One proposed explanation is that experience with limited corruption could establish boundaries an officer was reluctant to cross. An established participant knew what level of gifts or favors was safe within the system. An initially pious administrator could instead face unfamiliar pressures when promoted to a powerful office surrounded by gifts and patronage. In this interpretation, promotion preserved familiar habits for one officer while exposing another to pressures he had not learned to manage.
Notable Point · 1:42:06-1:43:19
Could familiar patronage habits limit corruption?
One interpretation suggests that familiar limits on gifts and favors could restrain an experienced officeholder, while sudden power could overwhelm an initially pious administrator.