Social spending in Rome

[Epictetus]

I was looking through Birley’s biography of Marcus Aurelius and came across a passage where, to celebrate the betrothal of Lucius Verus and Lucilla, he arranged “for the support of poor children, on the lines of the institution created by Pius in memory of his wife and earlier imperial foundations.”

That led me to think about other “social welfare” programs the Roman Empire instituted. Off the top of my head, I can recall:

1) Food – free or subsidised foods, like the famous dole
2) Education – teachers on the public payroll, public libraries?
3) Health – doctors on the public payroll, subsidised gymnasia and baths, water supply?, funerary arrangements for the poor?
4) Child protection – the support of poor children, as mentioned above

Can anyone else think of any such programs? What about housing or help for the elderly? Were there any programs for these issues?

Does anyone know of the geographical extent or longevity of these institutions? Or how, when and why the imperial administration came to believe the state should be responsible for such things? Does anyone know of any studies or publications about this issue?

[Vindex]

By social do you mean directly relating to the welfare of individuals as we now define social welfare? Or would you include such programmes as the building of aqueducts and public baths?

[Epictetus]

I'm not entirely sure. Some things were always considered a communal responsibility - like defence, of course - but others might be more unusual for an ancient society. I suppose I'm thinking of societal welfare for individuals.

[Theodosius the Great]

4) Child protection – the support of poor children, as mentioned above

I'm unsure what kind of support was included but in Procopius' On Buildings he mentions Justinian building orphanages.

~Theo

[Theodosius the Great]

Does anyone know of the geographical extent or longevity of these institutions? Or how, when and why the imperial administration came to believe the state should be responsible for such things? Does anyone know of any studies or publications about this issue?

A.H.M. Jones has a paragraph devoted to it on pages 971 and 972 of "The Later Roman Empire, 284-602".

If you don't have access to it you can read my paraphrasing:

"...the church laid an immense emphasis on charity to the poor, and particularly to widows, orphans, strangers, and the sick. The poor were not altogether neglected in the pagan code, as the alimentary benefactions of the second century testify, but the Christians set a new standard. The best witness to their generosity is Julian..."

~Theo

[Nathan Ross]

“the support of poor children, on the lines of the institution created by Pius in memory of his wife and earlier imperial foundations.”

Seems this scheme - the alimenta - goes back to Nerva. Aurelius Victor (Epitome 12.4) writes that 'Nerva decreed that girls and boys born of needy parents were to be supported at public expense in the towns of Italy'. The scheme was expanded by Trajan, and presumably renewed by successive emperors - it later spread to the provinces as well, where it apparently endured into the third century. Funds for the scheme were levied by the imperial treasury from interest on loans made to farmers, and payment was made to selected boys of 16 sesterces per week between the ages of three and fifteen, with less proportionally to girls.

(Info from Bauman, Human Rights in Ancient Rome, p.109)

About the food dole - it certainly lingered on in Rome until the fourth century, when Constantine set up a similar provision for Constantinople, thereby diverting much of the Egyptian grain supply from the old capital.

By this time, the free dole had grown to much more than grain though - even meat was provided free. According to Zosimus, one of the initial backers of Maxentius' coup was an officer in charge of the public pork distribution!

[Epictetus]

Thanks everybody! Good info.

Funds for the scheme were levied by the imperial treasury from interest on loans made to farmers, and payment was made to selected boys of 16 sesterces per week between the ages of three and fifteen, with less proportionally to girls.

Now that's interesting. I didn't know where the money came from, nor how much was spent. Nor did I expect such information was even available.