Senecas Schrift De beneficiis und der Wandel im römischen Benefizienwesen

The Roman aristocracy under the Republic was pervaded by a dense network of personal ties between its members. These ties and, by extension, the aristocracy itself, were maintained through mutual aid and the bestowal of favours (beneficia). The establishment of imperial rule brought about fundamental changes to this social system.This study examines how the modes of allocating scarce goods and ser...