The Lex Orchia sumptuaria of 182–181 BCE was one in a succession of ancient Roman sumptuary laws governing expenditures on luxury, primarily regulating large banquets and other lavish events. Such laws, enacted against a backdrop of anxiety about social dynamism, were intended to limit aspirational overreaching for status but were infrequently enforced. Moreover, enforcement was generally limited to fines, which, when levied against high-profile offenders, were widely announced. The affluent accepted fines as merely a tax on privilege, even as the amounts increased with frequent revisions to the laws. Historians have therefore argued that enforcing sumptuary laws only minimally may have been a way to avoid undermining the laws’ aims, given that
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Verbal·Information and Ideas·Inferences
mediumWhich choice most logically completes the text?
A
the few fines that were imposed under the laws were tolerable to wealthy offenders and thus did not help the laws serve their intended purpose.
B
the public announcement of fines could signal offenders’ wealth and status, placing enforcement of the laws in conflict with their intent.
C
less-affluent citizens were reluctant to risk incurring a fine and thus voluntarily complied with the laws even in the absence of regular enforcement.
D
authorities focused enforcement on the wealthiest offenders, recognizing that pursuing offenders who were unable to pay the fines could weaken fines’ effectiveness as a deterrent.