“In ancient Rome, the poet Juvenal used the phrase bread and circuses to describe the political strategy of a number of corrupt Roman emperors. To keep the populace happy and to distract them from foreign and domestic policy failures, these emperors provided cheap daily bread and frequent circuses—mainly gladiatorial contests and other riveting games. According to Juvenal, the strategy worked: because of the bread and circuses, the people showed no interest in politics.”
– Beer and Circus, by Murray Sperber