View source for Collegium (ancient Rome)

{{Short description|Any association in ancient Rome that acted as a legal entity}}
{{Redirect2|Collegium|collegia}}
{{Italics title}}
[[File:M Licinius Privatus, dec.jpg|thumb|Inscription (''[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|CIL]]'' 14.374) from [[Ostia Antica]] commemorating a Marcus Licinius Privatus, who was ''magister'' of a college of carpenters]]
A '''{{lang|la|collegium}}''' ({{plural form}}: {{lang|la|collegia}}) or '''college''' was any association in [[ancient Rome]] that [[Corporation|acted]] as a [[Legal person|legal entity]]. Such associations could be civil or religious.
The word {{wikt-lang|la|collegium}} literally means "society", from {{wikt-lang|la|collega}} ("colleague").<ref>{{M-W|college}} "from Latin {{lang|la|collegium}} society, from {{lang|la|collega}} colleague"</ref> They functioned as social clubs or religious collectives whose members worked towards their shared interests. These shared interests encompassed a wide range of the various aspects of urban life; including political interests, cult practices, professions, trade, and civic services.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Verboven|first=Koenraad|title=Introduction: Professional Collegia: Guilds or Social Clubs?|date=2011|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44079950|journal=Ancient Society|volume=41|pages=187–195|jstor=44079950}}</ref> The social connections fostered by ''collegia'' contributed to their influence on politics and the economy; acting as lobbying groups and representative groups for traders and merchants.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Verboven|first=Koenraad|title=Introduction: Professional Collegia: Guilds or Social Clubs?|date=2011|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44079950|journal=Ancient Society|volume=41|pages=187–193|jstor=44079950|issn=0066-1619}}</ref>

Some ''collegia'' were linked to participating in political violence and social unrest, which resulted in the suppression of social associations by the Roman government.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Meiggs|first=Russell|url=https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/7p88cg591|title=Roman Ostia|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1973|isbn=978-0-19-814810-4|pages=311–312}}</ref> Following the passage of the ''[[lex Julia]]'' during the reign of [[Julius Caesar]] as [[Roman consul|consul]] and [[Roman dictator|dictator]] of the [[Roman Republic]] (49–44 BC), and their reaffirmation during the reign of [[Augustus|Caesar Augustus]] as ''[[princeps senatus]]'' and ''[[imperator]]'' of the [[Imperial Roman army|Roman Army]] (27 BC – 14 AD), ''collegia'' required the approval of the [[Roman Senate]] or the [[Roman emperor|Emperor]] in order to be [[Charter|authorized as legal bodies]].<ref name="de Ligt 2001" />

== Civil {{lang|la|collegia}} ==
{{lang|la|Collegia}} could function as [[guild]]s, social [[Club (organization)|club]]s, or [[burial society|burial societies]]; in practice, in ancient Rome, they sometimes became organized bodies of local businessmen and even criminals, who ran the mercantile/criminal activities in a given urban region (similar to a {{lang|it|[[rione]]}}). Legal ''collegia'' possessed certain rights, such as common property, a common treasury, and legal right to an attorney.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Digest of Justinian, Volume 1|publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania press]]|year=2009|isbn=9780812205510|editor-last=Watson|editor-first=Alan|pages=96–97}}</ref> Large portions of the population of a town could be a part of ''collegia'' associations, with many aspects of daily life having corresponding ''collegia''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Meiggs|first=Russell|url=https://www.fulcrum.org/concern/monographs/7p88cg591|title=Roman Ostia|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1973|isbn=978-0-19-814810-4|page=312}}</ref> The organization of a collegium was often modeled on that of civic governing bodies, the [[Senate of the Roman Republic|Senate of Rome]] being the epitome.  The meeting hall was often known as the [[curia]], the same term as that applied to that of the Roman Senate.

The formation of ''collegia'' and other civil organized bodies were subject to the discretion of the central Roman government. After the implementation of [[Julius Caesar]]'s social reforms between 49 and 44 BC (''[[lex Julia]])'' and their reaffirmation by [[Augustus]], ''collegia'' required the approval of the Roman Senate or the emperor in order to be authorized as legal bodies.{{r|de Ligt 2001|pp=346–349}} ''Collegia'' were often the target of restrictions and bans as a result of suspicions on the part of the Roman government about the function of these social associations.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Arnaoutoglou|first=Ilias|date=2002|title=Roman Law and collegia in Asia Minor|journal=[[Revue Internationale des droits de l'Antiquité]]|volume=43|pages=30–44}}</ref>

The legality of civil collegia was subject to constant legislation. In 64 BC, all civic collegia were banned by the Senate for being against the Roman constitution, only to be restored six years later in 58 BC.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Arnaoutoglou|first=Ilias|date=2002|title=Roman Law and collegia in Asia Minor|journal=[[Revue Internationale des droits de l'Antiquité]]|volume=43|pages=30}}</ref> Part of the social reforms of Julius Caesar's reign disbanded all but the most ancient collegia and instituted that any new collegia had to be deemed by the Senate to be useful to the community.<ref name="de Ligt 2001">{{Cite journal | last=de Ligt | first=Luuk | date=2001 | title=''D.'' 47,22,1,pr.-1 and the formation of semi-public ''collegia'' | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41539517 | journal=Latomus | volume=60 | issue=2 | pages=345–358 | jstor=41539517 | issn=0023-8856}}</ref>{{rp|346}} Later in the 2nd century AD, collegia in the Roman world showed signs of an increased tolerance on the part of the Roman government. Under [[Hadrian]], inscriptions in [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]] depict collegia that functioned with more freedom as Roman restrictions became smaller and more temporary in scope.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Arnaoutoglou|first=Ilias|date=2002|title=Roman Law and collegia in Asia Minor|journal=[[Revue Internationale des droits de l'Antiquité]]|volume=43|pages=36}}</ref> The [[Roman emperor]] [[Aurelian]] imposed state control over collegia in the late 3rd century.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Romans: From Village to Empire|last1=Boatwright|first1=Mary T.|last2=Gargola|first2=Daniel J.|last3=Lenski|first3=Noel|last4=Talbert|first4=Richard J.A.|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2012|isbn=978-0-19-973057-5|location=New York|page=434}}</ref>

== Religious {{lang|la|collegia}} ==
Religious ''collegia'' were formed by [[Fraternity|fraternities]] of [[priest]]s, sanctioned by the Roman government, and provided a number of religious functions in Rome. These included the overseeing of [[Religion in ancient Rome#Sacrifice|ritual sacrifice]]s, the practice of [[augury]], the keeping of [[Religious text|scriptures]], the arranging of [[Roman festivals|festivals]], and the maintaining of specific [[Roman imperial cult|religious cults]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lintott|first=Andrew|title=The Constitution of the Roman Republic|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=1999|location=Oxford|pages=183–186|isbn=978-0198150688}}</ref> Along with their religious functions, these kinds of ''collegia'' also had funerary and social functions; providing an outlet for fellowship as well as guaranteed burial services for its members.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bendlin|first=Andreas|date=2011|chapter=Associations, funerals, sociality, and Roman law: the collegium of Diana and Antinous in Lanuvium (CIL 14.2112) reconsidered|title=Aposteldekret und Antikes Vereinswesen: Gemeinschaft und Ihre Ordnung|location=Tübingen |publisher=Mohr Siebeck|pages=217–218}}</ref>

There were four great religious colleges ({{lang|la|quattuor amplissima collegia}}) of Roman priests, in descending order of importance:
* {{lang|la|Pontifices}} (the [[College of Pontiffs]]), headed by the {{lang|la|[[pontifex maximus]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Augur]]es}}
* {{lang|la|[[Quindecimviri sacris faciundis]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Epulones|Septemviri epulonum]]}}

Other minor religious {{lang|la|collegia}} existed, including:
* {{lang|la|[[Fetiales]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Salii]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Titii]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Fratres Arvales]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Luperci]]}}
* {{lang|la|[[Sodales Augustales]]}}

== Military ''collegia'' ==
Under the [[Roman Republic]] and around 100 AD, military ''collegia'' were viewed as small and violent militias.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xvY6DQAAQBAJ&dq=Collegia&pg=PA343|title=Work, Labour, and Professions in the Roman World|date=2016-10-27|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-90-04-33168-6|language=en}}</ref> Inscriptions at [[Lambaesis]] date the formation of ''[[Legio III Augusta]]'' military clubs to the reign of [[Septimius Severus]] (193–211) and indicate that they were formed by petty officers and specialists attached to the various services of the legion.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ginsburg|first=Michael|year=1940|title=Roman military clubs and their social functions|journal=[[Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association]]|publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University Press]]|volume=71|pages=149–156|doi=10.2307/283119|jstor=283119}}</ref> During the [[Severan dynasty]] (193–235 AD), when unions, both commercial and industrial, became widespread, the government turned its attention to improving standards of living within the army. The basic purpose of military ''collegia'' was to help their members cover their funeral expenses. Officers and personnel assigned to special duties were not forbidden from joining ''collegia'', but average soldiers on active duty could not form ''collegia'' or be members of them. Membership in a military ''collegium'' gave the officer insurance against unforeseen events requiring any substantial financial investment.

==See also==
* [[List of ancient Roman collegia]]
* [[Articles of association]]
* [[Articles of incorporation]]
* [[Articles of organization]]
* [[Certificate of incorporation]]
* [[Charter]]
* [[College of Aesculapius and Hygia]]
* [[Congressional charter]]
* ''[[Municipium]]'' – municipal authorities
* [[Royal charter]]

==References==
<references />

== Further reading ==
* Bollmann, Beate (1998). ''Römische Vereinshäuser. Untersuchungen zu den Scholae der römischen Berufs-, Kult- und Augustalen-Kollegien in Italien'' [Roman association houses. Studies on the scholae of Roman professional, cult and "Augustales" collegiae in Italy]. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern, {{ISBN|3-8053-2505-3}}.
* Ciambelli, Simone (2022). ''I collegia e le relazioni clientelari: studio sui legami di patronato delle associazioni professionali nell'Occidente romano tra I e III sec. d.C.'' [The collegia and patronage relations: a study of the patronage links of professional associations in the Roman West between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.] Collana studi di storia della Rivista storica dell'antichità, vol. 22.  Bologna: Pàtron, {{ISBN|9788855535656}}.
* Eckhardt, Benedikt (2021). ''Romanisierung und Verbrüderung. Das Vereinswesen im römischen Reich'' [Romanisation and fraternisation. Associations in the Roman Empire]. [[Klio (journal)|Klio]] Einzelschriften, Neue Folge vol. 34. Berlin: De Gruyter, {{ISBN|9783110751864}}.
* Liu, Jinyu (2013). "Professional Associations." In: Erdkamp, Paul (ed.): ''The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Rome.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 352–368.
* Rohde, Dorothea (2012). ''Zwischen Individuum und Stadtgemeinde. Die Integration von collegia in Hafenstädten'' [Between the individual and the urban community. The integration of collegia in harbour cities]. Studien zur alten Geschichte, vol. 15. Mainz: Verlag Antike, {{ISBN|978-3-938032-44-2}}.
* Waltzing, Jean Pierre (1895–1900). ''Étude historique sur les corporations professionnelles chez les Romains depuis les origines jusqu'à la chute de l'empire d'Occident'' [Historical study of the Roman professional guilds from their origins to the fall of the Western Empire]. 4 volumes. Leuven: Peeters.
* Zimmermann, Carola (2002). ''[https://doi.org/10.11588/propylaeum.1537 Handwerkervereine im griechischen Osten des Imperium Romanum]'' [Craftsmen's associations in the Greek East of the Imperium Romanum]. Monographien des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums, vol. 57. Mainz: Verlag des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums, {{ISBN|3-88467-078-6}}.

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Ancient Roman collegia}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Collegium (Ancient Rome)}}
[[Category:Organizations based in ancient Rome]]
[[Category:Roman law]]