To ascribe the undoubted zeal of numerous liturgists purely to sound religion or love of their fellow human beings would be a trifle naive. All the competitive animus of Athenian society was mirrored in this institution. Strange as it may seem, an Athenian liturgist did not restrict himself to spending the economic resources of his oikos for the good of the polis. Money was often lent, or even part of an estate mortgaged (and occasionally forfeited), in the attempt to go one better than the next man. The survival of the fittest liturgist conferred honour on him. But it also gave grounds for a hope that the popular backing obtained would be a decisive factor in eventually getting the liturgist elected to some office, or in getting him off some charge in court.
"Why did I spend more than the city asked of me?" (says a defendant at his trial, making the speech written for him by Lysias). "I'll tell you. It was so that you should form a better opinion of me; and so that if I ever fell on hard times I could defend myself better in court".
(Speech for the defence: Charge of Subverting the Democracy 13).

'Liturgies' were, one could claim, a 'legal fiction' adopted by a state unprovided with bureaucracy - Athens in this particular case - in order to get jobs done for the polis without the latter having to dip into the public purse. On the contrary: this way the polis emplaced direct responsibility for expenditure and services on its wealthy citizens. Year in, year out, a hundred or so state 'liturgies' were performed. The average cost was around 100 drachmae. Or in other words, this way Athens saved about sixteen talents a year, from 'ordinary liturgies' alone.

It should be remarked on the other hand that this institution, as used by the wealthy, had its effect on the economically weak classes, making them inoffensive about their interests. Wealthy Athenians unstintingly offered money and spectacles. The result was that the penniless remained in a condition of bogus well-being without waking up to their true social status. This condition contributed to the perpetuation of economic inequality between them, and resulted in the edge being continuously taken off the power of the wealthy. So the 'liturgies' can be regarded as having contributed to the exploitation of the poorest citizens.

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