Erastus the city of Corinth's treasurer - the first victim of employer prejudice?

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Eoghan

Puritan Board Senior
I think it was in connection with the inscribed tablet found at Corinth that Erastus was identified as Aedile. This office appears to have been held for a year and the appointment was by public election (p188). They were apparently responsible for the upkeep of public buildings and temples (and brothels) as well as assigning street vendors their pitches (p71-72). What strikes me is the extent to which the Aedile has to schmooze his way into public office and the responsibility for temple maintenance (their treasuries were a city asset) and possibly brothels.

The problems this would present to the Christian Erastus seem to be enormous and yet Paul writes Romans from Corinth while he is still in office. Added to the above we can say that Erastus would probably be responsible in some capacity for sacrificing animals, the office of priest and politician converging in Greco-Roman society. Apparently the Aedile was actually responsible for employing those who interpreted the sacrificed animals innards in some cities.

In looking at the evidence it seems that the office of Oikonomos was not identical to Aedile. Erastus was either promoted after his conversion to Aedile or demoted after his conversion to Oikonomos.


Quotations are from "Pompeii - the life of a Roman Town"

Was Erastus the first victim of employer discrimination?
 
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