tl;dw: The grain dole wasn't a "welfare program" as such, its primary purpose was stabilizing the food supply in the city of Rome to prevent famines, especially in years where a bad harvest could cause thousands of people to rush to the city looking for food. Over time as Roman citizens became a minority in their own city, it became a privilege that they held over the masses.
lmao what the hell is my comment doing in this thread, I swear to God I was in the generalthread, Lemmy goddammit
Also thanks for engaging nevertheless ssjmarx, if you want me to delete it just say so