Abstract
Studying philanthropy understood as a concept that takes root in an ethic of “voluntary giving and serving to others beyond one’s family” (Illchman, Katz and Queen 1998: x), I came across Paul Veyne’s book Bread and Circuses (1976).1 In the book, Veyne analyzes acts of patronage from the time of the Greek city-states to the beginning of Christianity. These acts of patronage are called “euergetism.” This phenomenon describes the fact that wealthy citizens contribute (and are expected to contribute) to the financing of public buildings and entertainment. Like the Maussian gifts (Mauss 1923–1924), these acts of patronage are both free and forced: the notables give because they are pleased to do so, but also because they are expected to. For the wealthy, these acts of patronage are a way to maintain and increase their prestige within the city.
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© 2013 Markus Schlecker and Friederike Fleischer
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Pagani, F. (2013). Empathy, Salvation, and Religious Identity: Hindu Religious Movements and Humanitarian Action in India. In: Schlecker, M., Fleischer, F. (eds) Ethnographies of Social Support. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137330970_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137330970_10
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