Panem et Circenses in America?

9/10/2019

A) What were Panem et Circensus and what PURPOSE did they serve in ancient Rome?

B) How were Panem et Circensus significant to ancient Rome?

C) Since we are devoting a good deal of time and thought to the relationship between the Fall of Western Rome and their Bread and Circuses, maybe it would be a good time to see if there is any parallels in modern-day America. Drop your thoughts below and be sure to including your first name and last initial. email is not required.

13 Comments

Daniel Flores link

9/10/2019 05:59:55 pm

“Panem et circencus” means bread and circuses. The bread meaning the food that the Roman Empire provided for the Romans to keep them happy, and the circuses represent the stagings provided by the gladiators and the spectacular shows performed by mimes. Those where two things people anxiously desires. Therefore the government provided.

Daniel Flores link

9/10/2019 06:19:48 pm

Panem et circencus helped the government keep Roman people pacified by offering them free food and stimulate entertainment at the Roman Colosseum.

Angel Cruz

9/10/2019 07:03:47 pm

A) Panem et circencus means bread and circuses, and its purpose was to provide food and entertainment for the rich and poor. It was mostly meant for the poor so that they wouldn't complain or revolt against them.

B) It was significant to Rome because the poor normally became slaves and the romans ran on slaves to do their work, and because of the needs were being met by bread and circuses, the poor didn't revolt or complain.

C) Some parallels between rome and modern-day america is the entertainments that they both provide to keep the people satisfied and to get them to spend their money for the governments. Also the food that they both provide and get people to spend their money. Once this stuff is gone people won't see the reason of money and the society will fall apart.

Daniel Flores link

9/10/2019 07:15:12 pm

The Roman Empire and the U.S influence wealthy individuals over government, meaning they “pay to play”. The level of corruption rise as years pass by. While the wealthy gain more power the poor lose their dignity due to poverty. Just like what the late President Lowell of Harvard University said “no society is ever murdered-it commits suicide.” Societies collapse due to choices they’ve made. The fact that they can’t stop something they’ve already started, or they just can’t fix their own problem. Sooner or later they have to face the consequences.

Miranda Lucero

9/10/2019 08:04:38 pm

Panem et Circenses is literal in its meaning, in that the government would give bread (food) and entertainment to the people of Rome. It's a political strategy, a formula that keeps the population peaceful and blind. This blindness allowed emperors to rule however they see fit while maintaining a false image of "we're still a republic, yeah?" Slowly privileges were take away because the people did not fight for them. Happy people are less likely to riot, but instead cheer on their government.
Bread and circuses is a great proganda tool, and so it still exists even today.
Examples:
• The gap between the poor and rich is increasing at a terrifying rate.
- Government spends a huge amount of money towards sport games; becoming the main topic everywhere.
• Jobs such as construction and fast-food services are deemed "lowly" jobs in America. As such, they are left for the lower class and foreigners to take up.
- With jobs that people of America who don't want out of the way, it calls for americans to indulge more in entertainment such as reality tv. Reality Tv is usually aggressive, and puts a heavy emphasis on irrelevant drama. Drama that is deemed more pleasurable compared to politics in the eyes of citizens.

Camile López

9/10/2019 08:14:50 pm

A) Panem te Circensus means bread and circuses. It was entertainment for the people with food provided too. It’s purpose was to provide entertainment to the people by the government, keep the population peaceful, to distract the citizens from political, economic, (etc) problems the government was facing, and so the poor wouldn’t complain about the Empire.

B) Panem te Circensus was significant to ancient Rome because it made their people happier (people are happier when they don’t know the truth), it gave the government a few extra cash, and it helped soothe tension in the Empire.

C) There are parallels between Ancient Rome and present-day America. The first parallel is how they distract their people. Rome used Bread and Circuses to please their people and distract from the problems their nation were facing. America entertains their people too with entertainment like shows, casinos, parades, sport games, etc., only to actually drift them away from the crisis the government is in. Another parallel is how they make their citizens pay for unnecessary/ ridiculous things so they can get more money. They both somehow convinced their people to do this and this can be a factor of the huge rich and poor gap. The poor are paying for this stuff and the money just ends up into the rich people’s hands. Not only did this corrupt/destroy Roman, but it can lead to America’s end too (if it isn’t already).

bre sosa

9/10/2019 10:44:20 pm

a) “Panel et Circensus,” meaning bread and circuses, was a political strategy designed to offer luxurious including: food, entertainment, etc. These pleasures allowed the population to have some say and stay focused on all the games and performances surrounding them. It can be said that these were used as distractions to avoid facing the fall of their once grand society.

b)Roman historian Fronto stated, “The Roman people is asorbed by two things above all others, it’s food supplied and it shows.” This means that by giving the citizens what they want( not necessities), they’ll prevent them from rioting and seeing their republic turn into empires. This shows the importance of bread and circuses in Ancient Rome by showing how over time, emperors were given power in exchange for the festivities and how the government viewed this as a successful strategy to keep their civilization from crashing down.

c) Many parallels can be seen from Ancient Rome and present day United States of America. Both use the same style of government: the republic, which has proven to be one of the most successful styles. Many practices used in the U.S such as senates were based upon the Romans. Our symbol, the eagle, is also taken from the civilization. Both the US and Ancient Rome use propaganda to influence their community and provide distractions. Examples of this can be public events like sporting events (Super Bowl, World Cup), lavish celebrations (parades, parties), theatre (movies, plays), and much more. They give the citizens things to take interest and look forward to, which allows all their attention to be drawn to these events and focus be off of them. The wealth gap between rich and poor is a severe problem and similarity between two similarities. This an occurring problem that’s exponentially growing and will soon lead us to our “suicide.” Ancient Rome led themselves into their own extinction, which is the path the United States in headed into.

Megan Cox

9/10/2019 10:47:14 pm

(1) Panem et Circensus consisted of a variety of pleasures such as distribution of food, public baths, gladiators, exotic animals, chariot races, sports competitions, and theatre representation. Panem et Circensus or Bread and Circuses were used to keep the population peaceful and would give the people an opportunity to voice themselves.

(2) Panem et Circensus were significant to Ancient Rome because they kept the population in check. They encouraged the population to be more peaceful. Bread and Circuses gave the people a way to express themselves. It also prevented some war. For example when two countries were ready to go to war for glory they would fight through sports competitions and get their glory in a more healthy way. Also with the popularity one gains from being a winner during these games could give one the chance to rise faster in the social classes and even in political settings.

(3) A Parallel between Panem et Circensus to America today is The Olympics. The Olympics draw huge crowds and are a competition between many different countries. The Olympics give a country a sense of pride if they were to win very similarly to Panem et Circuses. Some parallels between modern day America and the years before the fall of Rome are the alarming gap between the rich and the poor. For example in America in 2016 the upper income class’s average net worth was $810,800 and the middle class’s average net worth was $110,200, and that gap is getting bigger and bigger each year. Another parallel is
the size of America and Rome. Most countries want power and America has power and in order to take that power they strive to take land. Those wars in the struggle to keep and get land cause the country to loose money and the government to falter.

Chandler Schurley

9/10/2019 11:25:43 pm

I agree with the Olympics. People push pride in their country as a reason to participate but all it does is bring a ton of cash to the host city while hurting the people that live there. People have to leave their homes to make way for new construction. The gap between rich and poor is only getting bigger since the middle class is almost gone.

Belen Flores

9/10/2019 11:13:15 pm

A). Panem et Circensus (bread and circuses) were places where 'services' would be given to humans, (food, baths, entertainment, etc.) especially to those who were poor. The purpose was to 'provide' these services to maintain peace in the Roman Empire and to 'combine' the rich and poor.
B.) Panem et Circensus were significant to Ancient Rome since they provided services to those who needed them. This made the people happy and less "willing" to destroy to get what they need, since they receive this for free. "Why would the individual 'harm' the society for giving them essentials needed?" - Government thinking.
C.) The services provided by America related to Rome are that of focusing on the 'un-focusing' of serious issues that occur. The lack of coverage of such issues and action/demand is not performed, such as Roman response to the increasing gap of the rich and poor. Both would provide entertainment not related to topic to allow the issue to be forgotten. The giving of free 'materials', like the food stamps, senior discounts, student discounts, etc. allows for the government to provide what the public needs not focusing really on the everyday situations of the individual, just like Roman bread and circuses.

Chandler Schurley

9/10/2019 11:22:02 pm

A) The Panem et Circensus literally means bread and circuses. It was the food and entertainment provided by the Roman government. Rome decided to use this as a political move to keep its citizens content with their lives. Slowly this policy stripped the Romans of their freedoms and the people became dependent on the free hand outs. The purpose for Rome had good intentions since it was designed to take away the pressure of living day by day. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect and it made the Romans lazy and entitled. By losing their power, the citizens couldn't change things when they started to go bad.

B) The Panem et Circensus was significant because it was one of the reasons that the Roman Empire fell. Many people became disinterested in participating in government or even defending their land. It was significant because the gladiator games and theater were entertainment that lasted past the Roman empire. We still have theater today. While there are no more gladiator games, other sports like boxing, MMA, and football have a gladiator type of competition to them.

C) One parallel I see in today's world is that our government gives poor people money for food stamps and housing. Yet, this doesn't help people save money and these same people continue to live in poverty. What may work better is to train people to learn a skill or type of job instead of just handing money out for free. Another parallel is that our society places a lot of importance on sports. Professional sports are huge money makers and people feel like that "can't miss a game". Athletes are paid millions to throw a ball, kick a ball, or hit a ball with a stick while other professions like doctors, teachers, and policemen don't even come close to an athlete's pay. This is because the demand for this entertainment is so high the owners will pay the millions to make billions.

Hannah R.

9/11/2019 07:59:38 pm

A.) Panem et circenses, or bread and circuses, were offerings intended to distract attention from a situation. The Roman government provides completely free food and entertainment for its people, at seemingly no cost. However, their purpose were to keep the people in bliss ignorance. In Rome, leaders to obtained public approval, not by excellence, but by satisfying their desires and need for instant gratification.

B.) Bread and circuses were significant to Ancient Rome because they ultimately led to its demise. As long as people are able to take care of themselves, they will be happy. Panem et circenses gave them a means of which to do so. As long as the people of Rome were fed and kept busy, they had no complaints. This allowed the leaders to rule however they wanted to, and the people did not notice, or revolt, until it was too late and they had no choice.

C.) In modern day America, there are many things that can appear to be a parallel of bread and circuses. 111.9 million people watched the 2016 Super Bowl, while the 2016 presidential debate averaged 84 million viewers. Although this is similar to bread and circuses, the NFL, as with any other entertainment, is not free. The new Raiders stadium being built in Las Vegas will cost 1.9 billion dollars. 750 million of those dollars will be paid by a raise in a Las Vegas hotel room tax. In addition, it is never free to watch a football game. Even if you watch a game on your t.v at home, you are either paying for cable, or you paid for an antenna. All in all, however, there are many things in America that do resemble bread and circuses. As many people often know much more about sports, than they do the news.

Paige Brown

12/11/2019 06:30:29 pm

A) They were bread and circuses. It was a political strategy, gave out cheap food and entertainment. Best way to rise in power.

B) It kept the people happy by keeping them entertained and fed.

C) Welfare, a financial help for people who can't help themselves. Parades, a free little show with watching the floats go by. Superbowl, free entertainment of guys tackling each other and going at it, and there's always food at the Superbowl games.

Panem et Circenses in America?

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