Congiarium
(sc.
vas; from
congius).
1.
A vessel containing a
congius (q. v.).
2.
In the early times of the Roman Republic, the
congius was the usual
measure of oil or wine which was, on certain occasions, distributed among the people; and
thus
congiarium, as Quintilian says, became a name for the gift as well
as for the measure (
congiarium commune liberalitatis atque mensurae, vi.
3.52). It does not follow that all the citizens or even heads of families received a
congius apiece. The earliest mention of a distribution of oil is in B.C.
213, when two Cornelii Scipiones, afterwards called Africanus and Cethegus, in their
aedileship gave a certain number of
congii (the numeral has dropped out)
to the inhabitants of each street (
Livy, xxv. 2, with Madvig's
note). Lucullus on returning from his Eastern victories distributed more than 100,000 casks
of wine to the people (
Plin. H. N. xiv. 96).
The name
congiarium was also applied, less accurately, to presents of
corn or other provisions.
Under the Empire the tranquillity of the capital was insured by a gigantic system of
outdoor relief (see
Frumentariae Leges),
supplemented by frequent doles. The general term for these imperial presents is
largitio, sometimes (especially on coins)
liberalitas.
Distributions to the soldiers were called
donativa, to the people
congiaria; but sometimes the former also are called
congiaria (
Ad Att. xvi. 8). The sums thus spent were enormous.
Hadrian's congiarium was three
aurei per head on his proclamation as
emperor, and double that amount on his arrival in Rome; Commodus gave 725
denarii to each citizen. Marquardt has computed the imperial congiaria at an average
of $450,000 a year from Iulius Caesar to Claudius, $1,500,000 a year from Nero to Septimius
Severus; it must have been, however, a periodical emptying of the treasury rather than a
continuous drain.
Congiarium was, moreover, used to designate presents or pensions given by
men of rank to
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Congius. (Dresden Collection.)
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their friends, clients, or dependants. See Suet.
Iul. 27;
De
Brev. Vit. 8.2.
