Spending on the agones. The Financing of Festivals in the Cities of Roman Greece

Abstract

While festivals were a very important part in religion as well as in social life in Ancient Greece they were expensive and a burden to the public budget. The financing of festivals and games was secured by a combination of public funding, including the revenues of agonistic foundations administered by civic officials, and private munificence, taking the form of benefactions by both office-holders and private citizens.