bread and circuses

Etymology
From, a reference to Satire 10 of the Roman poet ’s Satires (early 2nd century ). The relevant passage states: “[...] nam qui dabat olim imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses” (“[F]or that sovereign people that once gave away military command, consulships, legions, and every thing, now bridles its desires, and limits its anxious longings to two things only,—bread, and the games of the circus!”). Juvenal was commenting that the Roman people no longer cared for political involvement, and were satisfied with cheap food and entertainment provided by politicians.

Noun

 * 1)  Food and entertainment provided by the state, particularly if intended to placate the people.
 * 2)  Grand spectacles staged or statements made to distract and pacify people.
 * 1)  Grand spectacles staged or statements made to distract and pacify people.
 * 1)  Grand spectacles staged or statements made to distract and pacify people.
 * 1)  Grand spectacles staged or statements made to distract and pacify people.
 * 1)  Grand spectacles staged or statements made to distract and pacify people.

Translations

 * Basque: ogia eta zirku
 * Belarusian: хле́ба і відо́вішчаў
 * Breton: bara ha c'hoarioù
 * Catalan: pa i circ
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin: 麵包與馬戲
 * Czech: chléb a hry
 * Danish: brød och skuespel
 * Dutch: brood en spelen
 * Esperanto: pano kaj ludoj
 * Estonian: leib ja tsirkus
 * Finnish: leipä ja sirkushuvit
 * French:
 * German: Brot und Zirkusspiele, Brot und Spiele
 * Greek:
 * Hebrew:
 * Icelandic: brauði og leikum
 * Japanese:
 * Latin: panem et circenses
 * Occitan: de pan e de jòcs
 * Polish: chleba i igrzysk
 * Portuguese: pão e circo
 * Romanian: pâine și circ
 * Russian:
 * Serbo-Croatian:
 * Cyrillic: хлеба и игара, хљеба и игара, круха и игара, крува и игара
 * Roman: hleba i igara, hljeba i igara, kruha i igara, kruva i igara
 * Spanish: pan y circo
 * Swedish: bröd och skådespel
 * Turkish: ekmek ve sirkler, ekmek ve sirk oyunları
 * Ukrainian: хлі́ба і видо́вищ