Definition:

Roman Terms > Roman International Relations and Treaty Terms > Hospitium

Hospitium is a Latin term for hospitality that describes the fides-based relationship of a hospes to a Roman. The Greek equivalent to hospitium is Xenia, which refers to a guest-friendship.

Hospitium could be between individuals, between two individuals and their families (hospitium privatum). J Nichols describes this:

In practice, this entailed some kind of explicit agreement between the two parties not only to offer one another amenities (lodging, entertainment: locus lautiaque. E.g., hospitium ac loca lautia mihi praebiturum. Apul. Metam 3.26), but also to show care for the interests and safety of the partner; that is, to provide legal protection for the person and for his property.
"THE PRACTICE OF HOSPITIUM ON THE ROMAN FRONTIER," by J. Nicols.

Hospitium could also be between communities and an individual or another community, which means that hospitium publicum 'public hospitality' has implications for international relationships. Hospitium could also refer to guest houses and public buildings for entertainment (Nichols). Hospitium is a little less important than the relationship of a cliens to his Roman, but there is also less dependence than the client had on his patron. Hospitality and patronage could also be conferred simultaneouly, even though hospitality was a relationship between equals and patronage was definitely not.
Public hospitality includes the foedus hospitii 'treaty of hospitality.' Clifford Ando says that it is not accurate to say that hospitium publicum implies the conferring of all the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship without all the burdens and obligations because, first and foremost, hospitium is not a form of citizenship.

References:

• _{"Was Rome a Polis?," by Clifford Ando; Classical Antiquity, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Apr., 1999), pp. 5-34}
• _{"The Moral Basis of Hospitium Privatum," by Oscar E. Nybakken; The Classical Journal, Vol. 41, No. 6 (Mar., 1946), pp. 248-253}
• _{Lacus Curtius Hospitium}
• Frontiers in the Roman World, Proceedings of the Ninth Workshop of the International Network Impact of Empire (Durham, 16–19 April 2009), edited by Olivier Hekster and Ted Kaizer  "THE PRACTICE OF HOSPITIUM ON THE ROMAN FRONTIER," by J. Nicols.

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