Bread and Circuses story
Captain Kirk and his companions are forced to fight in gladiatorial games on a planet modeled after the Roman Empire.
23 total · 1 choice · 8 major · 14 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| what if the Roman Empire never fell | choice | The Enterprise crew visited a planet that was much like 20th century Earth, save that the Roman Empire was still going strong. |
| civilization vs. savagery | major | horrors of the colleaseum |
| compromising one's ethical principles vs. self-preservation | major | Kirk, R.M. Merik :: Kirk choose the directive, Merik chose the other |
| courage in the face of death | major | Kirk :: this episode was all about facing death with indifference and without fear |
| duty vs. self-preservation | major | R.M. Merik :: Merik violates the Prime Directive to save his skin |
| resistance movement | major | The Children of the Sun were a group of persecuted rebels that fought against the tyrannical Roman Empire headed by Proconsul Marcus. |
| social oppression | major | The Space Romans oppressed the Children of the Son. |
| the ethics of interfering in less advanced societies | major | Merik violated Prime Directive on the planet |
| what if I had to fight to the death | major | Kirk :: Kirk fights gladiator |
| Ancient Roman mythology | minor | There was a car named after Jupiter. |