富人的责任:雅典公益捐助制度浅议

The Responsibilities of the Rich: On the Liturgies of the Athenian Polis

古典时期,雅典的公益捐助是一项专门针对富人设立的制度,涉及城邦的宗教庆典、体育竞技、工程建设以及军事装备等多个方面。公益捐助制度是雅典民主制度的产物,体现了雅典城邦公民一体属性以及富人们对民主制度的认同。它的设立与推行在一定程度上提升了雅典城邦的实力和民主制度的发展,促进了社会的和谐与稳定以及文化事业的繁荣。但是这一制度也使雅典的民主政治在某种程度上寡头制化,导致隐形的政治腐败,造成公民精神渐趋堕落,成为雅典民主衰亡的一个重要原因。

Liturgies of classical Athens was a system specially set up for the rich,which involved aspects such as religious festivals,sports competitions,engineering construction and military equipment.It was a product of the establishment of the Athenian democracy,reflected the characteristic of the integration of citizen and state in Athens and the rich group’s democratic identity.To a certain extent,its establishment and implementation promoted the strength of Athens,the development of democratic system,social harmony and stability,and the cultural prosperity.But at the same time,it also had negative effects,damaging the Athenian democracy,making Athenian democratic politics oligarchical to some extent,leading to invisible political corruption,and contributing to the deterioration of civic spirit,and became an important cause for the decline of Athenian democracy.