Who said: “Bread and circuses”? The satirist Juvenal lived almost two millennia ago in the Roman Empire. He despised those who, instead of caring for their freedom, were interested only in food and entertainment.
The decline of the Roman Empire
The one who said: “Bread and circuses!” - believed that plebs and patricians had long deviated from the heroic model of behavior, they do not care that their actions are simply criminal in relation to the state, and actions are often short-sighted. They are completely satisfied that the Roman legions can only repel the attack of the barbarians, and they do not want to think about what will follow. The one who said: “Bread and circuses!” - sincerely pleased about his country.
It is hard to say whether he foresaw her bitter fate and complete decay 300 years after his words. It is unlikely that he could look so forward. He simply foresaw that in this situation, the country did not have to wait for anything good. And he loved his homeland, as a true citizen.
The personality of the satirical poet
The details of the life of the author of the winged expression are little known to historians. Biographers found that he was born in the town of Aquino and was a student of the rhetoric of Quintilian. Having reached adulthood, he ironically in his satyrs described his modern society. The rich Rome, which still held rather firmly, no longer sought to conquer and expand the empire. The author was sent into exile in Egypt not only for the words: "The people demand bread and circuses." Who said this, he wrote many more satyrs in which he reflected the moral of modern society, which rested on a constant influx of slaves, depravity of the upper strata and unwillingness to do anything with the lower ones.
Everyone was satisfied with feeding (bribing) bread, wine and butter of plebs and organizing for them free bloody gladiatorial battles with people and wild animals.
The popularity of satirical expression
In the days of Nero, the words “bread and circuses” became simply the demand of an angry mob. For her, so that there were no uprisings, food and wine were distributed. And then intoxicated people went to circuses and arenas, reveling in bloody and merciless battles. They were completely spiritless, repulsive, but impressive. In this case, all the gross and uncouth instincts of the crowd were exposed. The one who said: “Bread and circuses,” was a witness to the moral decline of all walks of life.
The relevance of statements today
Politics is cynical in its essence. Therefore, the dictum is still relevant: "The people require bread and circuses." Who said this phrase did not know that it would remain for millennia. Its author, Decius Junior Juvenal, could not have imagined that in two thousand years this slogan would be picked up and put into practice by our politicians through the mass media: films, television, computer games. Through all the elements that will contain the indignation of the people disenfranchised impoverished existence. A person comes home from work, turns on the TV - and please, any “spiritual food” is poured on him through all channels.
I went out into the street, and there are cinemas in which there are a lot of horror films and fighters, there are also strip clubs that wake up the most base in a person. Political scientists will come to the aid of politicians, who will make beautiful speeches, and economists, with ardor, without hesitation explaining that the standard of living is constantly growing. And the people in jokes will ridicule all this.