Bread and Circuses: The Politics of Entertainment in the Roman Empire

Delve into "panem et circenses," the Roman formula for power. This article explores how emperors used free grain and breathtaking spectacles from gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum to chariot races in the Circus Maximus to control the masses, project their power, and shape one of history's greatest empires. Uncover the brilliant, brutal, and surprisingly complex strategy that lay at the heart of Roman society.