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euergetism  

Definition

  • Euergetism—the word derives from the ancient Greek word for a benefactor (e?e???t??)—is a term used by ancient historians to refer to the phenomenon of elite benefaction to towns and communities through voluntary gifts, such as public buildings or endowments for various forms of festival or distribution. The process has been seen as critical to understanding how city-states functioned in the Hellenistic Greek east and throughout the wider Mediterranean world in the Roman republican and imperial eras. [Source: Encyclopedia of Political Theory; Euergetism]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/euergetism

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