Though the patron-client system functioned at multiple
levels, in which the client of one patron could also have clients of his own, it
would be obvious that the most noble of families could have large numbers of
clients supporting them in their endeavors. Along the same lines, entire
kingdoms or nations, once conquered and made subservient, could become clients
to the Roman commander that had conquered them. Such was the way of the
world.
Of course, if clients had clients, and if this reached all
the way down to the basest level of society, it would also hold true for the
other side of the ladder. Even a noble family would be the clients of a
more honorable family, with this being the case all the way up to, in the days
of Jesus and subsequently of the Apostle Paul, the Caesar himself.
Ultimately, all were looked upon as clients of Caesar, who was faithful and
loyal to his subjects. Those subjects, in turn, were to be faithful and
loyal to Caesar. This ideal was embodied in the common phrase “ek pistis
eis pistin,” which is often translated as “from faith to faith”. The Apostle Paul borrowed this common and
well-known phraseology and subversively put it to use in his letter to the
Romans (1:17).
It is this system of patronage
that truly formed the foundation of the Roman state. Not only did it
serve to create stability, but the unwavering loyalty of clients could aid
certain families in retaining power for extended periods of time. At the same
time, it created something of a welfare network, which was especially useful
within an empire that lacked the means (or, at least, did not direct those
means) to support those most in need and incapable of providing for
themselves.
The client system that surrounded a patron would look out
for its members, ensuring that no harm would come to its own. If one
member of the client group would be struck down by poverty, the other clients,
and most likely the patron as well, would see to it that the one in need could
get a loan. In the worst case, they would see to it that their fellow
client would receive a decent funeral. If the patron was unable to
provide assistance personally, he would orchestrate the assistance (gaining
honor), perhaps asking other clients to come to the aid of another that had
fallen on hard time.
In continuing to
explore the patron-client dynamic of Paul’s day, one can look to Seneca---a
Roman philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and humorist that was a contemporary
of the Apostle Paul. Seneca wrote: “Let
us, therefore, show how acceptable a gift is by loudly expressing our gratitude
for it; and let us do so, not only in the hearing of the giver, but
everywhere. He who receives a benefit with gratitude, repays the first
installment of it.” This statement would reflect the general attitude of
a client towards his patron, who would be looked upon as the source of
gifts. For what it’s worth, Seneca himself was a tutor of the Emperor
Nero, later becoming an advisor. Most assuredly, he would have considered
Nero to be his patron, so though these words would be generally reflective of
the patron-client relationship, they would most likely be penned with the
Caesar in mind.
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