Euergetism

Euergetism (or evergetism, from the Greek εὐεργετέω, "do good deeds") was the ancient practice of high-status and wealthy individuals in society distributing part of their wealth to the community.

Although no document mentions as such that the holder of the office shall assume the financial cost of its charge,[3] entries published annually in his honor shows that oversees the flow of the institution, some emphasizing that this city does not have to spend this year.

Thus gradually it was chosen to operate close to the philanthropy, which, like Aristotle wrote, "to safeguard the oligarchs" for the most important [...], magistrates must attach their public expenditure, so that people do not agree to participate and have the same indulgence to the judges that they must pay their judiciaries of a large sum.

She thanked them and "get up with his service as any other citizen, but with higher average",[10] the same way that voluntary contributions (epidoseis) enabled everyone, in proportion to his income, to demonstrate its commitment to the city by a gift of many talents or just a few pence.

Euergetism, as they developed next to a liturgical system "which is both a continuation and denial",[10] allowed the city to direct its service expenditures of the richest of its members with greater emphasis before the official honors due to them in thanks.

The latter could thus be obtained, whenever necessary, that funding is assured for the most urgent of needs, without incurring unnecessary costs, and without giving the feeling of stress to members of its elite, which retain the ability to book their wealth to their personal use.

The notion of generosity towards poorer citizens included provision for entertainments and civic banquets but also city amenities such as theatres, odeions (concert and lecture halls), libraries, baths, gymnasiums, fountains and markets that bore the inscription that so and so "built or repaired this D.S.P.F.