Who said: "Bread and circuses!" - Two millennia ago?

Who said: "Bread and circuses"? Satiric Juvenal lived almost two millennia ago in the Roman Empire. He disdained those who, instead of taking care of their freedom, were only interested in food and entertainment.

The Decline of the Roman Empire

The one who said: "Bread and circuses!" - believed that the 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 deeds are most often short-sighted. They are quite satisfied that the Roman legions can only repel the attack of the barbarians, and they do not want to ponder what will follow. The one who said, "Bread and circuses!" - sincerely devoted to his country. Whether he foresaw her bitter fate and complete disintegration 300 years after his words, it is difficult to say. He could hardly have looked so forward. He simply foresaw that in this situation, nothing good can be expected for the country. And he loved his native land, as a true citizen.

The personality of the satirical poet

Historians know little about the life of the author of the winged expression. Biographers found out that he was born in the town of Aquino and was a disciple of Quintilian's rhetoric. Having reached the age of maturity, he ironically described his society in his satires. Rich Rome, which was still quite strong, no longer strove for conquest and expansion of the empire. The author was sent into exile in Egypt, not only for the words: "The people demand bread and circuses." Whoever said this, he wrote many more satires, in which he reflected the morality of his contemporary society, which was based on a constant influx of slaves, depravity of the upper strata, and unwillingness to do anything in the lower classes. All were satisfied with feeding (bribing) with bread, wine and oil of the plebs and organizing free bloody gladiatorial battles with people and wild animals for them.

The popularity of satirical expression

In Nero's time, the words "bread and circuses" became simply the demand of an angry mob. For her, so that there would be no uprisings, food and wine would be heard. And then intoxicated people went to the circuses and arenas, reveling in bloody and merciless battles. They were completely soulless, repulsive, but impressive. At the same time, all the gross and uncouth instincts of the crowd were exposed. The one who said: "Bread and spectacle" - witnessed the moral fall of all strata of society.

The relevance of the statement today

Politics is cynical in nature. Therefore, the dictum is still actual: "The people demand bread and circuses". Who said this phrase, did not know that it will remain for millennia. Its author, Decius Junius Juvenal, could not even imagine that this policy will be picked up and implemented by our politicians through mass media: movies, television, computer games, in two thousand years. Through all the elements that will help contain the outrage of the people with a disenfranchised poor 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 were cinemas full of horror movies and fighters, there were strip clubs that woke the lowest in a man. Politicians will come to the aid of politicians who will speak beautiful speeches, and economists, with ardor, do not hesitate to explain that the standard of living is steadily growing. And the people in jokes will ridicule all this.