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A Historian Goes to the Movies: Ancient Rome

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The glory of ancient Rome meets the grandeur of modern Hollywood in these 12 lectures that examine the historical accuracy of Ben-Hur, Gladiator, and other classic sword-and-sandal epics.

Syllabus

  • 01: Quo Vadis Kick-Starts the Sword-and-Sandal Genre
  • 02: Ben-Hur: The Greatest Chariot Race
  • 03: Spartacus: Kubrick’s Controversial Epic
  • 04: Cleopatra: Spectacle Gone Wild
  • 05: The Fall of the Roman Empire and Ancient Epics
  • 06: I, Claudius: The BBC Makes an Anti-Epic
  • 07: Life of Brian: The Roman World’s a Funny Place
  • 08: Gladiator: The Historical Epic Revived
  • 09: Rome: HBO’s Gritty Take on Ancient History
  • 10: Centurion and The Eagle: The Legions in Britain
  • 11: Scipione l’africano and Fellini Satyricon
  • 12: Bread and Circuses in Sci-Fi Films
  • By This Professor

Taught by

Gregory S. Aldrete, Ph.D.

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3.8 rating at The Great Courses Plus based on 74 ratings

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