Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Congiarium

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

CONGIA'RIUM. A largess, or donation, consisting of a number of congii filled with wine, oil, salt, &c. (Liv. xxv. 2. Plin. H. N. xiv. 17. Ib. xxxi. 41.), which it was customary with the Roman kings, consuls, and emperors to distribute amongst the people at their own expense. (Suet. Nero, 7. Plin. Paneg. 25.) This is the original and strict meaning of the term; but in process of time, donations of other things, even money (Suet. Aug. 41.), were designated by the same name, as well as a largess made to the soldiery (Cic. Att. xvi. 8.), though the proper name for that is donativum. The manner of distributing these favours was as follows; — the donor sat upon an elevated tribunal (suggestum), which the recipients approached one by one, and were presented with a token (tessera), upon which the amount to be received was written, and made payable upon presentment at the magazine of the giver; as shown in the illustration (Congiarium/1.1), from a bas-relief on the arch of Constantine at Rome; or, in some cases, the tokens were thrown down promiscuously amongst the crowd to be scrambled for, when they were expressly called missilia.

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  Congiarium/1.1