CLAS 1004 - The Ancient World in Film

This course forms the second part of an introduction to the ancient world, but it can also be taken on its own, without having done the first part.It takes a selection of cinematic reconstructions of the ancient world, and uses them as a "gateway" through which we introduce students to key themes in the literature and history of Greece and Rome. As films such as Troy (2004), 300 (2006), Spartacus (1964), and Gladiator (2000) clearly show, the ancient world continues to inspire modern film; we aim to take these examples of classical reception as a starting point for our exploration of major works and key themes.

Following a series of introductory lectures that outline key starting points for those students new to Classics (and those new to film theory and reception studies), the course will divide into four equal sections - one for each film and the key ancient themes associated with it. We will locate each film in its proper historical setting (both modern and ancient), before moving the discussion on to consider the relevant classical texts that inspired, informed, and shaped each production.