Lesson 6: Bread and Circuses

In order to keep the people of Rome from becoming too too unhappy with their lives, the government provided them with enough food (bread) so they wouldn't starve and enough entertainment (circuses) so they would be amused.

The most famous of all the circuses in Rome was the Circus Maximus. Here chariot races were held before nearly 250 000 cheering fans. Teams of horses raced around the track seven times. If the chariots ran into each other, men and horses were likely to be killed. It was a dangerous but exciting sport.

Romans also gathered at the Colosseum, a large outdoor arena that seated over 50 000 people. Here Romans watched gladiators or wild animals fight to the death. Gladiators were slaves, criminals, or prisoners of war who were trained to fight for the amusement of the spectators.

Most Romans had a a lot of free time to go to the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum. This was because most of their work was done by slaves. Slaves were the labourers of the Roman world. They worked as farmhands, builders, craftspeople, house servants, and even teachers. Just like other commodities, they were sold in the marketplace, where prospective buyers could inspect them.

Although a few slaves rose to positions of privilege and some were able to purchase their freedom, most slaves led miserable lives. The conditions under which they lived and worked were totally dependent on their owners. Labourers on farms or building projects were chained together as they worked.

Not surprisingly, there were many slave revolts throughout the Roman Empire. The most famous of these was led by a man named Spartacus in 73 BCE. A group of seventy-eight slaves escaped from a school for gladiators and chose him as their leader. News of their escape spread throughout Italy and soon many other slaves rushed to join them. Eventually, Spartacus commanded an army of 120 000 slaves.

Even an army this great in size could not withstand the army of Rome. In the end, Spartacus' army was defeated and many of those not killed in battle were executed, including six thousand who were nailed to crosses along the main road to Rome.

Although slavery was vital to the economy of Rome, the inhumane practice also played its part in the downfall of the empire, as the slaves had no love for Rome and had no desire to protect its power.

Send In Activity 6:
Complete one of these options:

Option A: Gladiator Interview
Option B: Letter to the Editor