In Focus… Panem et circenses - Roman popular entertainment

'In Focus...' exhibitions are small temporary displays exploring elements of the museum and gallery collections in detail.

The Roman poet Juvenal coined the phrase 'panem et circenses' (bread and circuses) to describe the way that politicians could, perhaps cynically, appease the population by providing them with food and entertainment.

This small display uses objects from the museum's British and Italian Roman archaeological collections to explore popular entertainments such as chariot racing, board games and gladiatorial combat.

You can find out more about our British archaeological collections here and our Greek and Roman archaeological collections here.