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Representations of
Ancient Greece &
Rome in Modern
Cinema
ARTH 485 Honors
Taught By
Dr. Sinclair Bell

How has Hollywood shaped our perceptions of life
in Ancient Greece and Rome?

What do the filmmakers get right about Ancient
cultures and what do they curiously omit?
Delve into questions like these and more as you embark on
your own epic journey through the world of cinema with
Dr. Bell as your guide.
ARTH 485 Honors Representations of Ancient Greece & Rome in Modern Cinema
This course surveys cinematic representations of ancient Greek and Roman culture, including the stories
of classical myths and historical events. The course begins by looking at the representations of Greek
myths and epics as seen through such films as The Immortals, Clash of the Titans, The Odyssey,
Troy and Minority Report.
The second half will turn to the representation of Roman history as visualized in Ben Hur, Spartacus,
Cleopatra, Gladiator and The Fall of the Roman Empire. Students will be introduced to the
fundamentals of film theory as well as the historical background to both cultures. No knowledge of
Greek or Latin is required, and students from all majors and backgrounds are encouraged to enroll.
The course is taught by Dr. Sinclair Bell who is both a classical archaeologist and art historian. His
current areas of research are the art and archaeology of the Etruscans; spectacles in the Roman
imperial period and the visual representations of slaves and foreigners in Roman imperial art.
He is the He is a recipient of fellowships from the Howard Foundation, the American Academy in
Rome (the "Rome Prize"), the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), the Canada Research
Chair in Roman Archaeology, and the Archaeological Institute of America/German Archaeological
Institute (for study in Berlin). He is a recipient of research grants from the Fondation Hardt pour
l’étude de l’Antiquité classique, the Loeb Classical Library Foundation, and the Max-Planck Award
"Memoria Romana" Project.
To save your seat on this chariot ride through art history, register today through the MyNIU online
portal at http://niu.edu.
ARTH 485H Representations of Ancient Greece & Rome in Modern Cinema
June 15-July 12
Days: T Th
Time: 10:00am-3:00pm
Room: Jack Arends Visual Art Building 202