5/4/12
“Sword & Sandal” Pictures Flexibility of US rela onship to Rome
• Quo Vadis (1951) • Roman Republic started as model for US • Ben Hur (1959) • But in 50’s and 60’s Roman Empire is focus • Spartacus (1960) – And it is an an -type, not a model • Imperial (nega vely portrayed) Romans get – Not the TV series! foreign accents • Gladiator (2000) • Rebels, slaves, and Chris ans have American accents • Roman Empire = Europe: what we fear US might become but don’t want it to be?
Quo Vadis, 1951: The Draw of “toga” or “sword & sandal” epics: • Us (Chris ans) vs. Them (Romans): iconographic associa on of Nero with fascism • Both an -eli st and eli st • Highlights ambivalence towards consumerism – (root for the honorable, low class rebels vs. – Nero horrifying an -type to American ideal, BUT – Is there posi ve associa on b/twn Nero and the spectacle aristocra c classical culture BUT Classical se ng of the film itself? gives the play ‘class’.) Spartacus, 1960 (dir. Stanley Kubrick) • Rome is “good to think with”: • novelist & screenwriter had been blacklisted as communists – Different culture but s ll basis of Western civ. with – “I am Spartacus” refers to an -Communist trials of 1950’s key similari es to us • Again, Imperial Rome is an -type, but palpable fear that US is at risk for becoming un-American now, too.
1 5/4/12
Our Goals Periods of Roman History • Historical narra ve of Roman Republic, its imperial expansion, and the civil wars that • 1) Monarchy 753-509 – 7 kings, from Romulus to Tarquin. ended the Republic and began the Empire. – Myth and history • But also: Two Related Ques ons • 2) Republic 509-31 BC 1) How and why did Rome grow so swi ly to – Early Rep. 509-264: Struggles and source problems dominate the en re Mediterranean? – Middle Rep. 264-133: huge expansion 2) Consequences (and problems) of this – Late Rep. 133-31: more expansion but internal crisis = expansion for Rome? civil war • 3) Principate 31-… – Augustus (63BCE-14CE), the first ci zen = princeps
1) How and why did Rome grow so swiftly to 2) Consequences (and problems) of this expansion dominate the entire Mediterranean? for Rome? Why did Republic fall? • Roman character molded by agricultural roots: • Roman society torn apart by empire it conquered – powerful family unit: power of father and mos maiorum – influx of wealth and slaves: growth of la fundia – ci zen army – farmer-soldier root of R soc. Uprooted – discipline and obedience are highest ideals – growth of Roman mob • A tude toward war – agrarian reform & grain dole: populares vs op mates – Demand total surrender from opponents • Anger of exploited Italian allies – on other hand, great assimilator of conquered, generous to defeated, unique in allowing freed slaves ci zenship • New business class • Checks and balances of cons tu on • More compe on (fueled by personal ambi on) • RESILIENCE: HYDRA • Proroga on and breaches of cons tu on – unique combina on of discipline, organiza on, aggression, • Conquest of Rome by Greek culture: focus on assimila on, and luck individual
2 5/4/12
Civil Strife: Overview - Struggle of the Orders (5th cent. BC) Augustus’ Achievement: two themes - Death of Tiberius Gracchus (133 BC) 1) Use past to jus fy future & create myth of Romanness - Dictatorship of Sulla and Proscrip ons (82-80 BC) – great public monuments refurbished or built – Poetry and propaganda - Pompey vs. Julius Caesar (49-45 BC) – Aug. presented as culmina on of all Roman history - Octavian vs. Antony (late 30s BC) 2) Crea on of consensus Sulla Pompey Julius Caesar Octavian -- diff. b/twn having power and laying claim to it openly -- brought everybody into myth he created -- created one-man rule with “consent of all”
Ques on to think about: • Rome has le us two vocabularies: – senate, capitol, republic = democracy? (Republic) – prince, emperor, Kaiser/ Tsar = autocracy? (Empire) • Neither set of words had same meaning at Rome – R. always authoritarian state and Aug. not seen as tyrant – Did Augustus destroy liberty? Or was only liberty lost that of the oligarchy to abuse power? • So the ques on is: which was be er at Rome, the chaos of free Republic or the stability of monarchy?
3