L'exercice de la charité d'après les sceaux et les tessères TM21.1Caseau.pdf (original) (raw)

This article focuses on the social and institutional history of charitable distributions, based on objects that were related to the exercise of charity: charity tesserae and certain seals, especially seals of charitable institutions. The aim is to trace over a long period of time, the evolution of charity practices on the part of donors rather than beneficiaries. The duty of charity towards the poor, affirmed by Christianity, has in fact led to the establishment of a sharing of resources, especially food, starting with the ancient Church and continuing during the Middle ages. Modalities for sharing with the poor have changed. While the Church aimed at concentrating the gifts of donors, insisting that it could do a better job to distribute resources, part of these resources were used for its own needs. Lay charitable institutions emerged. Also, the wealthiest wished to benefit from the prayers of the poor in their favor, which they considered necessary for their salvation and they organized charitable distributions in their own name. This article follows this evolution from anonymous gifts to personalized distributions illustrated by the tesserae of the middle byzantine period.