This study examines questions of provisions, providers, and solidarity in the private association system of Athens and Attica. Against the background that private associations were long regarded as forms of organisation primarily pertaining poor and underprivileged sections of the population, it was already assumed in the earliest research that these collectives were based on group solidarity and that their members benefited at various levels from substantial support services provided by the associations. Although research in recent decades has shown that the resulting overall picture of private associations and their membership composition is anything but homogeneous, not least with regard to the socio-economic status of the members, it has nevertheless been possible to show that a rich spectrum of support services is tangible with regard to the entire ancient private association system and that there are also some indications of group solidarity.

The first chapter introduces and problematises the subject of the study and gives an outline of the relevant history of research on the topic in question and sketches out the approach and research methods. In the second chapter, basic social anthropological concepts of reciprocity are first discussed. It then focuses on the central features of Aristotleʼs concept of reciprocity, emphasising its guiding principles and cornerstones. It is stressed that Aristotleʼs approach distinguishes between natural and artificial relationships. The third chapter focuses on the harbour of Piraeus, where private cult associations were particularly characteristic and which can be described as their genuine habitat. The fourth chapter is dedicated to questions relating to solidarity and benefits in the context of associations and examines which solidarity benefits are conceivable under which conditions among association members and whether or to what extent the idea of voluntary, cross-member solidarity might to be considered as realistic. The fifth chapter also deals with provisions, but in contrast to the previous chapter, it concerns the services rendered to the associations by association officials and other persons of merit honoured in honorary decrees in certain fields of office and service. The sixth chapter focuses on the aspect of honour, which was already touched upon in the third chapter in its capacity as a medium of inclusion. As mentioned at the beginning, honour is of essential importance in the context of the study, as it was bestowed in return for services rendered. Continuing this line of thought, the seventh chapter deals with honorary decrees, which document that honour was awarded by a given corporate body to service providers according to the mechanism described. Against the background that the reciprocity-relevant text parts of the honorary decrees depict relationships that exhibit the basic characteristics of Sahlinʼs reciprocity patterns, the language used in these text parts is analysed in chapter eight from the point of view of reciprocity and relationship association. In the ninth chapter, these results are used to analyse the relationships between associations and their honorees depicted in the associationsʼ honorary decrees in the context of reciprocal aspects relevant at the time. To this end, all of the relationships are analysed using ten sets of questions formulated around reciprocal or relationship-related issues.

As a result of these analyses, the following facts were established. Firstly, most of the analysed relationships referring to functionaries appeared to take place exclusively at office service level. Secondly, the analysis of the tense forms, accessible time levels and other time factors reveals that the majority of the relationship descriptions are located in the past and mostly did not exceed the duration of one year. Multi-period, present and future references, on the other hand, are rather rare. Thirdly, concerning members in recipient roles a particular comprehensiveness in favouritism matters is mentioned occasionally. In a few cases, it is mentioned that the members also received individual favours. Fourthly, there are areas of tension between specific and general mentions, whereby prioritisation of representation obviously plays a role. Fifthly, the descriptions of relationships between individuals and associations tended to be much more elaborate than the reports of actions by groups of volunteers. Sixthly: Services provided on a voluntary basis seemed to be expected from high-ranking officials in particular. Seventhly, according to the adequacy-associated terms, the majority of officials had apparently performed within given service expectations, while a minority appeared to have overfulfilled those expectations. Concerning external honourees, the typical terms associated with adequacy such as καλῶς are strikingly missing. Eighthly: About half of the officials have increased the substance or resources of the respective organisation. The other half preserved or conserved them. Ninthly: In connection with the reciprocity aspect, it is noticeable that the most frequently mentioned motivations φιλοτιμία, εὐσέβεια and δικαιοσύνη are value concepts that are prominently connoted with the aspect of exchange and honour.

Vorwort

1. Einleitung

1.1 Gegenstand

1.2 Quellen und Abgrenzungen

1.3 Forschungsgeschichte

1.4 Herangehensweise, Methodik und Aufbau der Untersuchung

2. Reziprozität

2.1 Reziprozität in anthropologisch-soziologischer Perspektive

2.2 Das Reziprozitätskonzept des Aristoteles und Reziprozitätsauffassungen bei anderen Autoren klassischer und frühhellenistischer Zeit

3. Der Hafen als genuines ‚Biotop‘ privater Kultvereine – Die Situation im Piräus

3.1 Häfen in transhistorischer Perspektive

3.2 Piräus

3.4 Private Kultvereine

3.5 Abschließende Betrachtungen

4. Solidarität und Versorgungsleistungen im Vereinskontext

4.1 Das Individuum und seine soziale Absicherung

4.2 Solidaritätsmodi auf Gruppenebene

4.3 Vereinsleistungen und institutionell administrierte Solidarität

4.4 Gesamtfazit zu Solidarität und Versorgungsleistungen im Vereinskontext

5. Von Honoranten betreute Vereinsbereiche nach Ausweis der Ehrendekrete

5.1 Bereich Kult

5.2 Ämter, reguläre Dienstposten, sonstige Aufgaben

5.3 Bereich Finanzen

5.4 Abschließende Betrachtungen

6. Das Inklusionsmedium Ehre als in Ehrendekreten verliehenes Gut

6.1 Ehre als Inklusionsmedium

6.2 Abschließende Betrachtungen

7. Ehrendekrete als Beziehungsdarstellungen und ihre Funktion in den reziproken Mechanismen der Ehrungssysteme

7.1 Grundlegende Charakteristika von Ehrendekreten

7.2 Ehrendekrete im Kontext reziproker Tauschvorgänge rund um das Gut Ehre

7.3 Ehrendekrete als Dokumentationen beziehungsassoziierter Sprache

7.4 Abschließende Betrachtungen

8. Analyse der in Ehrendekreten verwendeten beziehungsassoziierten Sprache und Begriffe

8.1. Aspekte Schulderfüllung und Angemessenheit

8.2 Aspekte Rechtschaffenheit, Gerechtigkeit, Korrektheit, Ehrlichkeit

8.3 Aspekte Beständigkeit, Bewährung, Zeitfaktor

8.4 Aspekte Bemühen und Sich-ins-Zeug-legen: Ehrgeiz, Ambition, Sorgfalt

8.5 Aspekt freiwilligkeitskonnotierte Hilfeleistung: Nutzen, Nützlichkeit von Menschen, großzügiges Geben

8.6 Aspekt demonstratives Auftreten

8.7 Aspekt Gewogenheit

8.8 Komplexe Klassen- und Haltungsbegriffe

8.9 Wertneutrales Amtsvokabular

8.10 Hilfsverben

8.11 Quantitäts- und qualitätsbemessende sowie komparative Ausdrücke

8.12 Zusammenfassende Beobachtungen

8.13 Schlussfolgerungen

9 Analyse der in Ehrendekreten dargestellten Beziehungen

9.1 Zehn Fragenkomplexe zur Beziehungsanalyse

9.2 Einzelehrungen

9.3 Sammelehrungen ohne Individualisierungen

9.4 Sammelehrungen mit Individualisierungen

9.5 Gesamtauswertung der Beziehungsanalyse

10 Schlussfolgerungen

10.1 Schlussfolgerungen zu den Untersuchungen der Ehrendekrete

10.2 Gesamtfazit

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