Il Περὶ οἰκονομίας di Filodemo e lo sviluppo del sistema delle donazioni epicureo

In the Kepos, donations are not merely economic contributions, but expressions of φιλία and philosophical gratitude, ensuring a balance between material needs and ethical commitments. Epicurus emphasises their importance, while Philodemus, in his Περὶ Οἰκονομίας, adapts the system to Roman patronage and justifies it on ethical grounds. Wealth, when moderate and shared, becomes a means of community stability. This paper shows how the Epicurean system of donations constitutes an autonomous economic model, integrating ethics, politics and economics into a new conception of οἰκονομία.