Spartacus: Life or Legend
The Ancients22 Touko 2024

Spartacus: Life or Legend

‘I am Spartacus!’ In the field of epic film making, the 1960 historical drama ‘Spartacus’ is legendary. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, and starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier, it is undoubtedly a classic. But how much of the plot has emerged from the true story of a Thracian gladiator and slave who escaped his Roman captors and led an unsuccessful but impressive rebellion against their oppressors? And how much of the film’s message was formed by the personalities involved in its creation, and the context in which it was made?


In her own words, Dr Fiona Radford devoted years of her life to the man with the most memorable chin cleft in the world - Kirk Douglas, specifically as Spartacus. Her thesis traced the production history of this film, examining in particular the effect that the turbulent process had on the portrayal of female characters. Having taught at Macquarie University, ANU and the University of Sydney, she currently teaches history at secondary school level, and her conversation with Tristan in this episode is an eye-opener to 1950s film making as well as the legend of Spartacus.


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(593)

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve: parents of humanity, or characters in a Near Eastern myth about wisdom, mortality, and the limits of being human?Tristan Hughes and Dr Dylan Johnson strip away the Sunday school varnish ...

1 Helmi 59min

The First Popes

The First Popes

What do we know about the earliest Popes, and how did they shape the early Christian Church amidst persecution?Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor Rosamond McKitterick to journey back to Imperial Ro...

29 Tammi 56min

Xerxes the Great

Xerxes the Great

He is one of the most famous rulers of the ancient world, remembered for leading a vast Persian invasion of Greece. Yet Xerxes the Great was far more than just a battlefield king.In this episode of Th...

25 Tammi 55min

The Origins of Rome's Empire

The Origins of Rome's Empire

396 BC. The city of Veii lies in ruins, destroyed by Rome in a brutal act of early imperial expansion. Yet just six years later, Rome itself would face devastation at the hands of invading Gauls, a sh...

22 Tammi 58min

The First Arabians

The First Arabians

What can ancient DNA tell us about the first homo sapiens to arrive in Arabia over 50,000 years ago? Tristan Hughes is joined by Prof. Pierre Zalloua to delve into the groundbreaking advances in ancie...

18 Tammi 50min

How to Survive on Hadrian’s Wall

How to Survive on Hadrian’s Wall

Step into the daily lives of those stationed along Hadrian's Wall, from Roman soldiers to civilians. Tristan Hughes and Dr. Francis Macintosh are your guides to explore the routines, duties, and uniqu...

15 Tammi 1h 10min

Medea: Maligned Sorceress or Heartless Murderer?

Medea: Maligned Sorceress or Heartless Murderer?

She helped Jason win the Golden Fleece, betrayed her own family, and became one of the most feared figures in Greek myth. Medea’s name has echoed through the ancient world for over two millennia, a by...

11 Tammi 52min

Fall of Sparta

Fall of Sparta

How did Sparta, the most feared military state in ancient Greece, fall from grace in a single generation?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Roel Konijnendijk and Dr Owen R...

8 Tammi 1h 14min

Suosittua kategoriassa Historia

olipa-kerran-otsikko
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
mayday-fi
huijarit
mystista
tsunami
rss-ikiuni
konginkangas
totuus-vai-salaliitto
rouva-diktaattori
rss-subjektiivinen-todistaja
rss-i-dont-like-mondays-2
rss-peter-peter
sotaa-ja-historiaa-podi
rss-kirkon-ihmeellisimmat-tarinat
rss-iltanuotiolla
rss-sattuu-sita-suomessakin
maailmanpuu
rss-outoja-uutisia-pohjois-suomesta
rss-antiikki-nyt