Graeco-Roman Voluntary Associations, Systems Theory and Societal Evolution. Preliminary Perspectives
Graeco-Roman Voluntary Associations, Systems Theory and Societal Evolution. Preliminary Perspectives

Summary/Abstract: In the Graeco-Roman world, social and political life was concentrated in cities which were often organized following a basic pattern, that of the polis. These cities included their inhabitants in various forms of social organization. Besides the family, individuals belonged to demoi, phratriai, or phylai, the official subdivisions of the city. Male citizens participated in political processes, with their own institutions regulating inclusion. There were also age classes, “the young” and “the old”, tied to the gymnasium. And all inhabitants were involved in religious festivals. The city thus included its members on several different levels, most of which involved little personal choice. Scholarly concepts like “polis-religion” or “embeddedness” of social phenomena try to take this into account. However, beginning in the Hellenistic age, Graeco-Roman cities also gave rise to other forms of organization. Inscriptions tell us about groups of Dionysiastai and Athenaistai, of thiasotai and orgeones (both normally specified by reference to a main deity), of temenitai (“those concerned with a holy precinct”), theoxeniastai (“those who invite the gods to a meal”), but also symposiastai (“those gathering for symposia”) or synklitai (“those dining together”), and, especially in the Roman period, communities based on a common trade or craft. All these groups show similar features of organization and self-presentation; they all do basically the same things; and they can all be included in one category: they are voluntary associations...

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