Description

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Herodes Attikos, teacher, orator, millionaire, is perhaps best known for the many buildings and sculptures he erected in Greece, Italy and Asia Minor. No area benefited more than his native Athens, where his munificence rebuilt the Panathenaic Stadium, constructed the Odeion on the slopes of the Acropolis, and funded many public festivals. In addition to these donations, his position as the wealthiest citizen in Athens as well as his ties to the imperial family gave him political power in the city, agai nst which the Athenians at times rebelled. His generosity bred gratitude while his wealth and power bred resentment. This book examines Herodes' relationship with Athens through the study of the buildings, statues and inscriptions he funded there. While it delves into the motives and mechanisms of his benefactions it also highlights the political and social currents in Athens of the second century AD.