LIBERALITAS - Liberality, being one of the princely virtues and at the same
time a most popular quality, appears both as a legend and as a type on a great
many Roman imperial medals. These attest the occasions when the emperors made a
display of their generosity towards the people by all kinds of distributions
amongst them, in money and provisions. In the earlier age this was called
Congiarium (Munus), because they distributed congios oleo plenos. In the time of
the free republic, the Ediles were specially entrusted with these distributions,
as a means of acquiring the good will of the people. The same practice was
followed under the emperors; and we occasionally find on their coins the word
CONGIARIVM, but the more common term is LIBERALITAS, to which is frequently
added the number of times that such liberality has been exercised by each
emperor.
On these occasions of imperial munificence, a certain sum of money was for the
most part given to each person, and when grain was distributed, or bread, to
prevent the evils of dearness and famine from affecting the Roman populace, it
was called Annona. But when something beyond their ordinary pay was bestowed
upon the soldiers, it was denominated Donativum, a word, however, not found on
coins, but comprised under that of Liberalitas, or of Congiarium; and after the
reign of Marcus Aurelius, CONGIARIVM is no longer found, and the expression
LIBERALITAS is alone employed.
Liberality is personified by the image of a woman, holding in one hand a
counting board, or square tablet with a handle on which are cut a certain number
of holes. These boards were used to quickly count the proper number of coins or
other items for distribution to each person. It appears they would be dipped
into a container, covered with coins and the excess swept away back into the
container. The proper number of coins would fill the holes and then would be
dumped out to the recipient. On coins this symbol indicated the prince had
given to the people money, corn, and other articles of consumption. In the other
hand she holds a cornucopia, to indicate the abundance of wheat contained in the
public graineries. Liberalitas is represented as presiding at all congiaria. The
liberalities of the Augusti, by which the distribution of their bounties to the
people is signified, were of two kinds, ordinary and extraordinary.