Abstract
Roma’nın II. yüzyılında hüküm süren iyi imparatorların benimsediği refah politikası sayesinde devlet
merkezli bir sosyal yardım uygulaması başlatılmıştır. Alimentum olarak isimlendirilen bu uygulamayı ilk
kez imparator Nerva başlatmış ve Traianus geliştirmiştir. Bu uygulamayla Italia’nın özellikle yoksul
çocuklarının temel ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması için bir ödenek oluşturulmuştur. Böyle bir yardım
uygulamasının başlatılmasındaki amaç ise azalan nüfus oranı ve yoksullukla mücadele etmek, tarımsal
verimliliği artırmaktı. Devlet, yardım uygulaması için gerekli ödenekleri toprak sahiplerine verilen
kredilerin yıllık yüzde beş oranındaki geri ödeme faizlerinden sağlamıştır. Toprak sahiplerinin gönüllülük
esasına dayanan bu hayırseverlilikleri düşük faizli krediler sayesinde kendilerine de fayda sağlamıştır.
Toprak sahiplerinin ödedikleri faizlere bağlı yardım ödeneklerinden faydalanan belirli sayıdaki kız ve
erkek çocukları için yetişkinliğe ulaştıkları bir yaş sınırı belirlenmiştir. Yaş sınırına ulaşan her bir çocuğun
yerine ise yeni bir çocuk alınarak maddi olarak desteklenmiştir. Alimentum uygulaması sayesinde bir
yandan tarımsal canlılık ve üretim artarken diğer yandan nüfusu artırma politikasına bağlı olarak çocuk
yetiştirilmesi teşvik edilmiştir. İmparatorlar, alimentum uygulamasını sosyal devlet anlayışıyla halkın
güvenini sağlamak amacıyla bir propaganda aracına dönüştürmüşlerdir. Devlet destekli alimentum
uygulamasıyla birlikte servet sahibi kişilerde çocukların yetiştirilmesi için şahsi olarak belirli sayıdaki
çocuklara bağışlarda bulunmuşlardır. Fakat III. yüzyıl krizinin başlamasıyla birlikte uygulama önemini
yitirmeye başlamış ve zamanla terk edilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı alimentum uygulamasını, şartlarını,
yöntemini açıklamak ve uygulamanın sonuçlarını belirtmektir.
Keywords
References
- Aftyka, L. (2019). Philanthropy in ancient times: social and educational aspects. Journal of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, 6 (1), 149-154.
- Ashley, A.M. (1921). The ‘alimenta’ of nerva and his successors. The English Historical Review, 36 (141), 5- 16.
- Bauman, R.A. (2000). Human rights in ancient rome, Routledge.
- Bourne, F.C. (1960). The roman alimentary program and italian agriculture. Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, 91, 47-75.
- Cassius Dio. (1955). Dio’s roman history. Vol. IX, Books LXXI-LXXX. (E. Cary, Trans.), The Loeb Classical Library, William Heinemann LTD, Harvard University Press.
- Dessau, H. (1882). Inscriptiones latinae selectae. Vol I, Apud Weidmannos.
- Dessau, H. (1902). Inscriptiones latinae selectae. Vol II, Pars I, Apud Weidmannos.
- Duncan-Jones, R. (1964). The purpose and organisation of the alimenta. Papers of the British School at Rome, 32 (1), 123-146.
- Eck, W. (2000). Emperor, senate and magistrates. The Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192, A.K. Bowman, P. Garnsey, D. Rathbone (Ed.), Vol. XI, Cambridge University Press, s. 214-238.
- Elkins, N.T. (2017). The image of political power in the reign of nerva, AD 96-98, Oxford University Press. Epitome De Caesaribus. (2018). A booklet about the style of life and the manners of the imperatores. (Thomas M. Banchich, Trans.), Canisius College Translated Texts 1. Canisius College.
- Erdemir, H.P. (2016). Roma vatandaş hukukunun konusu olarak kadın. Tarih Dergisi, 63 (1), 1-26.
- Gibbon, E. (2019) Roma imparatorluğu’nun gerileyiş ve çöküş tarihi, cilt 1, (Asım Baltacıgil, Çev.), İndie Yayınları.
- Grainger, J.D. (2003). Nerva and the roman succession crisis of AD 96-99. Routledge.
- Griffin, M. (2000). Nerva to hadrian. The Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192, A.K. Bowman, P. Garnsey, D. Rathbone (Ed.), Vol. XI, Cambridge University Press, s. 84-132.
- Grubbs, J.E., T. Parklin and R. Bell, (2013). The oxford handbook of childhood and education in the classical world, Oxford University Press.
- Jongman, W. (2002). Beneficial symbols. alimenta and the infantilization of the roman citizen. After The Past: Essays in Ancient History in Honour of H.W. Pleket, W. Jongman and M. Kleijwegt (Ed.), Brill, s. 47- 81.
- Klokner, T. (2019). Private alimentary foundations in roman ıtaly (1st–3rd Century A. D.). Vestnik Of The Mari State University Chapter “History. Law”, 5(1), 36-45.
- Lewis, N. and M. Reinhold. (1955). Roman civilization: sourcebook ıı: the empire. Harper Torchbooks. Colombia University Press.
- Machiavelli, N. (2007). Discourses on the first decade of titus livius. (Ninian Hill Thomson, Trans.), Dover Books on history, Political And Social Science, Dover Publications.
- Özman, R. (2021). İmparator aurelianus ve reformları. Turkish Studies - History, 16(2), 231-249.
- Scriptores Historia Augusta. (2021). Historia augusta: hadrianus’tan clodius albinus’a roma imparatorları. (Samet Özgüler, Çev.), Kronik Kitap.
- Southern, P. (2004). The roman empire from severus to constantine. Routledge.
- Suetonius. (2019). On iki caesar’ın yaşamı. (Gül Özaktürk-Ü. Fafo Telatar, Çev.), Doğubatı Yayınları.
- The Digest of Justinian. (1998). Alaric Watson (Ed.), Vol. 3, University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Wiedemann, T. (1989). Adults and children in the roman empire. Routledge Revivals.
- Woolf, G. (1990). Food, poverty and patronage: the significance of the epigraphy of the roman alimentary schemes in early ımperial ıtaly. Papers of the British School at Rome, 58, 197-228.
Abstract
Thanks to the welfare policy adopted by the good emperors who came to power at the end of the first
century of Rome, a state-centric social welfare programme was initiated. This programme called
Alimentum, was first initiated by Emperor Nerva and developed by Trajan. With this programme an
allowance was created to meet the basic needs of especially poor children of Italy. The purpose of
initiating such an social welfare programme was to combat the declining population rate and poverty,
and to increase agricultural productivity. The state provided the necessary allowances for the
implementation of alimentum from the annual repayment interest of five percent of the loans given to
the landlords. This voluntary philanthropy of the landlords also benefited themselves through low-interest
loans. This voluntary philanthropy of the landlords benefited them through low-interest loans. An age
limit has been set at which a certain number of boys and girls reach adulthood who benefiting from
subsidies based on interest paid by landlords. A new child was taken to replace each child who reached
the age limit and was supported financially. Thanks to the alimentum programme, on the one hand,
agricultural vitality and production increased, on the other hand, child rearing was encouraged depending
on the policy of increasing the population. The emperors turned the alimentum programme into a
propaganda tool in order to ensure the trust of the people with the understanding of the social state.
Along with the state-centric alimentum programme, wealthy individuals have personally donated a
certain number of children to raise children. However, with the onset of the third century crisis, the
practice began to lose its importance and was abandoned over time. The aim of this study is to explain
the alimentum programme, conditions, method and to indicate the results of the programme.
Keywords
References
- Aftyka, L. (2019). Philanthropy in ancient times: social and educational aspects. Journal of Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, 6 (1), 149-154.
- Ashley, A.M. (1921). The ‘alimenta’ of nerva and his successors. The English Historical Review, 36 (141), 5- 16.
- Bauman, R.A. (2000). Human rights in ancient rome, Routledge.
- Bourne, F.C. (1960). The roman alimentary program and italian agriculture. Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, 91, 47-75.
- Cassius Dio. (1955). Dio’s roman history. Vol. IX, Books LXXI-LXXX. (E. Cary, Trans.), The Loeb Classical Library, William Heinemann LTD, Harvard University Press.
- Dessau, H. (1882). Inscriptiones latinae selectae. Vol I, Apud Weidmannos.
- Dessau, H. (1902). Inscriptiones latinae selectae. Vol II, Pars I, Apud Weidmannos.
- Duncan-Jones, R. (1964). The purpose and organisation of the alimenta. Papers of the British School at Rome, 32 (1), 123-146.
- Eck, W. (2000). Emperor, senate and magistrates. The Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192, A.K. Bowman, P. Garnsey, D. Rathbone (Ed.), Vol. XI, Cambridge University Press, s. 214-238.
- Elkins, N.T. (2017). The image of political power in the reign of nerva, AD 96-98, Oxford University Press. Epitome De Caesaribus. (2018). A booklet about the style of life and the manners of the imperatores. (Thomas M. Banchich, Trans.), Canisius College Translated Texts 1. Canisius College.
- Erdemir, H.P. (2016). Roma vatandaş hukukunun konusu olarak kadın. Tarih Dergisi, 63 (1), 1-26.
- Gibbon, E. (2019) Roma imparatorluğu’nun gerileyiş ve çöküş tarihi, cilt 1, (Asım Baltacıgil, Çev.), İndie Yayınları.
- Grainger, J.D. (2003). Nerva and the roman succession crisis of AD 96-99. Routledge.
- Griffin, M. (2000). Nerva to hadrian. The Cambridge Ancient History: The High Empire, A.D. 70-192, A.K. Bowman, P. Garnsey, D. Rathbone (Ed.), Vol. XI, Cambridge University Press, s. 84-132.
- Grubbs, J.E., T. Parklin and R. Bell, (2013). The oxford handbook of childhood and education in the classical world, Oxford University Press.
- Jongman, W. (2002). Beneficial symbols. alimenta and the infantilization of the roman citizen. After The Past: Essays in Ancient History in Honour of H.W. Pleket, W. Jongman and M. Kleijwegt (Ed.), Brill, s. 47- 81.
- Klokner, T. (2019). Private alimentary foundations in roman ıtaly (1st–3rd Century A. D.). Vestnik Of The Mari State University Chapter “History. Law”, 5(1), 36-45.
- Lewis, N. and M. Reinhold. (1955). Roman civilization: sourcebook ıı: the empire. Harper Torchbooks. Colombia University Press.
- Machiavelli, N. (2007). Discourses on the first decade of titus livius. (Ninian Hill Thomson, Trans.), Dover Books on history, Political And Social Science, Dover Publications.
- Özman, R. (2021). İmparator aurelianus ve reformları. Turkish Studies - History, 16(2), 231-249.
- Scriptores Historia Augusta. (2021). Historia augusta: hadrianus’tan clodius albinus’a roma imparatorları. (Samet Özgüler, Çev.), Kronik Kitap.
- Southern, P. (2004). The roman empire from severus to constantine. Routledge.
- Suetonius. (2019). On iki caesar’ın yaşamı. (Gül Özaktürk-Ü. Fafo Telatar, Çev.), Doğubatı Yayınları.
- The Digest of Justinian. (1998). Alaric Watson (Ed.), Vol. 3, University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Wiedemann, T. (1989). Adults and children in the roman empire. Routledge Revivals.
- Woolf, G. (1990). Food, poverty and patronage: the significance of the epigraphy of the roman alimentary schemes in early ımperial ıtaly. Papers of the British School at Rome, 58, 197-228.
Details
| Primary Language | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Classical Greek and Roman History |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | June 30, 2023 |
| Submission Date | April 18, 2023 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2023 Volume: 12 Issue: 1 |
İnönü Üniversitesi Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi
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