Financing of Roman Public Constructions in Numidia and Mauretania Caesariensis under the Early Empire: An Epigraphic Study

Abstract

References to funding sources for architectural works (Indulgentia, Pecunia Publica, and Sua Pecunia, etc.) in Roman cities of the provinces of Numidia and Mauretania Caesariensis are very common in the content of epigraphic inscriptions discovered there. These texts can, for good reason, be considered as a starting point for identifying the stakeholders involved in the architectural urbanization policy adopted by Roman authorities in these provinces to strengthen their presence in the region. The analysis of these texts also allows us to shed light on the behaviors of individuals, particularly social and political attitudes related to the architectural domain, through what is known as evergetism (architectural donation) in its various forms. To achieve these objectives, the epigraphic texts published in the "Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum" (volume 8 Dedicated to the provinces of Africa), the "Inscriptions Latines de l’Algérie", as well as the "Année Épigraphique" were the primary research tools in our study.