The expression "bread and circuses", as well as arena shows, could be an early manifestation of what would be described centuries later as "Pop Culture" - i.e., a form of culture accessible to the greatest number, without the need for cultural baggage.
In fact, this notion may well have been part of everyday life since at least Antiquity. The expression "bread and circuses", as well as arena shows, could be an early manifestation of what would be described centuries later as "Pop Culture" - i.e., a form of culture accessible to the greatest number, without the need for cultural baggage.