Imperial Projections: Ancient Rome in Modern Popular Culture

By Sandra R. Joshel

Book Overview

The phenomenal success of the recent film Gladiator ensures that ancient Rome will continue to inspire moviemakers and attract audiences as it has done since the dawn of cinema. Indeed, the creators of popular culture have so often appropriated elements of Roman history and society for films and television programs, novels and comic books, advertising and computer games that most people's knowledge of ancient Rome derives from these representations. In Imperial Projections, scholars from a variety of fields-classics, history, film studies, and gender theory-provide an interdisciplinary look at how ancient Rome has been depicted in the media and what these varied portrayals tell us about contemporary culture. The essays in Imperial Projections examine such films as Spartacus, Ben-Hur, Cleopatra, and The Fall of the Roman Empire; the acclaimed BBC television series I, Claudius; the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; and the Roman-themed Las Vegas casino Caesars Palace, combining ancient history and cutting-edge cultural studies in a challenging, engaging, and informative volume.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801882680
• ISBN13: 9780801882685
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 8.9"
• Age Range: 22 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

More than just the films...

This book is not just about the many films made about Rome, or should I say films that used Rome as a setting, but also deals with how Rome is used and seen in its many forms. We explore television, novels and even Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. You get a lot of information and the bibliography holds many books I plan to search for.