Give the People Bread & Circuses
As Rome crumbled, leaders kept the citizens distracted and happy.
The ancient Roman saying "give the people bread and circuses," or panem et circenses in Latin, captures the essence of a political strategy used by Roman leaders to appease people and maintain power during the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
This phrase was famously coined by the Roman poet Juvenal (AD 55 -AD 128) in his Satires (X.81), where he criticized the Roman populace for their willingness to surrender their civic duties in exchange for superficial pleasures.
The People have abdicated our duties, for we once handed out military command, high civil office, and legions through our votes, now stolen from us. But all concern is now forgotten, and people anxiously hope for just two things: bread and circuses.
In 2024, in a declining America, “bread and circuses” are “subsidies and sports.”
It Works…For a Season
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