Why Is the First Episode Titled 'Bread and Lottery'? [Ogam Deep Dive③]

Reminiscent of Ancient Rome's 'Bread and Circuses'
The Survival Game with Slim Odds Back Then Was the Gladiator Arena
Some Emperors, Like Oh Il-nam, Personally Entered the Living Hell

The title of the first episode of 'Squid Game' Season 2 is 'Bread and Lottery Ticket.' There is a symbolic scene. Ddakji Man (Gong Yoo) offers bread and a lottery ticket to a homeless person in Tapgol Park. "I have brought a small gift for you today, for a life struggling as if there is no tomorrow. There is one gift: bread and a lottery ticket. You can choose only one of the two."

'Squid Game' Season 2 Still Cut

Bread and lottery tickets evoke the phrase 'bread and circuses.' It refers to free food and entertainment provided by those in power. The phrase originated from the lament of the ancient Roman poet Juvenal. "When the Roman Republic became an empire, citizens lost their voting rights and lost interest in state affairs. Citizens, who were once the source of authority in all areas of politics and military, now only eagerly await two things: bread and circuses."

Political apathy was deliberately encouraged. The free distribution was first attempted by the Gracchus brothers in the late 2nd century BCE. At that time, citizens and farmers were conscripted as legionaries in the Punic Wars, leaving their households impoverished. While they were away, farmland became barren. The impact on the Roman economy was minimal because large quantities of cheap grain could be imported from the Sicilian and African colonies won in the wars. The expansion of large estates run by slave-owning nobles also caused wheat prices to plummet.

Rome bought large amounts of wheat and distributed it cheaply to support the declining small and medium landowners. The recipients were the populus, that is, male citizens with citizenship. Stable grain supply was essential for national development. Typically, when food shortages or tyranny reached extremes, rebellions occurred. When military expansion was required, tax increases became inevitable, leading to a vicious cycle of further revolts. The Gracchus brothers judged it better to quell discontent. Thus, their solution to hunger and provision of entertainment became the precursor to populism.

Movie 'Ben-Hur' still cut

Interestingly, this does not work well in the Republic of Korea depicted in 'Squid Game.' Most homeless people choose the lottery ticket over bread. Their desires outweigh their hunger. The game participants are no different. Many have squandered their assets amid the frenzy for cryptocurrencies, real estate, stocks, and other forms of wealth accumulation. The operators cleverly exploit this.

"Everyone here today is burdened with unmanageable debt and standing at the edge of life. (Omitted) Will you go back and live like trash, chased by creditors? Or will you seize the last chance we offer?"

In Roman times, there was also a survival game with slim odds: the gladiator games. They were offered free or at low cost to citizens. The circus at that time had a different meaning than the modern one with acrobats, animals, and clowns. Circus, pronounced 'circus' in Latin as 'circus,' originally referred to Roman chariot racing arenas. The Circus Maximus, where crowds cheered in William Wyler's film 'Ben-Hur' (1959), was such a place.

Roman politicians used the circus to gain popularity. Julius Caesar is a prime example. In 65 BCE, while serving as a praetor, he held gladiator games under the pretext of commemorating his father who had died 30 years earlier. He used lavish spending to dampen his competitors' enthusiasm. Citizens felt obliged to reward Caesar with office or honor as a token of gratitude.

'Squid Game' Season 1 Still Cut Yonhap News

The purpose of Squid Game is merely entertainment for VIPs. Of course, the nature of the game is equally brutal and savage. Gladiator games originally featured only trained professionals. It became more brutal when, at Caligula's suggestion, serious criminals, slaves, and war captives without swordsmanship training were forced to participate.

However, some nobles, including senators, found direct enjoyment in the living hell of 'Squid Game,' like Oh Il-nam (Oh Young-soo). There was even an emperor who debuted as a gladiator: Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius. Obsessed with grandiosity, he claimed to be a living god and the reincarnation of Hercules. While delegating state affairs to his close aides and the Senate, he indulged in gladiatorial killings and was eventually assassinated by his own confidants. With him, the empire entered its twilight. Squid Game may follow a similar path.