ANCIENT ROME IN FILM & HISTORY

Catalog description

In this course, students will view multiple films set in ancient Rome and examine the modern context in which they were made in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will investigate and assess the relationship between movies claiming to portray ancient history and the modern political and social trends that influenced that portrayal, looking at such influences as the cold war, the changing roles of religion in society, and changing attitudes toward American foreign policy in the post-cold-war period. There will also be analysis of the way in which films can shape portrayals of ancient Rome to correspond to existing cinematic storytelling patterns that can be found in films from other genres. (Cross-listed with HIST 8896 ).