Description
Book SynopsisThe essays collected in this book present the first comprehensive appreciation of
The Fall of the Roman Empire from historical, historiographical, and cinematic perspectives. The book also provides the principal classical sources on the period. It is a companion to
Gladiator: Film and History (Blackwell, 2004) and
Spartacus: Film and History (Blackwell, 2007) and completes a triad of scholarly studies on Hollywood's greatest films about Roman history.
- A critical re-evaluation of the 1964 epic film The Fall of the Roman Empire, directed by Anthony Mann, from historical, film-historical, and contemporary points of view
- Presents a collection of scholarly essays and classical sources on the period of Roman history that ancient and modern historians have considered to be the turning point toward the eventual fall of Rome
- Contains a short essay by director Anthony Mann
- Includes a map of the Roman Empire and film stills, as well as translations of the principal ancient sources, an extensive bibliography, and a chronology of events
Trade Review“…a collection of essays providing a wide-ranging treatment…from a variety of historical and cinematic perspectives.” – Film & History
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations vii
Notes on Contributors ix
Editor's Preface xii
1. A Critical Appreciation of The Fall of the Roman Empire 1
Martin M. Winkler
2. History, Ancient and Modern, in The Fall of the Roman Empire 51
Allen M. Ward
3. Marcus Aurelius: The Empire Over Himself 89
Diskin Clay
4. Was Commodus Really That Bad? 102
Eleonora Cavallini
5. East and West in The Fall of the Roman Empire 117
Jan Willem Drijvers
6. Empire Demolition 130
Anthony Mann
7. Excerpts from the American Souvenir Program of The Fall of the Roman Empire 136
1. A Prologue by Will Durant 137
2. The Roman Forum: In Ruins Today . . . and Re-Created 139
3. An Epilogue 143
8. Edward Gibbon and The Fall of the Roman Empire 145
Martin M. Winkler
9. Fact, Fiction, and the Feeling of History 174
Martin M. Winkler
10. Peace and Power in The Fall of the Roman Empire 225
Ward W. Briggs, Jr.
11. The Politics of The Fall of the Roman Empire 241
Peter W. Rose
12. Excerpts from Edward Gibbon 262
1. Marcus Aurelius and His Time 262
2. The Auction of the Empire 266
The Chief Ancient Sources on Marcus Aurelius 271
1. Cassius Dio 271
2. The Augustan History: Marcus Antoninus the Philosopher 282
3. Herodian 298
Chronology: The Roman Empire at the Time of Marcus Aurelius 302
Bibliography 305
Index 327
