 l. 6; see also
IG XII.7 515 l. 64 (a mina o po k a Aigiale).
35 C . Robe 1945, 48-49. Sale o sac i icial mea a
Didyma: I.Didyma 482, wi h Tuchel 1992, 79-80.
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 49
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Apa om a ew doub ul cases, in ac , no ci ic no able be o e he impe ial pe iod is ce -
ainly a es ed conduc ing pe sonalised dis ibu ions o coined money36. A e K oisos o Lydia,
he only o he case o an indi idualised cash handou in he p e-impe ial pe iod is also ha o
a king: An iochosIV, who dis ibu ed a gold s a e o each G eek inhabi an o Nauk a is du -
ing his in asion o Egyp in 169 BCE37. Like K oisos’ bene ac ion, howe e , his was p obably
a highly i egula ac a an unce ain poli ical momen , an isola ed men ion in Polybios o he -
wise unpa alleled in he copious epig aphic eco d. I was mo e ypical o oyal powe o wo k
h ough o ci ic ins i u ions: when queen Laodike se up a und o dow ies a Iasos, she only do-
na ed g ain, lea ing he p e oga i e o mone ising and dis ibu ing ha g ain o he ci y i sel 38.
Elsewhe e, dis ibu ions o coined money we e conduc ed only by ci ic go e nmen s, h ough in-
s i u ions like assembly pay39, and a public ce emonial e en s. A Ba gylia (la e 2nd cen u y BCE,
100-d achma sums we e gi en o a ious ci ic magis a es and g oups o ea ing sac i icial ani-
mals o A emis Kindyas40, while a Lampsakos se en d achmas we e gi en o each ci izen o
sac i ices o Asklepios, and a sum o obols in lieu o a g ain handou (2nd cen u y BCE)41. I an-
y hing like a common h ead is o be obse ed ac oss he e y scan e idence o cash handou s
in he p e-impe ial pe iod, hen, i would be ha such ac i i y could only be concei ed, whe e i
ook place a all, by he s a e-en i ies who min ed coinage, hese being kings, like K oisos, An io-
chosIV, and ci ic go e nmen s, like A hens, Ba gylia and Lampsakos. Whe e coinage —and es-
pecially p ecious-me al coinage in which la ge s a e expendi u e was ypically made— s ongly
emained he p ese e o s a e au ho i y, i may ha e been di icul o ci ic no ables o engage
in pe sonalised dis ibu ion o coinage hemsel es: his is a poin we will e u n o la e on (sec-
ion3).
The weakening o oyal and ci ic powe in he ace o Roman expansion, especially in he c u-
cible o he 1s cen u y BCE, may ha e laid he seeds o change. A hin may pe haps be ound in
an hono i ic insc ip ion om Pina a, da ed by Kalinka and La sen o he ea ly o mid-1s cen-
u y BCE la gely on he basis o le e - o ms42. Among o he bene ac ions, he hono and o he
ex dis ibu ed 5,000 d achmas o he associa ions o he xenok i ai, and an unknown sum o he
councillo s, elec o al magis a es, and o ice-holde s o he Lykian koinon43. I is unclea whe he
hese dis ibu ions we e made o hese g oups as a whole, o o indi idual ecipien s, bu he pos-
sibili y emains ha hese ep esen some o he ea lies indi idualised mone a y dis ibu ions con-
duc ed by a local no able. The p esump i e con ex would be he inancial c ises ollowing he
Mi h ida ic wa s44, which may ha e allowed o unusual o ms o gene osi y. The da ing o he in-
sc ip ion, howe e , is no en i ely secu e, and may well also belong in he 1s cen u y CE o la e ,
while in any case he ac ha none o he o he be e documen ed ci ic bene ac o s o he la e
36 I.His ia 59 ll. 11-12 (la e 2nd-1s cen u ies BCE)
men ions an unspeci ied dis ibu ion alongside a wine-
handou (νομὴν καὶ οἰνομέ|[τρησιν]), pace Schmi -
Pan el 1992, 351; I.Kios 8 ll. 10-12 alludes o unspeci-
ied διαδόσεις; he king men ioned on se e al occasions
in he ex (ll. 5, 9-10, 19) sugges s a Hellenis ic da e.
37 Polyb. 28.20.11 (appendix no.2), wi h Walbank
1957-1979, 3.356.
38 I.Iasos 4 ll. 15-25.
39 E.g. I.Iasos 20 ll. 4-6 (ea ly 3 d cen u y BCE).
40 SEG 50.1101 ll. 12-19, 45.1508B ll. 13-15.
41 I.Lampsakos 9 ll. 4-6.
42 TAM II 508 (appendix no.3), wi h La sen
1943a, 1943b and 1945 o he da ing, ollowed by
Rigsby 1998, 138, Migeo e 1984, 336-337 n.110; see
howe e Fou nie 2010, 30, who gi es a da e in he 1s
cen u y CE.
43 TAM II 508 ll. 21-23.
44 Conside , o ins ance, he eno mous dona ion
o 300,000 d achmas o Sidyma, Balbou a, Lydai and
Kalynda: TAM II 508 ll. 19-21, wi h Rigsby 1998,
139.
50 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
2nd-1s cen u ies in G eece and Asia Mino seems o ha e done he same would mean ha he
Pina an bene ac o would ha e been e y much an ou lie 45.
In he end, he ea lies secu e case o an eue ge ic cash handou ini ia ed by a ci izen bene ac o
leads us no u he back han he ea ly 1s cen u y CE, in he bene icen ac o a couple a Lagina
nea S a onikeia in Ka ia, Ch ysao and Panphile46:
[Χρ]υσάωρ Μεναλάου τοῦ Φιλίππου Ἱε(ροκωμήτης) | ὁ ἱερεὺς τῆς Ἑκά[τ]ης, καὶ Πανφίλη
Παιωνίου Κω(ραιῒς) ἡ ἱέρηα, ἐπηνγε[ί]λαντο καὶ ἔδωκ[αν] | ἐν τῶι τῆς ἱερατ[εί]ας χρόνωι, εἰς
τὰς ὑπὲρ τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ οἴκου καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἑκάτ[ης] | θυσ<ί>ας, τῶν μὲν π[ο]λειτῶν ἑκάστωι
ἀνὰ δραχμὰς δέκα καὶ βουλευταῖς χʹ ἀνὰ δ[ραχμ]ὰς ἕξ· | τ[οῖ]ς δὲ ἄλλοις ἔ[τι] τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν
τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν χώραν ἀνὰ δραχμὰς [πέντε?].
Ch ysao son o Menelaos, son o Philippos, o Hie akome, he p ies o Heka e, and Panphile
daugh e o Paionios, o Ko aze, he p ies ess (o Heka e), p omised and ga e, in he pe iod o
hei p ies hood, 10 d achmas o each ci izen, six d achmas (mo e) o he 600 councillo s, and u -
he mo e o each o he o he inhabi an s o he ci y and coun yside [ i e?] d achmas, owa ds he
sac i ices o he house o Augus us, and Heka e.
The a he o Ch ysao may be iden i ied wi h a Menelaos a es ed as a p ies in he ime o Au-
gus us47; which would place Ch ysao in he ea ly o mid-1s cen u y CE. The use o he exp es-
sion « he house o Augus us» would also a gue o his da ing, wi h o he examples o his ph ase
con ined o he 1s cen u y CE48. O e he 1s cen u y, u he ins ances o mone a y dis ibu ion
c op up a Ak aiphia, Be oia, Smy na, Iasos, Ephesos, Mile os, Aph odisias, Akmoneia, and Pa -
a a49. No ably, some o hese we e conduc ed as dis ibu ion-e en s in hei own igh , whe e he
speci ic memo y o he bene ac o was commemo a ed, and no as pa o a public es i al o com-
munal e en : o example, he dis ibu ions o G. S e inius O pex and his daugh e Ma ina a
Ephesos (o Ne onian da e) we e made be o e hei hono i ic s a ues50, while he endowmen o
T. Fla ius P axias a Akmoneia s ipula ed an annual dis ibu ion o he councillo s a his omb51.
By he ea ly 2nd cen u y, i had become cus oma y in Bi hynia-Pon us o gi e one o wo dena ii
o membe s o he council and ci ic popula ion a coming-o -age ce emonies, weddings, when en-
45 Th ee ea u es a e signi ican , and hin a a possi-
ble la e da ing in he impe ial pe iod: 1) he nume ous
e e ences o public hun s and animal- igh s (κυνήγια,
προκυνήγια, θηριομάχια, ll. 7-10, 12-13, 15, 17) sug-
ges a con ex when hese o ms o en e ainmen we e
mo e mains eam (Robe 1940, 144-145 was agnos-
ic abou he da e); 2) he e e ence o a σεμνότατος
δικαιοδότης (ll. 25-26), whom La sen 1943b, 254 sug-
ges ed was he leading judge o a delega ion o o eign
judges, mo e p obably e e s o a Roman o icial, o
e en he go e no , c . Fou nie 2010, 30 n.82; 3) La s-
en’s discussion o he le e - o ms (1945, 93-95), which
show a ange o s yles o he sigma and omega in pa -
icula , may jus as well sui a da e in he ea ly 1s cen-
u y CE, as 1s cen u y BCE.
46 I.S a onikeia 662 A (appendix no.4).
47 I.S a onikeia 611 ll. 4-5; c . Laumonie 1938,
258, and 1958, 375.
48 E.g. I.Ephesos 1393 ll. 4-5 (p obably ea ly 1s cen-
u y CE); o he wise i is a ached o he name o indi-
idual empe o s: IG XII.6 300 ll. 5-6 (Samos, 37-41
CE), IGR IV 144 ll. 3-4, 16 (Kyzikos, 41-54 CE), IG
VII 2713 l. 55 (Ak aiphia, 67 CE). The e m «whole
house» (ἅπας/ σύμπας οἶκος) is also a es ed, bu is mo e
common in he 2nd and 3 d cen u ies, and usually com-
bined wi h a longe impe ial name: SEG 18.578 ll. 14-15
(Paphos, 14 CE), 28.758 ll. 1-14 (Che sonesos on K e e,
83-96 CE (?)), IOSPE I² 174 ll. 2-5 (Olbia, 198 CE), IG
XII.5 659 ll. 2-5 (Sy os, 138-161 CE, see also 661 and
Suppl. 238), IGBulg V 5659 ll. 1-4 (Bizye, 211-217 CE).
49 See appendix nos. 5-14.
50 I.Ephesos 4123 ll. 9-11 (appendix no.9), and
Engelmann 2004, 71 ll. 12-17, wi h BE 1944, 162 pp.
225-226.
51 IGR IV 661 ll. 20-22 (appendix no.11), wi h
Sla e 2000, 118-119.
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 51
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e ing o ice, o a he dedica ion o public wo ks: as Pliny complained o T ajan, hese διανομαί
we e ac s o excessi e gi -gi ing ha exceeded he bounds o gi -exchange be ween pe sonal ac-
quain ances52. De isi e a i udes like hese, also a icula ed in a ious snippe s in Plu a ch and Lu-
cian o e he 2nd cen u y, did li le, howe e , o hal he end53. F om he la e 1s cen u y onwa ds
public cash handou s a e also a es ed in he wes e n p o inces on a la ge scale, making i an em-
pi e-wide phenomenon54. In he eas , hey mo e han iple in numbe o e he 2nd and 3 d cen u-
ies CE ( ig.1). An age o numisma ic eue ge ism was well and uly unde way.
2. Augus an con e gence and he impe ial example
Indi idualised public dis ibu ions conduc ed by local no ables in he classical and Hellenis-
ic pe iods we e almos in a iably dis ibu ions o commodi ies, and cash handou s in he o m
o coined money we e i ually non-exis en , excep o s a e ini ia i es by ci ic go e nmen s, o
unusual ac s o la gesse by kings. None heless, such cash handou s a e inc easingly a es ed om
he ea ly 1s cen u y CE, and as dis ibu ions o ganised by local no ables hemsel es. Why, hen,
did hey become signi ican as a cul u al p ac ice only a he ch onological u n o he 1s cen u ies
BCE and CE, and no ea lie ?
As is well known, bu pe haps unde -app ecia ed, his was also a ime when cash handou s we e
inc easingly p ac ised as a o m o la gesse a Rome i sel . Julius Caesa had been he i s o dis-
ibu e congia ia ( adi ionally a handou o wine and oil) in cash, dona ing 400 ses e ii o mem-
be s o he plebs Romana in 46 BCE; his was ollowed by Augus us, who lis ed his mone a y do-
na ions o 44, 29, 24, 12/11, 5, and 2 BCE in chap e 15 o he Res Ges ae55. The successo s o
Augus us hen con inued o hold public mone a y dis ibu ions, so ha he p ac ice became es ab-
lished as an impe ial monopoly56. I is di icul o imagine ha epo s o hese impe ial cash dis-
ibu ions a Rome ell ully on dea ea s among he p o incial eli e o he G eek eas . The e is in
ac some basis o belie ing ha hey did no , as he exis ence o insc ibed copies o Augus us’ Res
Ges ae a Anky a, Pisidian An ioch, and Apollonia in Gala ia would in i e us o sugges . The copy
a Anky a, o one, was cu a he same ime as ha o a lis o he p ies s o he Gala ian impe ial
cul on he le an a o he emple’s açade, sugges ing ha Augus us’ deeds, including he so-called
«Appendix» a he end, which de ailed building wo ks and expenses owa ds spec acles and p o in-
cial ci ies, we e mean o inspi e he u u e eue ge ic ac ions o he p ies ly eli e57. The G eek e -
sion was insc ibed a eye-le el, and e en ansla ed he mone a y sums o chap e 15, which de ails
Augus us’ congia ia dis ibu ions, in o dena ii, unlike he ses e ii o he La in — he dena ius was
he main uni o accoun by his poin (as will be seen la e ), and hese sums we e clea ly mean o
be unde s ood and aken se iously by local audiences58.
52 Plin. Ep. 10.116, wi h Ky ousis 2019, 122-123.
53 E.g. Plu . Mo . 821 -822a, Lucian De mo . Pe -
eg . 14-15, wi h Ky ousis 2019, 123-125.
54 The ea lies ins ance is CIL X 1416 ll. 9-10 (He -
culaneum, 48 CE), while o he examples cong ega e in
he 2nd and ea ly 3 d cen u ies, c . Pasqualini 1969-1970,
286-312, M ozek 1987, 23-24, 33-37, Duncan-Jones
1982, 104-106, 138-144, 188-200, and 2008, 144, 380.
55 Sue . Caes. 38, App. B Ci . 2.102, Cass. Dio
43.21, wi h Mo s ein-Ma x 2021, 407-410; RGDA
Cooley 15. Augus us omi s u he dis ibu ion in 13
CE (Sue . Tib. 20): Cooley 2009, 173. Fo congia ia
in gene al, see Van Be chem 1939, 119-176, Ruggie o,
Diz. Epig . s. . Libe ali as (Ba bie i), Milla 1977, 136-
137.
56 Van Be chem 1939, 144-161 o congia ia up o
Se e us Alexande .
57 Cooley 2009, 12-13, Kokkinia 2021, 283-287.
58 Cooley 2009, 9-11, I.Ancy a pp. 68, 112-115,
134-137 o he a chi ec u al con ex .
58 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
Figu e 4. RPC I 2778.1 (= Münzkabine , S aa liche Museen zu Be lin, 18258514 (pho og aphed by
Be nha d Weisse h ps://ikmk.smb.museum/objec ?id=18266358), sil e hemid achm om S a onikeia, ob e se
wi h a head o Heka e, wi h legend ΑΡΙΣΤΕΑΣ, and e e se wi h Nike and legend ΧΙΔΡΩΝ ΣΤΡΑ; 1.40g.
h ps:// pc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/2778
I is he case, howe e , ha some ci ies whe e ea ly cash handou s a e a es ed also con in-
ued o s ike hei own sil e coinage: Ch ysao and Panphile’s S a onikeia is p ecisely a case
in poin . I is emp ing o associa e he d achmas hey dis ibu ed wi h he a e S a onikeian
d achms and hemid achms o he ea ly 1s cen u y CE, like he one wi h a head o Heka e ob-
e se and s anding Nike e e se ( ig.4)90, and hus o cha ac e ise hei dis ibu ions no as a
sign o he weakening link be ween ci ic au ho i ies and sil e coinage, bu a he as a e lec-
ion o S a onikeian ci ic p ide in hei ongoing igh o min sil e , he long- e m esul o he
ci y’s p i ileged his o y o iendship wi h Rome since he Mi h ida ic wa s91. Local esponses
o he changes in ci ic au ho i y o e sil e coinage would ha e a ied, in any case. Mo e likely,
howe e , he use o d achmas simply e e s o a uni o accoun . Fo one, hese S a onikeian
d achms we e s uck on he dena ius s anda d, and we e hus e ec i ely Roman cu ency92.
They we e also a small p oduc ion, mos ly known om single specimens. This is simila o
he con empo a y coinage o Chios s uck om he gi o An iochosIV o Kommagene, unu-
sual in being a ci ic sil e coinage ce ainly o igina ing in a bene ac ion (signed ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ
ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΔΩΡΟΝ), which was also a small p oduc ion and comp ised only a ac ion o he
o iginal 15 alen s o he dona ion93. Likewise, S a onikeian d achms a e unlikely o ha e made
up he en i e y o Ch ysao and Panphile’s dis ibu ion, which was p obably supplemen ed by
p o incial sil e cu ency in dena ii o cis opho ic d achms. The men ion o d achmas a S a-
onikeia he e o e mo e p obably ep esen s he p ac ical use o a uni o accoun equi alen o
he dena ius, and no necessa ily any special eeling o p ide in a ci ic sil e coinage; he same is
90 RPC I 2775-2781.
91 E.g. RGDA Cooley 18 (sena us consul um on S a-
onikeia, 81 BCE); c . Meadows 2002, 122-125. Se -
e al o he la e S a onikeian mone a y dis ibu ions
and bene ac ions we e also made in d achmas, e.g.
I.S a onikeia 1428 ll. 12-14 (mid-2nd cen u y CE), 192
ll. 7-10 (2nd cen u y CE), 651 ll. 3-4, 653 ll. 3-5 (dona-
ions o money o a s oa, 1s cen u y CE), 144 ll. 9-14
(unspeci ied wo ks, 1s -2nd cen u y CE), alongside o h-
e s men ioning dena ii: I.S a onikeia 172 ll. 12-13 (la e
1s -ea ly 2nd cen u y CE), 205 l. 37 (2nd cen u y CE),
237 ll. 13-15 (100-150 CE).
92 See u he Meadows 2002, 111-113.
93 RPC I 2415-2416, and pp. 8-9 (only 6 specimens
known), wi h Robe 1938, 139-143.

THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 59
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likely o be ue o o he spo adic e e ences o d achmas in he epig aphic eco d o he impe-
ial pe iod94.
Beyond he ideological impac s b ough abou by changes in he na u e o min ing au ho -
i y in ela ion o sil e coinage, howe e , he dis ibu ions o he S a onikeian couple and o h-
e s like hem can also be se in p oduc i e ension agains o he imposi ions o he Roman s a e,
and in pa icula i s iscal demands. In his sphe e, also, he Augus an epoch ma ked a sub le bu
signi ican shi , in in ensi ying he pene a ion o he s a e a he local le el, and inc easing he
need o coined money among local popula ions. In Asia, Julius Caesa had ended he egime o
he publicani o e he collec ion o he i he, and ans e ed esponsibili y o he collec ion o
iscal dues o ci ies95. While publicani con inued o exac olls and cus oms-dues, and some di-
ec axes, he main adminis a i e bu den o ax-collec ion hence o h ell on ci ic go e nmen s
and hei eli e ci izens. Augus us sys ema ised his p ocess, by gene alising census- aking ac oss he
p o inces, and egula ising exac ion o di ec ax, as he p opo ional le ies (such as a i he o an
eigh h) ha had been collec ed by Republican publicani we e inc easingly subs i u ed o ixed le -
ies (based on he size o a landed p ope y, o ins ance), which we e de ined in e ms o axes on
p ope y ( ibu um soli) and he poll- ax ( ibu um capi is)96. While he p ecise wo kings o hese
de elopmen s emain hazy, he o e all imp ession is ha he poll- ax became an inc easingly in-
usi e and bu densome obliga ion, wi h ci ic bene ac o s in he Aegean a ea e en p aised o p o-
iding elie -paymen s and es ablishing ounda ions owa ds co e ing i s imposi ions97. While ab-
solu e compa isons a e impossible, he egula ised and pe sonalised imposi ion ep esen ed by he
poll- ax o he impe ial pe iod may ha e ma ked an inc ease in scale and sophis ica ion unma ched
by he ea lie Seleukid, A alid o An igonid mona chies, o whom we ha e compa ably li le e -
idence o poll- axes98, and ce ainly no simila indica ion (o a leas in a manne ha called o
epig aphic p ese a ion) ha local bene ac o s aced compa able p essu e o make dona ions ha
add essed iscal obliga ions.
The ac ha coinages in G eece and Asia Mino con e ged on Roman mone a y s anda ds a
his ime is no necessa ily coinciden al. Epig aphic es imonies o he poll- ax show ha i was
accoun ed o in sil e cu ency (dena ii and d achmas), sugges ing i was paid in coins, and no
jus in kind —mos likely he Roman sil e cu encies in Achaia and Macedonia (dena ius), and
Asia Mino (dena ius and impe ial cis opho us)99. The in ensi ica ion and egula isa ion o di ec
axa ion is likely o ha e inc eased he demand o coinage, and in u n acili a ed he con e gence
on Roman mone a y s anda ds. Eue ge ic cash handou s may hus ha e gained ac ion as a o m
94 E.g. I.Ephesos 14 ll. 17, 19, 24, 28 (ea ly 1s cen-
u y CE), GIBM 1032 ll. 7-9 (Teos, 1s cen u y CE),
He mann 1969, 7-36 ll. 21-26 (Nak ason, 1s cen u y
CE); c . Ca bone 2021a, 264-272. The ligh Rhodian
d achmas a es ed a Kiby a (I.Kiby a 42A-E c. ll. 11-
13) mos p obably ep esen a uni o accoun a he
han e idence o he ci cula ion o a Rhodian d achm
coinage: Ash on & Weiss 1997, 37-39. Mo eo e , some
insc ip ions o he 1s cen u y CE men ion bo h dena ii
and d achmas in he same ex , e.g. I.Ephesos 14 ll. 19-
23, 27 and 4123 ll. 9-17, which may sugges a dis inc-
ion be ween dena ius and cis opho ic cu encies; only
a ull s udy o epig aphic a es a ions o d achmas in he
impe ial pe iod will esol e hese p oblems.
95 Le Teu 2017, 61-69.
96 Jones 1974, 164-165, 173-174, B un 1981, 163-
170, Lo Cascio 2007, 631-632, and Le Teu 2017, 66-
67.97 I.Lampsakos 10 ll. 3-5, I.Be oia 117 ll. 8-10 (ben-
e ac o s who paid o he capi al ax o he ci y and
p o ince), I.Assos 28 ll. 11-15 (1s -2nd cen u y CE) and
La Ca ie 67 ll. 10-13 ( ounda ions o co e he cos s o
he capi al ax), and Sa y os a Tenos, below.
98 An igonids: I.Be oia 3 ll. 14-16 (248 BCE) men-
ions ax-immuni y, whe he o no his is a poll- ax;
Seleukids: Joseph. AJ 12.142-143, 13.50, and also
A is . [Oec.] 1346a.5; A alids: Ash on 1994.
99 Ca bone 2020, 221-236 discusses he possibil-
i y ha la e Republican cis opho i we e s uck o pay-
ing ax.
60 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
o bene ac ion because hey pa ly se ed he need o coin among ci ic popula ions: indeed, he
amoun s a es ed in cash handou s ac oss he impe ial pe iod, pe capi a, would no ha e been oo
a o hose ha we e ac ually paid in poll- ax, o judge om amoun s known om Egyp ian ax-
eceip s100. In some cases, a mone a y gi by a bene ac o may well ha e con ibu ed conside ably
o paying an indi idual’s ax bu den, and especially so in cases o es amen a y ounda ions ha
we e se up o annually ecu ing dis ibu ions.
The ideological and hea ical aspec o handou s would also ha e been signi ican . The pay-
men o ax in coin, a e all, can be seen o mi o and p e- igu e he phenomenon o mone a y
dis ibu ion —di ec axa ion demanded ha indi iduals make paymen s o ixed sums o coins
o he s a e, while cash handou s comp ised he dis ibu ion o ixed sums o coins, as gi s, o
hese same indi iduals. The po en ial o bu lesque was la en . Tha is o say, dis ibu ions o
coinage migh ha e e oked and e en sub e si ely sa i ised he ac o paying ax, o ming ca ni-
alesque ole- e e sals whe e ax-paye became coin- ecipien and he ax-collec o a ci ic ben-
e ac o , and he eby a o ded a psychological sal e o he bu den i ep esen ed101. Ob iously,
he inhe en ly selec i e and hie a chical na u e o dis ibu ions —in pa icula he a ou i ism
openly acco ded o councillo s and o he membe s o he eli e— means ha his mi o ing qual-
i y may jus as well ha e agg a a ed a sense o iscal in usi eness and inequali y, as alle ia ed i .
Mo eo e , i was he membe s o he local eli e hemsel es who o en held di ec esponsibil-
i y o ad ancing and collec ing ax due o Roman au ho i ies, as wi h he o icials known as he
dekap o oi, and hei dis ibu ions o coin may in his ligh ha e had a s ongly i onic elemen 102.
How p ecisely hose who conduc ed o pa icipa ed in mone a y dis ibu ions may ha e el
abou wha hey we e doing can only emain a ma e o specula ion, o cou se. The poin he e
is a he ha he pe asi eness o Roman axa ion, and he i uals o paying coin o he Roman
s a e ha mus ha e ensued and become p e alen , con ibu ed o a cul u al se ing in which
he eue ge ic dis ibu ion o coinage could be concei ed as a p ac ice —whe e, in e ec , he lo-
cal eli e could deploy o ms o ac ion associa ed wi h he impe ial o de (apa om he example
o impe ial congia ia a Rome alone) in hei con es s o hono i ic dis inc ion. We migh gi e
he inal say o he bene ac o Sa y os o Tenos, who li ed in he 1s -2nd cen u ies CE. Among his
c owning achie emen s was an endowmen o unds owa ds he paymen o he ἐπικεφάλιον,
he poll- ax. This was clea ly ega ded as being pa o a b oade p og am o mone a y dis ibu-
ion, howe e , because he p eceding lines o he same insc ip ion honou ing him lis ed he nu-
me ous cash handou s he had made o e his public ca ee 103. Dis ibu ions o coin we e hus
concep ually associa ed wi h he paymen o iscal obliga ions o he Roman s a e; i is ha d o
belie e Tenos was alone in his ega d.
Conclusion
The public dis ibu ion o indi idualised gi s o coined money by he ci ic eli e o he Ae-
gean basin and Ana olia was a phenomenon o he Roman empi e. In he classical and Hellen-
100 Neesen 1980, 128: 10-40 d achmas pe head.
101 Conside also ha dis ibu ions o impe ial con-
gia ia a Rome we e appendages o he much la ge
p ocesses in ol ed in he con eyance and s ockpiling o
coined ax a he capi al: Milla 1991, 145-157.
102 Dekap o oi and hei ole in paying and collec -
ing axes due o Rome: Sami z 2013, 13-16.
103
IG XII.5 946 (appendix no.19) ll. 5-18 (dis ibu-
ions om dona ions o 21,000 dena ii), 18-22 (endow-
men o 18,500 dena ii owa ds co e ing he ci y’s poll- ax).
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 61
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841 Veleia, 2021, 38, 43-75
is ic pe iods such dis ibu ions we e in equen , and anyhow conduc ed by ci ic go e nmen s,
a ely by kings, and e en when weal hy bene ac o s eme ged in he la e Hellenis ic pe iod
public dis ibu ions we e s ill mainly dis ibu ions o commodi ies, no coins. The eme gence
o cash handou s coincided wi h he onse o he p incipa e and i s ela ed mone a y and is-
cal his o y. The example o cash dis ibu ions by he ea ly impe ial ule s a Rome, pe haps also
ansmi ed h ough social g oups like esiden Romans, was imi a ed and dissemina ed by he
ci ic eli e. Secondly, b oade changes in he p oduc ion o sil e coinage a his ime, he spe-
cie in which cash handou s we e p ima ily made, we e in luen ial. The ac ha ci ic sil e coin-
age la gely came o an end by he ea ly 1s cen u y CE, and was supe seded by he dena ius, o
o he coinages based on Roman mone a y s anda ds like he cis opho us, may ha e con ibu ed
o weakening he concep ual associa ion be ween ci ic au ho i ies and sil e coinage, allowing
weal hy indi iduals o appea publicly as he dis ibu o s o p ecious-me al coins. These mon-
e a y de elopmen s we e also likely ela ed o inc easingly ex ac i e di ec axa ion p ac ised by
he ea ly impe ial Roman s a e, in he o m o p ope y- and poll- axes payable in coin. Cash
handou s may in his ligh ha e esponded o a heigh ened need o cash among he non-eli e,
while po en ially also se ing simul aneously o no malise Roman axa ion by cas ing i in he
symbolic e ms o ci ic eue ge ism and spec acle. In all, he conjunc u e o hese h ee aspec s
— he impe ial example, changes in mone a y his o y, and he in ensi ica ion o Roman iscal
demands— c ea ed he condi ions ha allowed o he eme gence and popula isa ion o cash
handou s in G eece and Asia Mino .
These p ocesses ope a ed alongside he s eepening social s a i ica ion wi hin ci ic socie y ha
much schola ship has emphasised, and which mone a y gi s acili a ed; he poin he e is ha he
ise o cash handou s canno only be seen as an «indigenous» de elopmen o he poleis, and mus
also be se wi hin he b oade amewo ks embodied by he Roman s a e. The ac ha hey may
ha e appea ed ea lie han in he wes e n p o inces, whe e hey a e only a es ed in se ious num-
be s om he ea ly 2nd cen u y CE, may u he sugges ha i was he ela i e dis ance o he Hel-
lenis ic wo ld, bo h geog aphically and cul u ally, ha pa adoxically allowed o mo e o e imi-
a ion o impe ial p ac ice, while he p oximi y o he municipal eli e in I aly and Gaul o Rome
in i ed g ea e ci cumspec ion. In o he wo ds, he eme gence o eue ge ic dis ibu ions o coin
exempli ies some o he dynamics gal anised by he con on a ion be ween Rome and he cul u al
habi s o i s p o inces.
Appendix: Eue ge ic cash handou s in he eas e n Medi e anean, 7 h cen u y BCE o 3 d
cen u y CE
The ollowing, on which igu es1 and 2 a e based, p esen s a e e ence lis o a es a ions o
eue ge ic cash handou s ca ied ou by indi idual bene ac o s, as ga he ed om an ex ensi e bu
no exhaus i e su ey o he epig aphical co po a and schola ly li e a u e (see oo no e 2 and also
unde «Ve eilungen» in he index o Quaß 1993). I is likely o be ep esen a i e o ch onologi-
cal ends, e en i omissions will doub less be ound; handou s conduc ed by ci ic au ho i ies
(e.g. I.Thespiai 37 ll. 16-20) a e no included. Da es o insc ip ions ollow hose o published
edi ions.
62 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
No. Sou ce Communi y Da e Name/s o
bene ac o /s
Mone a y amoun /s and
ecipien s
Cu ency/
cu encies
speci ied
1
Hd . 1.54,
Plu . Mo . 556
Delphi
Mid-6 h
cen u y
BCE
K oisos 2 gold s a e s o 4 minas o each
ci izen o Delphi
S a e , mina
2 Polyb.
28.20.11
Nauk a is 169 BCE An iochosIV o
Sy ia
A gold s a e o each G eek ci izen S a e
3TAM II 508
ll. 21-23
Pina a Ea ly o
mid-1s
cen u y
BCE (?)
Unknown 5,000 d achmas o he associa ions
o he xenok i ai, and an unknown
sum each (?) o he councillo s,
elec o al magis a es, and o ice-
holde s o he Lykian koinon
Unknown
4I.S a onikeia
662 A ll. 4-5
S a onikeia Ea ly 1s
cen u y CE
Ch ysao and
Panphile
10 d achmas o each ci izen,
6 d achmas in addi ion o he
councillo s, and an unknown
amoun o d achmas o o he
inhabi an s o he ci y
D achma
5IG VII 2712
ll. 78-82
Ak aiphia Mid-1s
cen u y CE
Epaminondas 11 dena ii each o he magis a es,
6 dena ii o he o he inhabi an s
in lieu o a public meal
Dena ius
6SEG 43.717
ll. 19-21
Iasos Mid-1s
cen u y CE
Po ens 25 dena ii each o he councillo s
on Claudius’ bi hday
Dena ius
7I.Aph odisias
12.803 ll. 22-
32, 35-42
Aph odisias Mid-1s
cen u y CE
A is okles Mo-
lossos
Dona ed es a es owa ds mone a y
dis ibu ions (a gy ikai diadoseis) o
he ci izens on speci ied days
Dena ius
(mos likely,
om ll. 56-62)
8I.Ephesos 702
ll. 11-12
Ephesos 54-68 CE
(c . SEG
39.1179)
T. Peducaeus
Canax
Dona ed unspeci ied mone a y
amoun s (ka hie oseis a gy ion) o
he council and ge ousia
Unknown
9I.Ephesos 4123
ll. 9-17
Ephesos 54-68 CE G. S e inius
O pex and
Ma ina
Dona ed 5,000 dena ii o
dis ibu ions (dianomai) o he
councillo s, 2,500 dena ii o
dis ibu ions o 2 dena ii each o
he ge ousias ai, and 1,500 dena ii
o dis ibu ions o 3 dena ii each
o selec indi iduals owa ds a eas
Dena ius, d a-
chma
10 I.Didyma 264
ll. 14-15
Mile os 50-100 CE Iason Conduc ed unspeci ied
dis ibu ions (dianomai) o he
council and ci izens
Unknown
11 IGR IV 661 ll.
1-3, 21-22
Akmoneia 85 CE T. Fla ius P a-
xias
Conduc ed a dis ibu ion
(dianome) o he eedmen;
ano he unspeci ied dis ibu ion
(dianome) o he councillo s
Dena ius
(mos likely,
om l. 8)
12 SEG 65.1483
ll. 8-18
Pa a a 83-96 CE Licinius 5 dena ii o each Lykian, and
3 dena ii each o he Tloans,
Xan hians, My ans, Pa a ans on
impe ial bi hdays
Dena ius
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 63
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841 Veleia, 2021, 38, 43-75
No. Sou ce Communi y Da e Name/s o
bene ac o /s
Mone a y amoun /s and
ecipien s
Cu ency/
cu encies
speci ied
13 I.Be oia 117
ll. 19-21
Be oia La e 1s
cen u y CE
Q. Popillius
Py hon
Men ion o unspeci ied
dis ibu ions (diadoma a) o he
people
Unknown
14 I.Smy na 709
ll. 16-17
Smy na 1s cen u y
CE
Claudius
Ka e omachos
5 dena ii o each ci izen o
councillo (?)
Dena ius
15 Philos . V S
549
A hens 138/139 CE Ti. Claudius A -
icus He odes
Dona ed money o an annual
dis ibu ion o a mina o each
A henian ci izen
Mina
16 Luc. De mo .
Pe eg . 15
Pa ion Ea ly 2nd
cen u y CE
Pe eg inus Dona ed p ope y owa ds
dis ibu ions (dianomai) o he
people
Unknown
17 TAM II 539
ll. 7-8
A sada 1s -2nd
cen u ies
CE (c . Kılıç
Aslan 2023,
228)
Symb as Unspeci ied mone a y dis ibu-
ion a a eas
Unknown
18 I.Lampsakos
12 ll. 7-8
Lampsakos 1s -2nd
cen u ies
CE
Ky os 1,000 A ic d achmas o he
ge ousia
A ic d achma
19 IG XII.5 946
ll. 5-18
Tenos 1s -2nd
cen u ies
CE
Sa y os 5,000 dena ii o annual
dis ibu ions o 1 dena ius o
each male ci izen, and wo
o he dona ions o 10,000
and 6,000 dena ii o annual
dis ibu ions
Dena ius
20 I.S a onikeia
172 ll. 12-13
S a onikeia La e 1s -
ea ly 2nd
cen u ies
CE
Ti. Claudius
Lainas
2,400 dena ii o he council o
dis ibu ions
Dena ius
21 I.Sa dis 43 ll.
2-4
Sa deis 1s -
ea ly 2nd
cen u ies
CE
Ti. Claudius
Silanus
Bequea hed an unspeci ied
amoun o an annual dis ibu ion
(dianome)
Unknown
22 IGR III 493 ll.
13-15
Oinoanda Ea ly 2nd
cen u y CE
G. Licinnius
Ma cius
Thoan ianus
F on o
10 dena ii o each ci izen Dena ius
23 I.Ephesos 2061
II ll. 11-12
Ephesos 103-116 CE Ti. Fla ius
Mon anus
P o ided 3 dena ii o each ci izen
o lunch
Dena ius
24 I.Ephesos 27 ll.
220-352, 485-
553
Ephesos 104 CE G. Vibius Salu-
a is
Dis ibu ions anging om 4.5
assa ia o 30 dena ii o a ange o
indi iduals and ci ic and emple
o icials a Ephesos; c . Roge s
1991, 41-72
Dena ius,
assa ion

64 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
No. Sou ce Communi y Da e Name/s o
bene ac o /s
Mone a y amoun /s and
ecipien s
Cu ency/
cu encies
speci ied
25 IG IV 602 ll.
10-11
A gos 116-117 CE Ti. Claudius
Te ius Fla ianus
Men ion o unspeci ied mone a y
dis ibu ions (dianomai)
Unknown
26 I.Ephesos
712B ll. 16-18
Ephesos 117-138 CE Publius
Quin ilius Valens
Va ius
2 dena ii each o 1,000 ci izens
selec ed by lo
Dena ius
27 SEG 63.1342
ll. 9-11
Pa a a 117-138 CE Claudia Anassa Dona ion o an annual
dis ibu ion o 6.5 dena ii o each
ci izen
Dena ius
28 SEG
38.1462B ll.
26-27
Oinoanda 125-126 CE G. Julius
Demos henes
3 dena ii each o 500
si ome oumenoi selec ed by lo ,
and dona ion o 300 dena ii o
be dis ibu ed among he o he
ci izens and pa oikoi
Dena ius
29 I.Didyma 254
ll. 4-6
Mile os 130-138 CE L. Apidianus Ka-
llik a es
Unspeci ied mone a y
dis ibu ions (dianomai) o he
council and all ci izens
Unknown
30 TAM II
578/579 (a
copy o 578)
ll. 28-30
Tlos 136 CE Op amoas 1 dena ius o each
si ome oumenos
Dena ius
31 I.Ephesos 618
ll. 18-20
Ephesos 140 CE M. Ulpius
A is ok a es
Men ion o a dis ibu ion
(dianome) o he ge ousia ou o a
und o 100,000 dena ii
Dena ius
32 SEG 27.938
ll. 8-11
Tlos 150 CE Lalla 1 dena ius o each
si ome oumenos
Dena ius
33 I.Didyma 279
B ll. 3-10
Mile os 100-150 CE M. Fla ianus
Phileas
Nume ous dis ibu ions o
women, maidens, councillo s
and he kosmoi, and dis ibu ed 2
dena ii o each ci izen
Dena ius
34 I.S a onikeia
237 ll. 13-15
S a onikeia 100-150 CE M. Ulpius
A is on and
Aelius T yphaina
D akon is
3 dena ii each o he councillo s
and leading membe s o he
ge ousia
Dena ius
35 I.Ephesos 690
ll. 21-25
Ephesos 117-161 CE G. Julius
Pon ianus
1 dena ius each o 124 councillo s
and p ies s
Dena ius
36 I.T alleis und
Nysa II 440 ll.
18-23
Nysa 138-161 CE T. Aelius
Alkibiades
Dona ed ho se-pas u es o
annual mone a y dis ibu ions on
Had ian’s bi hday
Unknown
37 I.T alleis und
Nysa II 441 ll.
22-29
Nysa 138-161 CE T. Aelius
Alkibiades
Dis ibu ed unspeci ied amoun s
o each ci izen, by ibe and
symmo ia, a he assembly and
council
Unknown
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 65
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841 Veleia, 2021, 38, 43-75
No. Sou ce Communi y Da e Name/s o
bene ac o /s
Mone a y amoun /s and
ecipien s
Cu ency/
cu encies
speci ied
38 IG XII.5 659
ll. 11-20
Sy os 138-161 CE A is ago as 3 dena ii each o he ge ousias ai,
and 8 assa ia o women and
child en on he i s day o his
s ephanepho ia; 7 dena ii each o
he s ephanepho oi, 1 dena ius o
all ci izens, on he second day o
his s ephanepho ia
Dena ius,
assa ion
39 SEG 63.1402
ll. 15-18
Seleukeia-
on- he-
Kalykadnos
142-161 CE Dionysodo os 11 obols each o councillo s and
magis a es, dis ibu ed 6,200
dena ii (?) o he people o
dis ibu ions, and 12 obols each
o membe s o he ge ousia
Dena ius,
obol
40 I.S a onikeia
527 ll. 6-7
S a onikeia Mid-2nd
cen u y CE
He aklei os
and Ta a ion
Polynike
3 d achmas (?) each o ci izens,
2 d achmas (?) o Romans,
o eigne s, pa oikoi
D achma
41 I.S a onikeia
1428 ll. 12-14
S a onikeia Mid-2nd
cen u y CE
He aklei os
and Ta a ion
Polynike
2 d achmas each o ci izens and
o he inhabi an s o he ci y
D achma
42 F.Xan hos VII
67 ll. 21-22,
37-40
Xan hos A e 152
CE
Op amoas (?) 10 d achmas o each councillo
in Lykia, 1 au eus each o he
councillo s, ge ousias ai and
si ome oumenoi o Xan hos,
and 10 d achmas each o o he
ci izens and me oikoi
D achma, au-
eus
43 I.His ia 57 ll.
24-29
His ia 150-200 CE Aba 2 dena ii each o he councillo s,
ge ousias ai, he Tau ias ai, doc o s,
eache s, and p i a e indi iduals
named by Aba
Dena ius
44 Mile VI.2
945 ll. 1-11
Mile os 170-200 CE Cha is Dona ed 3,000 dena ii o he
council o annual dis ibu ions
on a speci ied da e o 12 dena ii
o each councillo
Dena ius
45 I.P usias ad
Hypium 17 ll.
18-21
P ousias-
unde -Hypios
La e 2nd
cen u y CE
T. Ulpius Aelia-
nus Papianus
Held wo dis ibu ions (nomai)
o hose egis e ed as ci izens
and hose inhabi ing he ields
Unknown
46 I.Ephesos 26 ll.
17-18
Ephesos 180-192 CE Nikomedes Men ion o dis ibu ions
(dianomai) o he ci izens
Unknown
47 I.C e . IV 300
B ll. 1-13
Go yn 180-182 CE T. Fla ius Xenion Unspeci ied mone a y dona-
ions on se en impe ial bi h-
days and he da e o Rome’s
ounda ion
Unknown
66 MARCUS CHIN
Veleia, 2025, 42, 43-75
No. Sou ce Communi y Da e Name/s o
bene ac o /s
Mone a y amoun /s and
ecipien s
Cu ency/
cu encies
speci ied
48 IG XII.5 663
ll. 14-27
Sy os 183 CE An aios 5 dena ii each o he ge ousias ai
in lieu o a baske -lunch, 8
assa ia o women, and 4 assa ia
o child en on he i s day o
his s ephanepho ia; 1 dena ius
each o he ge ousias ai, 1
dena ius o ci izens, and 8
assa ia o ee pe sons and
child en, on he second day o
his s ephanepho ia
Dena ius,
assa ion
49 IG XII.5 664
ll. 10-15
Sy os 193-198 CE Modes us Unknown amoun o dena ii
in lieu o a baske -lunch, and 8
assa ia and wine o ee women
and gi ls
Dena ius,
assa ion
50 TAM V.2 983
ll. 6-7
Thya ei a c. 200 CE Unknown Unspeci ied dis ibu ions
(dianomai)
Unknown
51 MAMA III 50
ll. 10-18
Dösene,
Cilicia
2nd cen u y
CE
Angklous Dona ed 1,200 d achmas
owa ds annual dis ibu ions o
e e y man du ing he pannychis
D achma
52 I.Magnesia
179 ll. 28-30
Magnesia 2nd cen u y
CE
Son o Apollonios Unspeci ied dis ibu ion
(dianome) o he council a he
consec a ion ce emony o his
hono i ic s a ue
Unknown
53 I.Didyma 111
ll. 1-8
Mile os 2nd cen u y
CE
Unknown Dona ed 1,000 dena ii o Apollo
and he council o dis ibu ions
Dena ius
54 I.Didyma 269
ll. 6-11, 270
ll. 6-11
Mile os 2nd cen u y
CE
Ti. Claudius
Ma cianus
Sma agdos
1 dena ius o each councillo ,
woman, i gin, and male ci izen in
lieu o a baske -lunch (c . Robe ,
Hellenica XI-XII 479-480)
Dena ius
55 I.Didyma 271
ll. 1-2
Mile os 2nd cen u y
CE
Ti. Claudius
Ma cianus
Sma agdos
Unspeci ied dis ibu ion
(dianome) o he child en
Unknown
56 TAM V.3
1457 ll. 8-18
Philadelphia 2nd cen u y
CE
Diogenes
Dona ed 2,500 dena ii and 1,500
dena ii o he councillo s and
syned ion o he p esby e oi o
annual dis ibu ions on his bi hday
Dena ius
57 I.P usias ad
Hypium 18
ll. 9-11, 19 ll.
10-12
P ousias-
unde -Hypios
2nd cen u y
CE
P. Domi ius
Julianus
Dis ibu ed unspeci ied mone a y
amoun s as gi s o he people
Unknown
58 IG XII.1 95 B
ll. 3-6
Rhodes 2nd cen u y
CE
M. Claudius
Caninius Se e us
12 dena ii o each ci izen,
unknown amoun o he he inoi
(?), 24 dena ii o an unknown
g oup
Dena ius
THE EMERGENCE OF CASH DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE CIVIC EUERGETISM... 67
h ps://doi.o g/10.1387/ eleia.25841 Veleia, 2021, 38, 43-75
No. Sou ce Communi y Da e Name/s o
bene ac o /s
Mone a y amoun /s and
ecipien s
Cu ency/
cu encies
speci ied
59 IGR III 800 ll.
5-12
Sillyon 2nd cen u y
CE
Megakles and
Menodo a
20 dena ii each o he
councillo s, 18 dena ii o he
ge aiai and ekklesias ai, 2 dena ii
o he ci izens, 1 dena ius o he
eedmen and pa oikoi
Dena ius
60 IGR III 801 ll.
14-22
Sillyon 2nd cen u y
CE
Menodo a 85 dena ii each o he
councillo s, 80 dena ii o
he ge aioi, 77 dena ii o he
ekklesias ai, 3 dena ii o he
wi es o he ekklesias ai, 9 dena ii
o he ci izens, 3 dena ii o
he indic a ii, eedmen and
pa oikoi
Dena ius
61 IGR III 802 ll.
18-26
Sillyon 2nd cen u y
CE
Menodo a 85 dena ii each o he
councillo s, 81 dena ii o
he ge aioi, 75 dena ii o he
ekklesias ai, 3 dena ii o he wi es
o he ekklesias ai, 4 dena ii o
he indic a ii and eedmen
Dena ius
62 I.S a onikeia
192 ll. 7-10
S a onikeia 2nd cen u y
CE
Ti. Fla ius [---]
and Fla ia Ma-
malon
5 d achmas each o men and
3 d achmas o women a he
Kamu ia and He aia es i als
D achma
63 I.S a onikeia
1028 ll. 18-21
S a onikeia 2nd cen u y
CE
Hie okles Men ion o a dis ibu ion
(dianome)
Unknown
64 I.S a onikeia
205 l. 37
S a onikeia 2nd cen u y
CE
Ti. Fla ius Iason
and Aelia S a ilia
Dis ibu ed 10,000 dena ii o
he ci izens
Dena ius
65 IG XII.5 665
ll. 1-16
Sy os 2nd cen u y
CE
Unknown 6 dena ii each o he ge ousias ai
in lieu o a baske -lunch, 8
assa ia o women, and 4 assa ia
o child en, on he i s day o his
s ephanepho ia; 1 dena ius each
o he ge ousias ai, 1 dena ius
o ci izens, and 8 assa ia o ee
pe sons and child en, on he
second day o his s ephanepho ia
Dena ius, as-
sa ion
66 I.Aph odisias
1.161 ll. 2-10
Aph odisias 2nd-3 d
cen u ies
CE
Unknown Dona ed money owa ds annual
dis ibu ions (kle oi) o he
council and ch ysopho oi by lo
Unknown
67 I.Aph odisias
11.533 ll. 12-
35
Aph odisias 2nd-3 d
cen u ies
CE
Au elia Ammia
My on and
M. Au elius
Diogenes
Dona ed 2,545 dena ii and
1,500 owa ds dis ibu ions
(kle oi) o he council
Dena ius
68 I.Aph odisias
12.317 ll.
9-12
Aph odisias 2nd-3 d
cen u ies
CE
L. An onius
Zosas
Dona ed 3,000 dena ii each
o he council and ge ousia o
annual dis ibu ions (kle oi)
Dena ius
74 MARCUS CHIN
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