Was die römische Welt zusammenhält

How does a society of diverging status and wealth cohere? The monograph discusses Roman patronage as a way of holding social groups together. By analysing the attitudes and actions of patrons and clients, their developtments between the 1st century B. C. and the 3rd century A. D. are evaluated in order to understand the relevance of personal reciprocity as a fundament for social peace.