Changes

Julius Caesar and Augustus truly set a precedent for how the later emperors would use blood sports – they would continue to grow in size and scope, truly becoming the “bread and circuses” of which they are known today.

[[File: Colosseum.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|The Colosseum of Rome]]

As Rome’s political, social, and economic problems continued to increase, succeeding emperors increased the games' number and frequency. For example, under Emperor Marcus Aurelius (ruled AD 161-180), often thought of as one of the most enlightened emperors, state-funded games comprised 135 days of the 230-day festival schedule. <ref> Kyle, p. 301</ref> The games became so big that even some emperors, Caligula and Commodus, for example, personally took part. Although those two are among the least popular, corrupt, and ineffective of Rome’s emperors, their involvement demonstrates the increasing cultural importance of blood sports. And as the games became more popular, they also became more complex in some ways.