On Bread and Circuses: Roman Social Control

On Bread and Circuses: How Rome Controlled its Masses

The roar of the Colosseum, the scent of roasting meat, the taste of cheap wine – these were the sensory anchors of Roman life for the masses. But beneath the surface of these vibrant spectacles lay a sophisticated, and often cynical, strategy of social control. The phrase “bread and circuses,” or “panem et circenses,” coined … Read more