Ancient Rome on the Silver Screen: Myth versus Reality

An unparalleled exploration of films set in Ancient Rome, from the silent Cleopatra to the modern rendition of Ben-Hur.

No sooner had the dazzling new technology of cinema been invented near the end of the 19th century than filmmakers immediately turned to ancient history for inspiration. Nero, Cleopatra, Caesar, and more all found their way to the silver screen and would return again and again in the decades that followed. But just how accurate were these depictions of Ancient Rome?

In Ancient Rome on the Silver Screen: Myth versus Reality, Gregory S. Aldrete and Graham Sumner provide a fascinating examination of 50 films set in Ancient Rome, analyzing each for its historical accuracy of plot, characters, costumes and sets. They also divulge insights into the process of making each movie and the challenges the filmmakers faced in bringing the Roman world to vivid cinematic life. Beginning with the classics from the dawn of cinema, through the great golden age of sword-and-sandals flicks in the 1950s, to the dramatic epics of the modern day, Aldrete and Sumner test the authenticity of Hollywood’s version of history.

Featuring remarkable custom-made paintings depicting characters as they appeared in film and how they should have appeared if they were historically correct, Ancient Rome on the Silver Screen delivers an invaluable perspective of film and history. This unique collaboration between professional illustrator and award-winning Roman historian offers a deeper understanding of modern cinema and brings Roman history to life.

Gregory S. Aldrete is Professor Emeritus of History and Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Winner of numerous national fellowships and awards as both a scholar and a teacher, his books about the ancient world include The Long Shadow of Antiquity: What Have the Greeks and Romans Done For Us? and Daily Life in the Roman City. His research has been featured in several television documentaries and in New Yorker magazine, Atlantic magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Der Spiegel magazine, and more.

Graham Sumner has written and illustrated publications on Ancient Rome for almost forty years. His works include three publications on Roman military clothing and he has written the only standard work on Roman military dress. Sumner wrote a series of articles for Ancient History magazine analyzing how the Roman army has been depicted onscreen, and was recently a historical advisor for the film, Illyricum.