History Main / BreadAndCircuses

-->-- '''[[ThePrince Machiavelli]]'''

Evil governments are usually depicted as {{Crapsack World}}s of greedy, corrupt, backstabbing despots who each want to cut themselves the largest piece of the pie before it rots completely, at the expense of the rabble they [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny claim to represent]]. When a revolutionary hero rises from the masses and sets everything in its proper place, everyone's happy and all ends well.

This situation sets up conflict for a hero who sees the evil of those in power, because as far as the neighbors are concerned, the hero is simply a rebel or a troublemaker out to ruin their (relatively) happy life -- or worse, submerge them in fire and brimstone. Too much focus on the contentment of the people may also lessen audience sympathy for the hero; sometimes, this is even the correct thing, because the hero really will [[InferredHolocaust cause more trouble]] [[NiceJobBreakingItHero than he fixes]].

Note that because people in these kinds of settings are GullibleLemmings, Bread and Circuses can easily come into play for democracies as well as authoritarian governments.

The trope name (Latin: ''Panem et Circenses'') comes from Roman poet Juvenal's metaphor for people being willing to give up civic responsibility for a reasonably stable status quo (the 'circus' in question being an arena for spectator sports like races). When the people are well-fed and having fun, they are not likely to protest against those in charge, leaving them theoretically free to do as they please. It's not like the leaders are running a LotusEaterMachine or simply [[PropagandaMachine covering up the destitute]], either. For examples to qualify both the food and the fun have to be real. Where they come from or what they cover up will be the thing TheHero sets out to expose.

* ''[=~Logan's Run~=]''.

* [[Deconstructed DeconstructtedTrope]] In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' the {{Catfolk}}-populated [[TheEmpire empire]] of Thundera has the severity of its decay, UrbanSegregation and FantasticRacism underscored by contrasting [[FantasticGhetto the slums]], and the fates of Thundera's prisoners-of-war with the extravagant entertainments and feasts enjoyed by the upper city's deeply complacent BlueBlood. They enjoy lavish banquets and watching BloodSport {{Ridiculympics}} in a [[TheThunderdome giant amphitheatre]], which a fêted general singles out as one of "the little things in life [I] miss the most." while slum-dwelling {{Artful Dodger}}s must pick pockets to buy food, and hungry LizardFolk P.O.W.s, [[MadeASlave enslaved]] for the crime of raiding the expansionist Cats' crops, must contend with the most dangerous implications of medieval StockPunishment. Small wonder the Cats fail to see their fall on the horizon...

* In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' the {{Catfolk}}-populated [[TheEmpire empire]] of Thundera has the severity of its decay, UrbanSegregation and FantasticRacism underscored by contrasting [[FantasticGhetto the slums]], and the fates of Thundera's prisoners-of-war with the extravagant entertainments and feasts enjoyed by the upper city's deeply complacent BlueBlood. They enjoy lavish banquets and watching BloodSport {{Ridiculympics}} in a [[TheThunderdome giant amphitheatre]], which a fêted general singles out as one of "the little things in life [I] miss the most." while slum-dwelling {{Artful Dodger}}s must pick pockets to buy food, and hungry LizardFolk P.O.W.s, [[MadeASlave enslaved]] for the crime of raiding the expansionist Cats' crops, must contend with the most dangerous implications of medieval StockPunishment. Small wonder the Cats fail to see their fall on the horizon...

* In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' the {{Catfolk}}-populated [[TheEmpire empire]] of Thundera has the severity of its decay, UrbanSegragation and FantasticRacism underscored by contrasting [[FantasticGhetto the slums]], and the fates of Thundera's prisoners-of-war with the extravagant entertainments and feasts enjoyed by the upper city's deeply complacent BlueBlood. They enjoy lavish banquets and watching BloodSport {{Ridiculympics}} in a [[TheThunderdome giant amphitheatre]] which a fêted general singles out as one of "the little things in life [I] miss the most." while slum-dwelling {{Artful Dodger}}s must pick pockets to buy food, and hungry LizardFolk P.O.W.s, [[MadeASlave enslaved]] for the crime of raiding the expansionist Cats' crops, must contend with the most dangerous implications of medieval StockPunishment. Small wonder the Cats fail to see their fall on the horizon...

* In ''{{Thundercats 2011}}'' the {{Catfolk}}-populated [[TheEmpire empire]] of Thundera has the severity of its decay, UrbanSegration and FantasticRacism underscored by contrasting [[FantasticGhetto the slums]], and the fates of Thundera's prisoners-of-war with the extravagant entertainments and feasts enjoyed by the upper city's deeply complacent BlueBlood. They enjoy lavish banquets and watching BloodSport {{Ridiculympcs}} in a [[TheThunderdome giant amphitheatre]] which a fêted general singles out as one of "the little things in life [I] miss the most." while slum-dwelling ArtfulDodgers must pick pockets to buy food, and hungry LizardFolk P.O.W.s, [[MadeASlave enslaved]] for the crime of raiding the expansionist Cats' crops, must contend with the most dangerous implications of medieval StockPunishment. Small wonder the Cats fail to see their fall on the horizon...

* ''Prisoners of Power'' by the StrugatskyBrothers combines all three on one level or another.

[[quoteright:225:[[OrderOfTheStick http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bread_and_Circuses_3673.png]]]]

* In ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'', Celia [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0619.html invokes]] the second reason for why Haley shouldn't kill the head of the thieves guild: the SuccessionCrisis would harm people, and give the MOB a chance to get into the city.

* Following this principle will avert many a tantrum spiral in ''DwarfFortress''. The most basic step is to never let them run out of booze. Giving them nicely furnished rooms, legendary dining rooms with high quality meals to match everyone's preferences, beautiful architecture to walk to their jobs through, will keep them in fantastic moods while their family and pets die in front of them.

* How the old Republic of Haven became the ''[[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny People's]]'' Republic of Haven in the ''HonorHarrington'' stories. The Republic guaranteed its population a "Basic Living Stipend" and most of them went onto the Dole, causing a collapse in the Haven economy, which they tried to fix by conquering their neighbours, and looting their economies, and putting their people on the Dole, which meant they had to conquer more of their neighbours...

*** Now the trope name as well.

Note that because people are GullibleLemmings, Bread and Circuses can easily come into play for democracies as well as authoritarian governments.

* In ''DoctorWho'''s ''Vengeance on Varos'', Varos has a populace in a bread-and-circuses mode. The poor governor, a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, is trying to make them endure sacrifices that are absolutely necessary to get the prices they must have, and they don't want to. The situation is so bad that when we see him sentencing to death an innocent and heroic man, to amuse the populace a little longer, we sympathize with him. And at the end, when the governor has succeeded and is announcing it, the people are shown as dazed and uncomprehending and even frightened at the prospect.

* '''The Devil You Know Is Better Than The Devil You Don't'''.

* Aldous Huxley's BraveNewWorld gives us an interesting example of a dystopia that manages to be surprisingly nice. As long as you're an Alpha, life is full of parties, orgies, and all the drugs you could wish for. Betas and Gammas, aka. everyone else, are selectively retarded and brainwashed to be happy with their menial drudge positions in society.

* '''The Enemy Within is less evil than the Enemy Without'''.
** Sure, the people in charge are bad enough, but look at all the others lurking out there waiting for the chance to take over -- or worse, stage a civil war over who gets to grab the reins of the EvilPowerVacuum, with attendant cross-fire. NO THANKS.

*** It seems less like "bread and circuses" and more like the Baron is the only ruler that doesn't torment his citizenry. And the whole "keeps every group in Europa from tearing off every limb within reach, including their own".

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** Simply put, there is peace in a sense and there is enough food to keep everyone alive. If the government is toppled, chaos will ensue and nobody wants that, even if things may eventually become better.