Section Info: HIST-226-01

Course Title: Bread and Circuses: The Politics of Public Entertainment in Ancient Rome
Start Date: 01/27/2026 End Date: 05/12/2026
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Description: Bread and circuses (panem et circenses) was a catchphrase in the Roman empire that described the political strategy of controlling an unruly populace through free bread and public entertainment. Against a backdrop of Roman social and political institutions, this course focuses on the imperial ideology, aristocratic ethos, and cultural practices that underpinned this catchphrase, as well as questions concerning the careers of entertainers--gladiators, charioteers, and actors--who were at once celebrities and social outcasts; the rules of spectatorship at the games; the use of these games as a form of social control; and the logistics of feeding the city population.
Distribution(s): I - Humanities
Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate     Credits:4.00    

Faculty         Phone         Email address        
Geoffrey Sumi   413-538-2277   gsumi@mtholyoke.edu  

Meeting Dates         Method         Meeting days         Meeting times         Building name         Room     Frequency    
01/27/2026 - 05/12/2026   Seminar   Tuesday and Thursday   03:15PM - 04:30PM   TBA   TBA   Weekly

REGISTRATION DETAILS

Requisite Courses        
None                    

Comments        
Additional Comments        
Meets History department's pre-1750 requirement.  
Course Tags        
CLASS0001   CLAS: Classical Studies major   This course has been approved to count towards the Classical Studies major and/or minor.  
CLASS0001   CLAS: Classical Studies minor   This course has been approved to count towards the Classical Studies major and/or minor.  
ANCST0001   ANCST: Ancient Studies major   This course has been approved to count towards the Ancient Studies major and/or minor.  
ANCST0001   ANCST: Ancient Studies minor   This course has been approved to count towards the Ancient Studies major and/or minor.  
NOPRI0001     Used to identify non-primary sides of crosslisted courses for Workday conversion  

Cross-listed Sections        
CLAS-226-01 Bread and Circuses  
HIST-226-01 Bread and Circuses  

Course Availability
Section status: Waitlisted     Capacity: 38     Enrollment: 36     Available: 0     Waitlist: 9
Please note: The "Available" count will equal 0 in a Waitlisted course where spaces in the course have recently opened and students have not yet been moved into them from the waitlist.

BOOK INFORMATION

Book List         Required         Publisher Full Price        
To be determined.                    

Additional Book Comments        
This is NOT the complete book list for this class.