Station: [7] Personal ties

The Roman society was a web of dependencies. Children had an obligation towards their parents, as wives had an obligation towards their husbands, slaves towards their owners, and libertines towards their former masters.

These dependencies were by no means restricted to the private realm: every political decision, whether in the senate or the people’s assembly, was being made against the backdrop of these dependencies.

Are you wondering what this little basket full of provisions is here for? We will explain it to you right away.

Such a little basket was called sportula. It was a donation the patron gave to his client. In ancient Rome, a client was a person that was obliged to render different services to a master, the patron. These clients gathered in the home of their patron. There, they were assigned a task or were given a sportula and then sent home. The sportula contained enough coins and provisions to assure the client and his family a livelihood. The patron in turn could resort to the client’s working power every time he felt the need. In addition, he could rely on his clients’ political support.

The political influence of a politician increased with the importance and the number of his clients. Having as many clients as possible was particularly important in regard to elections.

The following coins show us how such an election was carried out in ancient Rome.