"Bread and Circuses" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American television drama series Hell on Wheels; it aired December 4, 2011 on AMC, and was written by Mark Richard and directed by Adam Davidson.
In the episode, Joseph Black Moon and Reverend Nathaniel Cole travel into Cheyenne territory in hopes of a peace talk, Joseph's brother endures a native ritual, Lily Bell and Thomas Durant continue to discuss the future of the railroad construction, and Cullen Bohannon and his crewman Elam Ferguson settle their differences in a public fight.
In Cheyenne territory, Chief Many Horses (Wes Studi) prepares Pawnee Killer (Gerald Auger) for the Sun Dance ceremony.
With long leather straps attached from his chest to a lone tree, Pawnee Killer must spend a full day staring at the sun and praying.
Pawnee Killer collapses after completing the ceremony, telling Chief Many Horses that he was blessed with a vision of the "great steel beast", adding "I killed it".
Reverend Cole (Tom Noonan) and Joseph (Eddie Spears) visit Chief Many Horses to ask him to come to Hell on Wheels and discuss peace.
Reverend Cole appears dismissive of his daughter and wishes to send her away, but must keep her in town as Ruth has nowhere else to go.
Back in town, Thomas Durant (Colm Meaney) emerges from his Pullman coach.
Sean (Ben Esler) and Mickey (Phil Burke) McGinness' magic-lantern business has money trouble as well, with The Swede (Christopher Heyerdahl).
The Roman satirist and poet Juvenal wrote the phrase in Satire X (circa 100 AD), wherein Roman politicians devise a plan, in 140 BC, to effectively win the votes of their new citizens and rise to power, by providing cheap food and entertainment, i.e., "bread and circuses".
[...] iam pridem, ex quo suffragia nulli / uendimus, effudit curas; nam qui dabat olim / imperium, fasces, legiones, omnia, nunc se / continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, / panem et circenses.
Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.
[2] Sean McKenna of TV Fanatic gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars: "I'm growing more and more attached to these characters as Hell on Wheels moves along, with the combination of action and drama keeping the show from turning into a history lesson snooze fest.