Quote Of The Day: Word Of Wisdom By Roman Satirist Juvenal - 'Give Them Bread And Circuses...'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Juvenal was a Roman poet who was best known for his work Satires, in which he sharply criticized the social, political, and moral shortcomings of Roman society.

Quote of the Day:“Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.” -Juvenal.

What does this quote mean?

The quote“Give them bread and circuses, and they will never revolt” by Juvenal means that if rulers provide people with basic needs (bread) and entertainment or distractions (circuses), they will remain content and distracted, and are unlikely to challenge or oppose those in power.

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Juvenal's writings often exposed corruption, greed, and the decadence of the Roman elite, using wit and biting sarcasm.

Who was Juvenal?

Juvenal was a notable Roman poet and satirist who lived during the late 1st and early 2nd century AD.

Unlike his predecessor Horace, whose satire was light-hearted and humorous, Juvenal's work is intense, sharp, and often exaggerated. He was motivated by indignatio, a sense of righteous anger, against the corruption and moral decay he observed in Roman society.

His satires are bitter and dark, targeting hypocrisy, vice, and the moral failings of people, especially under emperors like Domitian, Trajan, and Hadrian.

Juvenal had a major impact on later European literature.

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His work influenced Medieval and Renaissance writers as well as English satirists such as John Dryden, Alexander Pope, and Samuel Johnson.

Today, the term“Juvenalian” is still used to describe harsh, bitter, and angry satire, in contrast to“Horatian” satire, which is lighter and more playful.

Other famous quotes by Juvenal

“It is difficult not to write satire.”

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Who watches the watchmen?)”

“Many commit the same crime with a very different result. One bears a cross for his crime; another a crown.”

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“The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.”

“All wish to possess knowledge, but few, comparatively speaking, are willing to pay the price.”

“Fate would have no divinity if we were wise: it is we who make her a goddess and place her in heaven.”

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