| "Bread and Circuses" | |||
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| Star Trek: The Original Series episode | |||
From left to right: Spock, McCoy and Kirk in a "Magna Roma" prison cell. |
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| Episode no. | Episode 54 | ||
| Directed by | Ralph Senensky | ||
| Written by | Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon story by John Kneubuhl (uncredited) |
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| Production code | 043 | ||
| Original air date | March 15, 1968 | ||
| Guest stars | |||
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William Smithers |
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| List of Star Trek: The Original Series episodes | |||
"Bread and Circuses" is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, broadcast on March 15, 1968. It is episode #54, production #43, written by Gene Roddenberry and Gene L. Coon and directed by Ralph Senensky. Its name is a reference to the phrase "bread and circuses" taken from the Satire X written by the poet, Juvenal. In modern usage, the phrase has become an adjective to describe a populace that no longer values civic virtues, the public life and military (manly) service. Instead, the people need only food and entertainment.
Overview: Captain Kirk and his companions are forced to fight in gladiatorial games on a planet resembling the Roman Empire.
On stardate 4040.7, the starship USS Enterprise, commanded by Captain James T. Kirk, is on routine patrol when it encounters the wreckage of the SS Beagle, a survey vessel lost six years earlier. The Beagle was under the command of Captain R. M. Merrick, whom Kirk knew during his academy days. First Officer Spock traces the path of debris back to the ship's point of origin, near the fourth planet in the previously unexplored FGC 892 System.
The Enterprise soon picks up an old-style television broadcast, with black and white video footage of what appears to be a Roman gladiatorial fight in an arena. One of the gladiators they see killed is named William B. Harrison, identified by records as one of the Beagle's flight crew.
Kirk forms a landing party consisting of himself, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy, and beams down to the planet, known to the Federation as "892-IV", to investigate. Soon they are captured by rifle-toting men, revealed to be escaped slaves, who bring the party before their leader Septimus. When the party introduces themselves as "men of peace", Septimus asks them if they are "children of the Sun." The crew wonders how, with the culture so devoted to parallelling Roman history, the inhabitants have become sun worshipers since "there was no sun worship among ancient Romans." (This is not quite true since members of the Roman army were devoted, at least by the 2nd Century AD, to Sol Invictus, the "Unconquered Sun".) McCoy then responds by saying that they represent many beliefs. Septimus explains he was a Senator until he heard the "words of the Sun" and was made a slave. Although another slave, Flavius, suggests killing the landing party, Septimus overrules him and decides the landing party poses no threat.
As Kirk pages through a gladiatorial magazine, he is astounded to find the cultural development of 892 IV, called "Magna Roma" by the inhabitants, is so similar to that of the ancient Roman Empire back in Earth's history, but mixed with mid 20th Century technology. He refers to Hodgkin's Law, and the theory of Parallel Planet Development, where the two worlds developed the same but somehow the Roman Empire never fell, and took over the world. McCoy does not understand why they all worship the Sun however, since, as he states (incorrectly), Ancient Rome "had no Sun worshippers," as noted above.
Kirk also finds uncanny similarities in one of the culture's leaders, Merikus the First Citizen of the Empire, to Captain Merrick of the Beagle and believes they are one and the same. Kirk explains to some of the slaves that he wants to meet this Merikus. Flavius then offers to help and leads Kirk to Rome; the capital city. The landing team puts on slaves' uniforms, (grey tee-shirts with a chain symbol on the chest), and tries to sneak into the city. Along the way, Flavius explains how he was once the greatest gladiator until he too heard the words of the Sun. The way of the Sun involves a bond of brotherhood and a commitment to peace; it was hard for a fighter to accept, but "the words were true."
They are soon captured by Roman guards (who appear like a police state riot squad), and are placed into the slave pens. Kirk asks Flavius about the culture's institution of slavery. He discovers that a slave who performs well earns health benefits and if he survives long enough, is also compensated in the end with retirement benefits and prestige. McCoy and Spock get into another argument about logic and Flavius asks if the two are enemies. Kirk replies "I'm not sure they're sure." Kirk asks Flavius how long ago the slaves started worshipping the Sun and Flavius says as long ago as the founding of the empire.
Later, the landing party makes an escape attempt while the guards lead them to meet Merikus. Merikus, however, has anticipated their escape and has forces waiting to apprehend them. Once again, the party is taken prisoner and they stand before Merikus and the Proconsul Claudius Marcus who dismiss the guards and invite the landing team to sit and talk in private.
There, Merikus acknowledges that he is Captain Merrick. He explains his ship was severely damaged in a meteor shower and he stopped at 892 IV for repairs. When he beamed down, he met Claudius Marcus who demanded that word of the planet's culture not be divulged to the Federation for risk of cultural contamination. Merrick decided to stay and put whatever crewmen who refused to remain behind into the gladiatorial pits where they would certainly be killed. Merrick then informs Kirk that word of the planet's society must not leak off the world, and that the Enterprise crew must also remain behind. He tells Kirk to order the crew to abandon the ship and integrate into Magna Roma's culture.
Although he is threatened at gunpoint by armed guards, Kirk refuses Merrick's demands and instead he tells Mr. Scott "condition green" on the communicator; this is a code-phrase indicating the sender is in trouble, but that the recipient must not attempt a rescue. Angered, Marcus sends Spock and McCoy into the arena for Kirk's defiance.
Spock and McCoy must face off against Flavius and another gladiator, Achilles, under a set of studio lights, television cameras, and an obviously fake backdrop of a Roman combat arena. The whole scene looks more like a violent game show. The battle begins as Spock quickly overpowers his opponent, and when McCoy is in trouble, Spock nerve-pinches his opponent ending the fight to a hail of boos and hisses from a pre-recorded "crowd". Spock and McCoy are taken back to the slave pens and Kirk is taken to stand execution which will be televised live.
Kirk goes to his room where a woman, Drusilla, is waiting for him and says she is his slave. Elsewhere, Spock and McCoy are placed in another cell. McCoy tries to thank Spock for saving him in the arena, but Spock shrugs him off. McCoy tells Spock he really does care, but is just afraid to show it. Kirk meanwhile, eats and talks with Drusilla and then goes to bed . Marcus later explains that he arranged it all because he respects Kirk as a real man, equal to the Romans, and wanted him to enjoy his last hours as a man.
In the meantime, Mr. Scott works on a way to disrupt power and communications on the planet while obeying the Prime Directive not to interfere with a planet's society. He blacks out the city just before Kirk's execution. In the diversion, Kirk frees Spock and McCoy but is soon captured again. Merrick however, does something unexpected, and radios the Enterprise to have Kirk and his party beamed back. Before he can complete the message, Marcus stabs him for his treachery. Scotty understands the message and the landing party dematerializes just as they face a hail of machine gun fire.
Back on the ship, Kirk commends Scotty. Spock again expresses to Kirk and McCoy his failure to comprehend why Sun worshipping Romans seemed to adhere to a concept of peace; Spock says it is illogical. In most societies sun worship is a primitive religion of superstition, with no philosophy of peace behind it. Uhura has the answer. She has been monitoring radio transmissions from the planet and informs them that the Empire's spokesman has tried to ridicule the belief of these worshippers the entire time, but has utterly failed. When Kirk, Spock and McCoy remain uncomprehending she continues, "Don't you understand? It's not the sun up in the sky. It's the Son of God." Kirk replies with a note of jubilant humility: "Caesar ... and Christ; they had them both. And the Word is spreading only now."
McCoy notes that the philosophy of total love and total brotherhood will replace the planet's philosophy of war. Spock says that it will take place in their 20th century. Noting the continued parallels of this planet's history to that of the Earth, Kirk remarks, "Wouldn't that be something to watch. To see it happen - all over again."
This episode was remastered in 2006 and was first aired June 2, 2007 as part of the remastered 40th Anniversary original series. It was preceded a week earlier by the remastered version of "Shore Leave" and followed a week later by the remastered version of "Spock's Brain". Aside from remastered video and audio, and the all-CGI animation of the Enterprise that is standard among the revisions, specific changes to this episode also include:
The planet 892-IV was renamed Magna Roma in the Pocket Books published Star Trek: The Next Generation novel The Captain's Honor in late 1989 [ISBN 0-671-68487-6].
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