Preamble

The Romans had a bad reputation for brutality even in antiquity.¹ Greek writers are quite patronising when they come across exceptions to the expected pattern of Roman behaviour.² The saving grace is utilitas publica, but not everything can be smoothed over by that panacea, or at least not convincingly. The least acceptable manifestations of brutality are genocide, slavery, torture and the games. There is one important non-violent form, racial prejudice.