ABSTRACT
This chapter is focused on the collegia, the (private) professional and religious associations that, at least officially, did not have any administrative functions. Through the analysis of the impact that their activities and tasks had on some public services, we aim to assess whether and which collegia can be considered ‘semi-official’ associations. Their publica utilitas is here investigated through the analysis of the logistic and material support that some collegia gave to specific public services (e.g., the annona, public building, and the supply of goods and services: be they material – e.g., wood, military clothing – or immaterial, e.g., athletic education, firemen). At last, considering the numerous benefits granted to collegia, this chapter investigates how the social relevance was also expressed by these associations through architectural and topographical features of their seats, as if they claimed a sort of ‘non-official’ administrative function. As such, the final goal is to foster a reconsideration of our idea of ‘Roman administration’ including these private intermediate corpora that acted between the central power and the society.
