Gift culture was an important part of Ancient Roman society. It was deeply intertwined with social, political, and religious life, serving as a tool for building and maintaining relationships across different strata of society.

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But it’s still a show of wealth and status and there is expectation of reciprocity. While it is fundamentally about wealth redistribution it’s still a highly political and social ceremony.

In contrast, the Potlatch ceremony among certain PNW Indigenous peoples, wealth is given away to gain social status through competitive generosity, redistributing wealth rather than reinforcing hierarchies.