Plural of congiary; gifts of money or grain distributed by Roman emperors to the people or soldiers as part of public generosity.
From Latin congiarium, derived from congius (a Roman unit of liquid measure), because such gifts were often measured in units of grain or distributed by the measure.
Roman emperors used congiaries like ancient political patronage—Caesar famously gave them to secure public favor, making this word literally measure a transaction between power and popularity!
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