answersLogoWhite

0

Roman Emperors gave the poor bread and circuses as a way to strong arm the Senate, and the Merchant class. The Emperor could get things done two ways-- either he convinced the Senate to support him, or he got popular support from the plebeians that is, the ordinary folks just living in Rome. After all, nearly half the population were slaves of some sort, the rest were relatively poor freemen (and women) trying to make a living. Some few were merchants, and some few of those were wealthy. They had influence, but not really anything permanent. Land was wealth, in other words-- owning land was the only way to have a permanent way to keep being wealthy.

Why does this matter? Well... if the slaves are half the population, you don't really have enough soldiers to make the slaves do what you want. You can kill them, burn them individually, and what have you, but that only works for so long. Coercion is really a short term fix. After all, these slaves have to stick around, they have to be convinced not to steal from you, they have to think that there is something in it for them. All of these things did happen, but it did not really help their cause in many ways-- even from a selfish point of view.

The Senate was run mostly by Patrician families-- this means basically super-rich farmers who provided the raw materials for civilization. The other part, poor free men and the Merchants who made up the nascent middle class. Otherwise you either worked for the Patricians, or made things out of what the merchants sold you and sold them in the cities. They could influence their friends in the Senate, but really, all they had was money and nice digs. They tended to be looked down on.

SO... if the Emperor wanted to get his way with the Patricians (who hired the slaves in their farms) AND the Merchants and makers (who all lived in urban areas where they could sell stuff) and he wanted to air his displeasure-- all he had to do was to get the plebes to revolt. That is, shut down the hippodrome (horse races go bye bye), close the Colosseum (no more gladiators fighting three times a day), or say, "There's no more bread today. Blame the senate, I love the people, and I'd do anything for you."

Contrary what we think of the life of a slave, they actually did get time off in ancient times. SO they did spend a certain amount of time, just hanging out-- to watch the circuses. So it had the same effect as TV does today. (Say to a todler "No TV time!" and see if I'm right!)

On top of this, if they were worried about what was going on in the circus, they would spend less time complaining about how their masters were treating them. Also, they did not get paid that much, so they were hungry a lot, and there were a lot of unemployed towards the end of the Roman Empire.

So free bread, as you can imagine, would have been a big sell for an Emperor. Because the only way to provide security was preventing your own people from deciding they could get a better deal hunting in the woods or doing something else elsewhere-- since the Roman Empire was quite large. If someone sneaks away, you can only send soldiers after him.

So this free bread and circuses basically kept the inner city poor Romans happy, so he did not burn down the Senate, or cause the Emperor's friends (The Patricians) trouble-- unless he wanted them to.

There may have been some few emperors who truly felt sorry for the masses-- but, I doubt it. Compassion for those beneath your station was a Christian virtue, not a pagan one.

User Avatar

Era Boyer

Lvl 10
3y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

Who said Give them bread and circuses?

The actual phrase is 'Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt'Coined by the Roman poet Juvenal in the first Century in his Satires lamenting the continuing slide of his former Roman Republic into dictatorship.The term refers to entertainment or offerings intended to foil discontent or distract attention from a situation. In ancient Rome, bread and circuses were used to keep the underprivileged poor people quiet.


What is an emperor name in ancient rome?

All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.All the Roman emperors included the name, Caesar, in their names. There are far too many Roman emperors to list them all here. Type "Roman emperors" in your browser and you will come up with several sites that list them all and give their individual names.


Who were the Empores of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire?

The emperors of the Roman empire (the so-called Eastern and Western parts) were the men who ruled. For the names of specific emperors and the times that they ruled, type "Roman emperors" into your browser and you will come up with several websites that will give you lists of their names.


What does the phrase bread and circuses mean?

"Bread and circuses" refers to the pacification of a populace by food and entertainment, which is related to the term "fat and happy".As coined by the Roman poet Juvenal (c. 100-200 AD) in his Satires, panem et circenses was an apparent policy in the Roman Empire. The rulers believed that if the people were entertained and their bellies full, they would not get restless or try to overthrow the government. So they tried to make sure that there was always entertainment, notably in the Colosseum, and that there was always bread available to be purchased. In this way, the Roman masses were distracted from the problems of the Empire.


What is a way Roman emperors tried to prevent popular disorders?

One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.One way that the emperors tried to prevent popular disorder was by the "bread and circus" method. This was that all citizens received a measure of grain (free food) and the emperors staged amusements for them. At certain festival times the emperors would give a "congiarium" to the people, which was money. In dire circumstances he always had the option of sending in the Praetorian Guard to quell any riots.


How many roman emperors ruled during the 50 period covered by this chart?

To accurately answer how many Roman emperors ruled during the specified 50-year period covered by the chart, I would need details about the specific years included in the chart and the emperors who ruled during that timeframe. Generally, the number of emperors can vary significantly depending on the period, as some eras had multiple short-reigning emperors, while others had more stable reigns. If you provide the years or the chart itself, I can give a more precise count.


The traditional objection to democratic government is the risk of?

Traditional democracies die when the people discover that they can vote to give themselves "bread and circuses". When the populace decide to vote that the government give them money, the civilization is doomed. "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." - Thomas Jefferson


Why do you think Augustus did not explain the reasons for his action?

Augustus did not give his reasons for his actions because Augustus paved the way for 200 years of peace and prosperity in Rome. The emperors who followed him were not at all good rulers, but they helped the Roman Empire reach its peak.


Why might the size of the Roman Empire be a problem for the Roman Empire administrative administrators?

In pre-mechanical transport era, communication and movement of armies was slow and difficult. So they split the Empire into four to give two emperors and two caesars more manageable quotas.


Why might the size of the Roman Empire be a problem for Roman administrators governors and government officials?

In pre-mechanical transport era, communication and movement of armies was slow and difficult. So they split the Empire into four to give two emperors and two caesars more manageable quotas.


Give us this day your daily bread by vicente manansala?

description of give us this bread by manansala


Grains give you?

bread