Imperial Generosities

The imperial generosities (the singular is seldom used, of the Latin largitio and of the Greek λαργιτίων/ largitíôn ) indicate the gifts and the distributions cérémoniales made on certain occasions by the emperor with Rome and in the late Antiquité. After 326, imperial generosities are supervised by the Count of crowned generosities ( comes sacrarum largitionum ), for their public part, and by the Count of the LMBO privata ( comes rei privatae ) for the private distributions.

Imperial generosities are various kinds:

  • the donativa are the distributions made to the soldiers and to the imperial civils servant at the time of the advent of the emperor, of the quinquennial birthdays of its reign ( quinquennalia ), but also for the birthday of the capital and the New Year's gifts (January 1st). A law of 361 fixes the amount of the donativa at 5 solidi (under gold) for the quinquennalia and a book of additional money for the advent.

  • the gave are exceptional gifts rewarding for the deserving individuals and in particular the soldiers: they are in general luxury articles, in particular of parts of silverware.

  • the Congiaire S ( congiarum ) are distributions of money monnayé with the people on certain occasions, commemorated by specific monetary emissions: the imperial adventus in a city, presentation of the public wishes on January 3rd, and especially the catch of the consulate by the emperor. In this last case, they are in fact the consular Largesses known as sparsio , the jet of coins and objects out of metal in the arena at the time of the consular plays organized by the emperor. The sparsio is a reason which one often meets represented on the consular diptychs. The congiarum is also a reason illustrated on the plank of the Arc of Constantin.

  • the Stipendium is at the same time the monnayé silver part of the Solde of the soldiers and the civils servant, before it is comparable with the Annone when this one is adhered (versed in currencies) at the end of the 4th century, and the payments made to the barbarians and combined to buy their peace, by claiming that they are soldiers employed by the empire.

Imperial generosities also come from there to include the philanthropic or evergetic actions of the emperor such as the subsidies poured to help the cities to organize certain festivals (actually part of the local incomes perceived by the tax department are transferred to them), certain public constructions, the subsidies granted to the Church as from the 4th century and from which profited before the pagan worships .

The striking of the currencies and the manufacture of the commemorative coins of silverware (in particular the missoria) are an important responsibility for the count of crowned generosities, as testify the presence to it to dishes of this type among the badges of the financial counts on the Notitia dignitatum. Starting from the end of the 4th century the coins of silverware manufactured for crowned generosities carry official stamps of control by the services of the count of crowned generosities.

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