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Theorica (Gr. ) (also Theoric Fund and Festival Fund) was in ancient Athens the name for the fund of monies expended on festivals, sacrifices, and public entertainments of various kinds; and also monies distributed among the people in the shape of largesses from the state. ==History== There were, according to Xenophon, more festivals at Athens than in all the rest of Greece.〔Xenophon, ''De Rep. Ath.'' iii. 8〕 Besides those open to the whole body of the people, there were many confined to the members of each tribe, deme, and house. These last were provided for out of the private funds of the community who celebrated them. At the most important of the public festivals, there were not only sacrifices, but processions, theatrical exhibitions, gymnastic contests, and games, celebrated with great splendor and at a great expense. Theorika was created or reinstated〔Some ancient sources cite Pericles as the founder of the theorika (Plutarch’s Pericles 9.1 and Plato’s Gorgias 515E); Agyrrhios, an Athenian demagogue, is also mentioned as the first to have initiated this public largesse by Aristotle in ''Athenian Constitution'' 41.3. See also Buchanan, James ''Theorika''. New York 1962 (p. 29-53).〕 around 350 BCE, after the Social War (357-5 BCE),〔Justin (6.9.1) dates the establishment of the theorika sometime at the end or after the battle of Mantinea in 362 BCE.〕 by the Athenian statesman Eubulus, an administrator to the theorikon treasury sometime after 354/3 until Cephisophon of Aphidna replaced him in 343/2, and Diophantus. The Social War had plunged Athens into serious military and financial difficulties, thus creating an incentive to help the Athenian people by means of largesse. It was established to provide enough money for poorer Athenian citizens to be able to purchase tickets for yearly festivals of public worship and theatrical productions, such as the Dionysia, Panathenaea, Eleusinia and Thargelia. A portion of the expense was defrayed by the individuals, upon whom the burden of devolved; but a considerable, and perhaps the larger, part was defrayed by the public treasury. The religious embassies to Delos and other places, and especially those to the Olympian, Nemean, Isthmian, and Pythian Games, drew largely upon public funds, though a part of the cost fell upon the wealthier citizens who conducted them.〔Georg Friedrich Schömann, ''Antiquitates juris publici Graecorum'' p. 305〕 The amount of money contributed to this treasury varied between “15 (talents ) or less and not much under 100 talents”.〔Rhodes, P. J. ''The Athenian Boule''. Oxford 1972: p. 106.〕 In an epitome (Dem. 1 hyp. 5) of Demosthenes’ ''First Olynthiac'', a scholar named Libanius〔Libanius’ explanation is accepted by some, but the information he provides is often questioned. Edward M. Harris raises sound arguments for doubt in his book ''Democracy and the Rule of Law in Classical Athens'' (New York 2006): “The road to historical error is often paved with good intentions. Certainly no one had better intentions than the scholar Libanius…” (p. 121).〕 explains that in Athens there were no stone seats (only wooden benches) at the Theatre of Dionysus, and also originally no charge for admissions into the festival. Due to the lack of seating available, fights would break out as everyone rushed to find a bench; the leaders of the community decided to charge an admissions fee of two obols to prevent further violence.〔Blake, W. E. “New Literary Fragments on Demosthenes” Trans Proc Am Philol Assoc 57 (1926) p. 282.〕 The fee was paid to the lessee of the theater (called , , or ) who undertook to keep it in good repair, and constantly ready for use, on condition of being allowed to receive the profits.〔Georg Friedrich Schömann, ''Id.'' p. 219〕 But because poorer citizens could not afford to pay for admittance, Athens established a fund that covered the costs of their tickets. Each citizen was allotted one drachma to cover the ticket cost of two obols (διωβελία) on each day of the three-day Dionysia.〔 The payments would differ depending on the fluctuations of the state treasury and how many days the festivals lasted. This payment continued to be exacted after the stone theater was built. Pericles, to relieve the poorer classes, passed a law that enabled them to receive the price of admission from the state; after which all those citizens who were too poor to pay for their places applied for the money in the public assembly, which was then frequently held in the theater.〔 In time this donation was extended to other entertainments besides theatrical ones: the sum of two obols being given to each citizen who attended; if the festival lasted two days, four obols; and if three, six obols ; but not beyond that. Hence all theoric largesses received the name of ''diobelia'' (). The sums thus given varied at different times, and of course depended on the state of the public treasury. These distributions of money, like those of grain and flour, were called ''dianomai'' (), or ''diadoseis'' (). They were often made at the Dionysia, when the allies were present, and saw the surplus of their tribute distributed from the orchestra. The appetite of the people for largesses grew by encouragement, stimulated from time to time by designing demagogues; and in the time of Demosthenes they seem not to have been confined to the poorer classes.〔Demosthenes, ''Philip.'' iv. 141〕 The German classical scholar Philipp August Böckh calculated that from 25 to 30 talents were spent upon them annually.〔Philipp August Böckh, ''The Public Economy of Athens'' p. 224, 2d ed.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Theorica」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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