https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220818-the-surprisingl...
Plays, farces, spectacles, gladiators, strange beasts, medals, pictures and other such opiates, these were for ancient peoples the bait toward slavery, the price of their liberty, the instruments of tyranny. By these practices and enticements the ancient dictators so successfully lulled their subjects … that the stupified peoples, fascinated by the pastimes and vain pleasures, … learned subservience as naively, bit not so creditably, as little children learn to read by looking at bright picture books.Of relevance to this thread is his classic work "The Discourse on Voluntary Servitude" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discourse_on_Voluntary_Servitu... and https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/kurz-the-discourse-of-vol...
One very interesting note here is that this was one of the inspirations for Mahatma Gandhi in coming up with his idea of "Satyagraha" movement (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satyagraha) in his struggle against British Colonialism in India - https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/gene-sharp-gandhi-on...
panem et circenses
It refers to a concept prevalent in ancient Rome, where the government would provide its citizens with free food and entertainment in the form of lavish spectacles, such as gladiator fights, chariot races, and theatrical performances. The phrase highlights the strategy employed by the ruling class to keep the population content and distracted from important political issues and matters of governance.