CLT 3510 The Ancient World in Film Midterm Review History of the Ancient World in Film Last Days of Pompeii 1908 During the Silent Era 1st feature length film 10 15 minutes Italian Cabiria 1914 fictionalized story during Rome s war with Cartridge largely popular for it s grand scale reflects growing Italian nationalism Quo Vadis 1912 stands for phrase said by Jesus to Peter which means Where are you going introduces a Christian element to film burning of Rome redone in color in the 50s Cecile B De Mille created Cleopatra created Samson and Delilah 1949 during WWI sparked all ancient genre films found good balance between historical authenticity and dramatic effectiveness Quo Vadis 1951 during the Golden Age of ancient cinema redone in color and with sound The Robe 1953 during the Golden Age of ancient cinema done in cinema scope and with sound The Ten Commandments 1956 during the Golden Age of ancient cinema follows the story of Moses most spectacular expensive and successful film thus far moralizing theme Spartacus 1960 shows how Roman world was constructed at this point conquerors slavers autocrats reflects Nazi s and Russians in Cold War hero s are the underdogs showed traditional gender roles was a spectacular film Ben Hur 1959 during the Golden Age of ancient cinema biggest most successful movie won the most Oscars Jesus of Nazareth 1977 TV miniseries big blockbusters were less frequent I Claudius 1976 TV miniseries 1st time with nudity on screen Hercules The Legendary Journeys 1995 1999 TV series started the 1990s resurgence of ancient cinema Xena Warrior Princess 1995 2001 TV series part of the 1990s resurgence of ancient cinema The Odyssey 1997 TV series part of the 1990s 2000s resurgence of ancient cinema Gladiator 2000 started the 2000s resurgence bigger boom than 90s Greek Mythology Myth word story tale stories with deeper meanings often include gods and powers explain natural phenomena related to origins of beliefs customs and practices collection of ancient Greek stories The Olympians Zeus Hera Poseidon Hades Demeter Athena Aphrodite Perseus mythical founder of Mycenae known from multiple sources older than Hercules or Achilles typical Greek hero o Birth Youth Zeus impregnates Perseus mother with a golden shower o Perseus and Medusa goes on a quest to fetch the head of Medusa obtains magic cap winged sandals kibisis sickle from Athena and other gods beheads Medusa with help from Athena Pegasus born from decapitated Medusa o Perseus and Andromeda he stops in Ethiopia on his way home sees Andromeda tied as a sacrifice for a monster kills monster and marries Andromeda angers Phineus and Perseus kills him with Medusa s head o Return Home he kills mother s suitor travels with his mother and wife accidently kills grandfather as prophesized Clash of Titans 1981 made in a black hole period for ancient film all start cast for the gods critically mixed reviews with commercial success and box office failure loosely based on the life of Perseus movie starts as faithful to the myth of Perseus and then deviates shows human fate in the hands of the gods used stop motion animation to depict monsters Harryhausen was explicit that mythical faithfulness was not his goal Danae locked in a room by her father because of a prophesy that her son would kill him impregnated by Zeus via a shower of gold mother of Perseus character in Clash of the Titans Kibisis satchel wallet a magical pouch given to Perseus to hold the head of Medusa Medusa gorgon killed by Perseus as his quest turned those who looked in her eyes to stone Pegasus winged horse born of Medusa s decapitated head Andromeda king s daughter wife of Perseus who he saved from being sacrificed character in Clash of the Titans Phineus the man Andromeda was betrothed to before she was saved and married by Perseus killed by Perseus 2 Thetis Nereid mother of Achilles and Calibos character in Clash of the Titans Ammon character in Clash of the Titans Calibos character in Clash of the Titans handsome man turned into monster by Zeus the monster that Perseus saved Andromeda from killed by Perseus Kraken sea Titan ordered to destroy Argos by Zeus killed by Perseus with the head of Medusa Andromeda was going to be sacrificed to the Kraken Troy The Trojan War 1200BC the best known and most popular myth of ancient Greek culture myth varied in telling Homer s Iliad and Odyssey are the most famous versions generally the basics are the same but details vary to Greeks it was history o Background Eris goddess of discord wasn t invited to Thetis and Peleus wedding so she threw in an apple marked to the fairest Athena Hera and Aphrodite all argue over whose it should be and ask Zeus who designated Paris to decide all the godesses promise him something and he choses Aphrodite who promised him the most beautiful woman in the world he gets Helen but she s married to Menelaus so Menelaus gathers up Helen s past suitors to get Helen back to Menelaus Mycenaean Greece Civilization 1650 1100BC founded by Perseus king was Agamemnon at the time of the Trojan War Heinrich Schliemann archeologist found the 8 9 layers of cities that suggest the Trojan war was real Troy was on VI level Troy city defeated in the Trojan War home to Hector and Paris very pious Troy VI level of the 8 9 level of cities discovered by Schliemann that is believed to have been the city of Troy Homer 700BC wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey earliest poet to put ideas in writing o Homeric Values in this life heroes expect to receive honor for noble deeds gifts or prizes Iliad Greek word for Troy heroic epic poem by Homer is believed to be orally composed follows wrath of Achilles and a short portion of the Trojan war last year earliest and most influential account o Plot Agamemnon takes Achilles war prize Briseus because Apollo took one of his girls Achilles gets pissed Menelaus and Paris fight Menelaus is winning before Aphrodite saves and swoops away Paris Agamemnon demands Helen for his brother because Menelaus won Agamemnon apologizes to Achilles but he 3 doesn t accept Patroklos goes to war in Achilles armour and dies at the hand of Hector Achilles kills Hector in revenge and drags his body around until Priam begs for Hector s body and Achilles gives it over Odyssey epic poem that follows Odysseus 10 years after the fall of Troy earliest and most influential account Troy 2004 a film following the Trojan war loosely based of Homer s the Iliad covers entire war rather than a short period