the social situation in Pomegranateduring the Republic period it was tense. A small portion of the population held a lot of wealth as a result of the wars of territorial expansion and the exploitation of slave labor. However, a large majority of Romans lived in poverty, in poor living conditions in cities. To contain social unrest, the Roman state created the policy ofBread and Circus.
As the name says, the Breadwas related to free distribution of wheat or at low prices for the poor. But not all the poor had access to this source of food. Only people registered in the fruit lists (a word that is related to the nature of the cereal, to what gives flour) they received wheat or paid a low price for it.
The feeding conditions of the poor population of Rome were appalling. The food base consisted of poor quality bread and olive oil. Even so, they were difficult to acquire. With free or low-price distribution, the Roman state intended to contain popular revolts that occurred over access to food. When the distribution of wheat was delayed, it was common for the population to rebel.
On the other hand, the rich classes of society performed great banquets. Some could last up to ten hours, being composed of various types of dishes. People even vomited in order to relieve themselves and thus be able to continue eating. No wonder the poor revolted.
Another measure used by the Roman rulers to prevent popular rebellions was the offering ofleisure activities free, referring to the word Circusof the policy being presented in this text.
One of the main venues for the presentation was the Circo Máximo. One of the most beloved entertainments by the Romans took place in it: horse-drawn chariot races. These cars could be the chariots, drawn by two horses, or the chariots, pulled by four horses. Accidents were also common in these races.
Other events prestigious by the Roman population were the military maneuvers, pedestrian races and the fights of the gladiators. The latter usually took place in amphitheaters, such as the famous Colosseum in Rome, which is still standing today. Gladiators were slaves, prisoners of war or even volunteers, trained in special schools, who were supposed to fight each other. In many cases they faced fierce animals such as lions, leopards and tigers from different locations in the territories controlled by the Romans.
Mosaic representing a gladiator, a figure present in Roman entertainment
These events were marked by extreme violence, resulting in countless deaths during their performance. Even so, they were extremely popular, which led politicians to finance them to get people's support for their projects.
The Bread and Circus was extremely important to seek social stability in Roman society. With it, the ruling classes sought to control and contain the spirits of the poor population, thus preventing the rebellions from becoming more and more constant.
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