On This Day: Bread and circuses to quell revolution and distract from political corruption - May 18, 332
(edited from article)
"
MAY 18, 332 AD: CONSTANTINE GIVES CONSTANTINOPLE BREAD AND CIRCUSES
In this week May 18 332 AD, Constantine the Great gave the first food subsidies to the people of Constantinople, which was founded by Constantine in 330 AD. For a long time, the Romans had given the people of Rome, the city, grain rations called annona, named after the region from which the grain came.
However, this practice was limited to Rome and did not expand to the whole Empire. Therefore, Constantine’s decision to expand the annona to Constantinople is actually a pretty big deal. Although it was certainly nice to be part of the Roman Empire back in the day, many specials were given to citizens of the city. Constantine’s choice to allow this privilege in Constantinople marks the beginning of the move away from Rome and towards Constantinople as the center of trade and government.
[Rations distributed by the church]
Additionally, the rations were distributed by the Catholic church, as the first Christian Emperor this move gave more power and popular support to the church than ever before. And, the distributions were not only limited to food, but also include clothing and games. From this, we get the term “bread and circuses.” It might seem like a selfless and egalitarian move, but really it was a point of appeasement to quell rebellion and distract the populace from more important political moves and corruption. Basically, the Roman Empire bought the city dinner and show, to prevent revolution. The best way to a Roman is through their stomach.
"
https://thejoyofhistory.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/constantine-i-distributes-rations-to-constantinople-may-18-332-ad/
(edited from article)
"
Constantine the Great
The greatest of the Roman Emperors
Constantine the Great (27 February 272 AD — 22 May 337 AD) is a towering figure in Roman, European and Western history. It is generally true that social and economic conditions are more important than ‘great men’ in shaping history but Constantine was one of the few people who really did shape history. His decisions to create a new imperial capital in the East, Constantinople, and embrace a new religion, Christianity, had momentous consequences for the history of Europe and the world in general.
[Eastern Roman Empire survives for a thousand years]
The foundation of Constantinople would allow the Eastern part of the Roman Empire (better known as Byzantine Empire) to survive a thousand years after the fall of the Western Empire. Even after the fall of Byzantium, the city would serve as the imperial capital for the Ottoman Empire.
[Appeal to lower classes and slaves]
The growth of Christianity in the Greek East can be attributed to a number of factors. The most important is that there was a lingua franca in the Roman East that allowed the spread of the word of the new religion among ethnically different populations: that language was Greek (Koine Greek, to be more precise). That was a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great (20/21 July 356 BC — 10/11 June 323 BC) and the subsequent Hellenistic Kingdoms that emerged after his death. The eastern territories of Rome coincided in large part with the western territories of Alexander’s Empire/Hellenistic Kingdoms. Another reason for the growth of Christianity was its appeal to the lower classes and slaves. Christianity offered hope of an afterlife that was enticing to slaves and poor people who suffered in their current life. The early Christian communities also encouraged Christians to offer support to those in need (for example offering free food).
Whether one views the Christianization of the empire as a positive or negative development is up to one’s personal views, but no one can deny its importance in world history. Christianity played a crucial role in European culture (both Western and Eastern) and through the colonization of European powers, that culture spread all over the world. It influenced arts, philosophy, morality and the way of thinking and living. Thus Constantine’s decisions and their influence cannot be overstated.
"
https://medium.com/@christoss200/constantine-the-great-1475fd245b18
(edited from Wikipedia)
"
Cura annonae
[Free grain and bread]
In Imperial Rome, Cura Annonae ("care of Annona " ) was the import and distribution of grain to the residents of the cities of Rome and, after its foundation, Constantinople. The term was used in honour of the goddess Annona. The city of Rome imported all the grain consumed by its population, estimated to number 1,000,000 by the 2nd century AD. This included recipients of the grain dole or corn dole, a government program which gave out subsidized grain, then free grain, and later bread, to about 200,000 of Rome's adult male citizens.
[If neglected would cause "utter ruin" ]
Rome's grain subsidies were originally ad hoc emergency measures taken to import cheap grain from trading partners and allies at times of scarcity, to help feed growing numbers of indebted and dispossessed citizen-farmers. By the end of the Republic, grain subsidies and doles had become permanent, uniquely Roman institutions. The grain dole was reluctantly adopted by Augustus and later emperors as a free monthly issue to those who qualified to receive it. In 22 AD, Augustus' successor Tiberius publicly acknowledged the Cura Annonae as a personal and imperial duty, which if neglected would cause "the utter ruin of the state".
[Bread and circuses]
During the Imperial Era, a regular and predictable supply of subsidised grain, the grain dole, and sumptuous public games such as gladiator contests and chariot racing earned the obedience of potentially restive lower-class urban citizens, providing what the poet Juvenal sarcastically summed up as "bread and circuses".
[Import, logistics, distribution]
Sufficient imports of grain to meet the basic requirements of cities relied on dependable surpluses elsewhere, and minimal grain-hoarding by speculators. The logistics of moving the grain by sea to Rome required the state's commission of many hundreds of privately owned merchant ships, some very large, and a system for collecting and distributing the grain at its destination. Most of Rome's grain supply was grown, imported, stored and traded as a profitable commodity, funded by speculators and hoarders, using loans, not state subsidies. Some provinces were almost entirely given over to the production of grain for consumption in Roman cities. The most important sources of bread grain, mostly durum wheat, were Roman Egypt, North Africa (21st century Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco), and Sicily. When the Vandals took over most of these provinces (c. 439), the Western Roman Empire lost the greater part of its grain supply.
[Transportation network not matched until 19th century]
Some form of Cura Annonae may have persisted as late as the 6th century for Rome, but far less grain was shipped compared to earlier periods; in Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, it lasted as late as the 7th century, in reduced form. The population of the city of Rome declined precipitously during the last years of the Western Roman Empire. Thereafter, no city in Europe would assemble the transportation network required to feed 1,000,000 inhabitants until the 19th century.
"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura_annonae
---------------------------------------------------------
On This Day: Brown v. Board of Education 9-0; three SC challenges follow for desegregation - May 17, 1954
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016377694
On This Day: Surgeon General reports cigarettes addictive. Now, leading cause of preventable death - May 16, 1988
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016377637
On This Day: First women in Olympics, beginning long road towards greater gender parity - May 15, 1900
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016377560
On This Day: Chinese rover on Mars! - part of new space race with no clear end goal - May 14, 2021
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016377532
On This Day: Queen proclaims neutrality, but UK provides some support for the Confederacy - May 13, 1861
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016377462
= new reply since forum marked as read
