Startseite Altertumswissenschaften & Ägyptologie Civil War and the Corruption of liberalitas in Tacitus’ Histories
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Civil War and the Corruption of liberalitas in Tacitus’ Histories

  • Shushma Malik
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Abstract

This chapter explores how Tacitus understands the concept of corruption as related to the principate in his Histories. Rather than seeing corruption as an effect brought about by contact with an immoral person or luxurious object, Tacitus emphasises transactional process, such as giving and receiving of gifts, spoils, etc., as inherent to the concept. This embeds corruption into a core role of the princeps, that of benefaction, thus problematizing a key function of the principate in times of peace as well as war.

Abstract

This chapter explores how Tacitus understands the concept of corruption as related to the principate in his Histories. Rather than seeing corruption as an effect brought about by contact with an immoral person or luxurious object, Tacitus emphasises transactional process, such as giving and receiving of gifts, spoils, etc., as inherent to the concept. This embeds corruption into a core role of the princeps, that of benefaction, thus problematizing a key function of the principate in times of peace as well as war.

Heruntergeladen am 14.11.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111339962-004/html?lang=de
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