Il ruolo sociale del “benefattore” nell’Atene del primo ellenismo

In the Hellenistic period , the survival of the Greek poleis depended in fact on the goodwill of the various rulers, who, either directly or through their collaborators, "helped" the cities themselves, living rise to that complex social, political and economic phenomenon which is called “evergetism” and that is known to us thanks to a myriad of documentary sources, especially epigraphic. Considering the number of the Athenian inscriptions, the paper focuses on some cases, that can be dated during the second half of the IV century B.C. , in which Athens rewarded the "benefactors" by granting to them honors and privileges, sometimes including even the granting of citizenship . Of particular relevance is the case of the Akarnanian physician Evenor, who spent most of his life in Athens exactly in the second half of the IV century B.C. and who is known to us thanks to a substantial epigraphic dossier. A careful examination of the documentation let to the conclusion that he was a "friend " of the Macedonians and that the decrees in his honor were voted when the city was led by a pro-Macedonian government. This conclusion contradicts the present communis opinion of the scholars, who have always considered that the honors were decreed to Evenor when Athens was led by democratic anti-Macedonian governments.