Tributes and Gladiators

                 The parallels between the Hunger Games and Roman Gladiators are quite obvious. The Romans called the system “panem et circenses,” which means bread and circuses. The parallels exist in location, style, and purpose.

                The Hunger Games and Gladiators both take place mostly in the same place as each other. The Hunger Games are held by the Capitol, and are usually quite close to the Capitol. The same is true of Gladiators. Most of the arenas were either in Rome, the capital, or around the ring of the city. Both events also occur in the same type of venue. The Hunger Games take place in specially made arenas, as do Gladiator Games.

                The style of both of the games is also similar. Pure and simple, they are blood sport, pitting humans against each other in a fight to the death. Even the manner of acquiring the contestants is the same. In the Gladiator Games, there are slaves, criminals, and volunteers that fight for either survival, freedom, or fame. The Hunger Games, being a bit more morbid, picks from all the children, who might as well be slaves, and there can be volunteers as well. Even the goal is still similar, as that you only survive if you win, and the result of winning gets you a version of fortune, fame, and freedom. Both games also employ use of a gamemaker, one is in charge of coordinating and putting on a good show.

                Even the purpose of both Games is the same: Control. The Gladiator Games, by using food and entertainment(“panem et circenses”), swing public opinion in favor of whoever is hosting the games. This means it is quite possible to buy political power being a sponsor of an event. The Hunger Games exerts control by forcing all citizens to watch the Games, thus reminding them that the Capitol has complete control over them. They also it as food and entertainment, as the winning sector gets showered with gifts from the Capitol.