Name Your Own Roman Epic

[Plautus]

Recently in the HBO Rome section, we were talking about how it's a shame no one is making a movie about Marius & Sulla. That got me to thinking. What if you had Ridley Scott's ear? What dramatic if overlooked moments in Roman History would YOU want to see made into a movie?

With Varro at Teutoberger Wald? With Titus Regulus deciding to return to Carthage and certain death? With Horatius at the Bridge?

[Sextus Roscius]

I think that they if any one is capable of acurately patraying it without romanticizing it, they should do a movie about the fall of the republic, and it should end with julius caesar being stabed to death in the senate.

 

The beginning would be about the battles in gual and julius caesar returning

The middle would be the turmuoil of the civil war and political unrest in Rome

The first major moment should be the deciding battle in greece and Pompey fleeing

The movie should then have a little bit of stuff showing the beginning of the empire and at the very end, Julius Caesar is Stabed.

[Germanicus]

I'd like a film about Vercingetorix building rebellion, with the second half of the film dedicated to Alesia, the final scene would be him laying his arms at Caesars feet.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

the final scene would be him laying his arms at Caesars feet.

 

I extremely like how you think there Germanicus, it certainly would be a good scene.

As for me:

1)The battle at the Milvian bridge and Constantine's vision/dream of the burning cross along with the words "in hoc signo vinces", him getting baptised, well his life basically.

2) An dramatic Oscar deserving movie of Caligula.

3) The whole conquest Galliae.

4) Trajan's Dacian campaign.

5) What Germanicus said.

6) Countless others.

[Primus Pilus]

The early Republic has long been ignored by film makers. The tale of Cincinnatus might be intriguing, or the very birth of the Republic. Perhaps the Pyrrhic war would be an interesting thing captured on film. At least we can look forward to two Hannibal films in the near future.

 

As for the imperial period, I believe Trajan may be a good subject. Solid leadership and military adventure along with a strong female cast (his wife Pompeia Plotina, sister Marciana and niece Matidia) coupled with the dramatics at the end of Domitian's reign...

 

Of course Constantine in an epic adventure on film would end up butchered in one form or another I'm sure (either too pro or too anti christian). But his life would be a excellent subject for such a feature.

[Skarr]

I agree with Primus and would make a spectacular movie on the Gracchi brothers, who were the first 'reformists' and responsible for the formation of the Optimates and the Populares into two separate factions with the former trying to retain their land and their wealth, not granting the Gracchi their dream, which was to ensure a more equitable distribution, especially of the public land and also of granting wider citizenship rights throughout Italy. These reforms were extremely unpopular and led to bloody riots in the Forum with thousands of Gracchi supporters being killed or rather, 'butchered'.

[M. Porcius Cato]

Maybe the tale of Coriolanus--imho, it was Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. Barring that, I'd like to see the Punic Wars through the eyes of Scipio Africanus.

[LEG X EQ]

In case that i am mistaken, in terms that such movies have already been made:

 

The Life of the Scipios

Publius Cornelius Scipio, who recieved the hounour title "Africanus" for invading North Africa.

and his brother

Lucius Cornelius Scipio, who recieved the honour title "Asiaticus" for invading Menor Asia and won the decisive battle of Magnesia.

 

Alesia

And it should be a very detailed movie about Alesia.

[Plautus]

I'd like a film about Vercingetorix building rebellion, with the second half of the film dedicated to Alesia, the final scene would be him laying his arms at Caesars feet.

 

Believe it or not in 2001 there was a French movie called Vercingetorix starring Christopher Lambert ( Highlander, Greystoke) that was released in video stores in the English speaking world as DRUIDS. It had nice art direction but wasn't particularly good. It was the whole story. Lambert was stiff and Klaus Maria Brandauer played Caesar with his German accent:" Gentlemen, I zink ve shall invade England, no?"

[Pertinax]

Ridley Scott films Septimus Severus in Brittania, a reconstruction of Eboracum and the Romano-British culture.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

There should also be a film on how the Romans and Mithridates feuded. There should also be a movie on how Rome conquered Greece. There should be on the putting down of Jewish revolt, though destroying the Temple might be offensive.

[Plautus]

It might be fun to do an I Claudius style BBC miniseries about Emperor Julian the Apostate. The court of Constantine and his family: Julian the bookish scholar taking command of a rebellious army and turning out to be a pretty good general, then out of self-preservation having to rebel against his cousin Constantius II, Julian the Apostate trying to turn the Empire back away from Christianity back to the Old Faith. Then, struck with a spear in the side in Persia. As he was dying he looked heavenward and declared "You Have Won, Galaleeian!" It has sex, violence and Christianity, but something tells me Mel Gibson wouldn't direct it.

[Sextus Roscius]

Personaly, I think there should be a Blackadder style show about a roman merchant or the slave to a rich Roman. Perhaps a freedman? Ideas?

[Emperor Goblinus]

I would do a movie about the fall of Constantinople to the Turks. Yes, I know, it would probably end up paralleling Kingdom of God, but who cares. Or I might make a movie about the conflicts of the second century crisis, or the conflicts of Diocletian, the Tetrarchy, and the final unification under Constantine.

[Neos Dionysos]

I agree with you Plautus I'd love to see one on Julian the Apostate or about Adrianople and Valens... afterall it is the first major Roman defeat in centuries... kinda like a wake up call to the decline of the mighty Romans.

Edited December 7, 2005 by Neos Dionysos