Introduction On many occasions, Hollywood made movies based on true events in history. Such films dazzled audiences worldwide as they watched people who were once alive perform feats and make their mark in history, which inspired those around them. Unfortunately, most od these films were hardly true to what really happened, in which most scenes in the film were either heavily romanticised or simply totally made up altogether. The popular 1960 film Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick and named after the famous slave revolt leader of the same name, was no exception.
Movie and Scene Presentation Summary The film was set in the same setting as the titular protagonist historically started the slave revolt: in Italy, and was especially set
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There was no known date of when Lives was written, but it was known that Plutarch began writing rather late in his life, in his home of Chaeronea, in Greece (Warner 1964, 7). The context of the work at the time of the production of Lives was also known. When the philosopher wrote this work, it was written during the reigns of the Roman emperors Hadrian and Trajan. At some point in his life, Plutarch was appointed to an important position by Emperor Hadrian. Being a philosopher and a moralist, Plutarch wrote Lives with the aim to educate readers about morals and what individuals with good qualities and principles achieved, and the consequences caused by living immorally or by bad decisions in the person’s life (Warner 1964, 8). This ancient book contained the biographies of prominent figures of those before the author’s time, such as Alexander the Great, Cicero, Caesar, Marius, Crassus, and many more. Plutarch, being Greek and having lived in a time when Greece was a part of the Roman Empire, wrote this work that contained both prominent Roman and Greek figures of history. The original text had the biographies alternate between a Greek figure’s biography, which was then followed by a Roman person’s biography (Warner 1964, 8). Based on the above information, the works of Plutarch gave people a glimpse into the historical context in which the book was written.
Best known for his writings of leading figures in antiquity and his essays on ethics and virtue, Plutarch’s biography on Alexander the Great and his vision would influence tremendously upon future western writers in regard to the interpretation of Alexander the Great. Plutarch’s Alexander’s fortune and virtue claimed that Alexander’s aim for his empire was “homonoia," the unity of mankind and “fusion” between civilizations. According to Plutarch, Alexander rejected the traditional “Greek” view that Persian were “barbarians," and instead proclaimed that Alexander was intentionally trying to establish a sense of oneness throughout his empire. In the more than two millennium since Plutarch’s biography and writing of Alexander, there has been a
Did you know people do not think if the story from history movie is a truly based on real history or filled with fiction? Almost every history movie contains some kind of fiction in it to make it a great story and to keep the audience's entertained. For example, the movie called “The Patriot” which was the American Revolution had happen. The movie has some historical accuracy but there are some historical inaccuracies also.
The Gladiator epic directed by Riley Scott (2000) is based on real life events of the Roman Empire, their society, as well as the role of gladiators. Scott tried to portray the Roman culture as accurately as he could, and even went further to ensure his authenticity by hiring several historians to do so . It is supported by the findings of historians’ research. The film is historically accurate in most parts, including the role of gladiators; gladiatorial games and the aspects of Roman society such as the religions and beliefs. Some characters such as Commodus, Lucilla and Marcus were loosely based on the real life characters. However some parts of the film were exaggerated such as the battles in the arena, where gladiators fought to
Although many historical filmmakers alter some events and use fiction as a tool in providing an accurate historical representation, the makers of “The
In Chapter 1, the author assesses the unique and eternal achievements of 5th century BCE Athenian culture. She introduces several basic dichotomies that define her understanding of the writers and events of the period in the later chapters.
Envy of the Gods is a book written by John Prevas about Alexander the Great’s journey after he conquered Persia. The author has a degree in history, psychology, forensics, and political science. He has worked as a professor for the last fifteen years and has written two books, Hannibal Crosses the Alps and Xenophon’s March. Alexander the Great has always been a fascinating topic, but something that had always bothered me is the fact that even though I know his name, I had no idea what he had done, why he was famous, and why he is called “Great”, therefore I chose this book to know what Alexander did, what made him famous, and why he is important.
In The Assassination of Julius Caesar, Michael Parenti highlights the many significant people and events that characterized the late Roman Republic. Specifically, he focuses on the time period between the election of Tiberius Grachus, to the rise of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. In this account of history, Parenti presents the social, political, and economic aspects of the Roman culture from the perspective of the Roman commoner, or plebeian. Using this perspective, he also spends a great amount of time examining the causes and effects of the assassination of Julius Caesar. The views that Parenti presents in this book stand in sharp contrast with the views of many ancient and modern historians, and offer an interesting and enlightening perspective into class struggle in the society of the Roman republic.
Gore, drama, and action. These are what most people pay Hollywood to show them at the screens. The movie gladiator from the year 2000 is no different. The movie gladiator is a movie with contents that does not align itself historically. Rather it is tainted with a bit of historical accuracy resulting it to be more difficult to discern the accuracy of the movie as it is now ambiguous for which part of the movie is unreliable and reliable. Nevertheless, this paper will be contrast the content of the movie with the historical accuracy of some of the event, the people in the plot, and the gladiatorial combat in the movie, proving the lack of historical revelevancy.
The book The Spartacus War by Barry Strauss is an in depth look at one of Roman history’s most legendary events, the gladiator revolt led by Spartacus. Spartacus has become a legend, creating a storyline that has inspired many movies and television shows, such as Stanley Kubrick’s epic Spartacus in 1960, starring the legendary Kirk Douglas. Spartacus has inspired a perfect mix of men over time with various backgrounds and beliefs, from Stalin and Marx, to Voltaire, and even to Ronald Reagan. How though, did Spartacus create a massive revolt of slaves that would create a massive problem for the mighty Rome? Strauss attempts to create a chronology of the Spartacus War using his vast knowledge of the Italian landscape, ancient documents, and
In Life of Alexander, Plutarch employs extensive methods to depict Alexander as a man of both great ambition and self-control, despite Alexander’s degeneration of character by the end of his life. In the modern world, the regression from just conqueror to unrestrained tyrant is completely congruent with the contemporary concept of ambiguous morality. In the ancient world, however, everything is expressed and understood in clear constructs; therefore, one’s character cannot change within a lifetime—it can only be revealed. The history of Alexander the Great is well-known, so Plutarch has to address common knowledge and beliefs while persuading the audience to believe in his portrayal of Alexander. Plutarch establishes Alexander as a great ruler whose out of character actions are made sensible with reinterpretations of situations and are neutralized with stories proving his positive traits. Through these methods, Plutarch successfully resolves the issue of Alexander’s conflicts in character and is able to create a convincible and consistent character.
Plutarch was a well-known and respected historian, biographer, and philosopher. He held a very high status in society. He taught philosophy in Rome for some time and was granted high office by the royal family. When he returned to his native town in Greece, he was appointed as the Priest of Apollo. He wrote many philosophical essays as well as biographies of influential people during the times. This particular document was written by Plutarch as a biographical text about Pericles’ political influence in society during his time as a politician. He wrote this selection to thoroughly describe how Pericles used his platform to manipulate the people into giving him the opportunity to gain ultimate power.
In examining the histories presented by Livy and Tacitus, it is crucial to take into account the agendas of the respective authors. While both set out to portray as accurate of a historical representation as possible, it is evident that both renowned historians and rhetoricians intended to deliver several significant messages regarding their thoughts on Rome. Both authors do, indeed, acknowledge the greatness of Rome and champion the core of Roman values; however, Livy and Tacitus tactfully elaborate on different troubles that face the Roman Empire. The histories put forth by these great men aim to present the past as an aid to promote
Alexander III of Macedon is well known as Alexander the Great throughout the world. According to the standards and beliefs of the ancient historians, numerous elements contribute to recognize him as the “great.” Michael Wood’s Alexander the Great, encompasses narratives by Alexander’s biographers: Arrian, Plutarch, and Quintus Curtis Rufus. Arrian’s The Campaigns of Alexander, Plutarch’s Alexander, and Quintus Curtius Rufus’ The History of Alexander reveal brilliant episodes of the third century history and tale of adventures, defeats, and establishments by Alexander. Throughout the reading, some of the components that structure
De Fabianis, Valeria Manferto, ed. Ancient Rome: History of a Civilization that Ruled the World. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1996Grant, Michael. The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, Maxwell Macmillan Int., 1991Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. New Haven, Eng.: Yale University Press,
Tacitus, Suetonius and Plutarch, although major historians of their time, were not completely reliable and (now we realise) their works contained bias, mainly a result of upon the writers personal opinion and beliefs. Another cause of bias within primary text was the influence of the Roman elite hierarchy upon the contemporary writers of the time. Plutarch himself admitted this in many statements and claimed to not be a historian but a biographer. Plutarch regarded biography as a different class of writing, and his primary goal was to entertain the audience, as opposed to informing them. He did this by writing only what the reader wanted to read rather than the actual event that had taken place. This is the number one reason why much of ancient Roman sources are unreliable, and biased.