Bread and Circuses

The ancient city of Orange (“ORE-ange”) in the South of France is one of my favorite places in that beautiful land, in part, because it’s home to a Roman amphitheater built in the 1st Century CE. A statue of Augustus Caesar stands high over the stage - with a cutline across the statue’s neck, so workers could easily replace the head when a new Caesar came along. More important, it served to reminded theatergoers who was in charge. One day in Orange, I nearly bought a replica of a Roman Army’s officer’s helmet, but my Scottish thriftiness prevailed. I got thinking of Orange today for two reasons.