Overview

This is the first collection to look at the most recent manifestations of the ancient hero on screen. It brings together a range of perspectives on twenty-first century cinematic representations of heroes from the ancient world. Since 2000, numerous heroes of the ancient world have appeared on film and TV, from the mythical Hercules to leaders of the Greek and Roman worlds. Films and shows discussed in this volume range from Hercules and The Legend of Hercules to TV shows, Atlantis and Supernatural, to other biopic works influenced by the ancient hero. This book brings together a range of perspectives on twenty-first century cinematic representations of heroes and antiheroes from the ancient world. Key features: Includes a range of TV shows and films, allowing for greater comparative analysis, examining the overlooked links between various productions Original, cutting edge research in the fields of history, politics, gender, film and fan culture. Covers topics including society, politics, generational issues, gender, fan reception and star texts Also considers the creation of antiheroes in the twenty-first century. Contributors include Alastair Blanshard, Angeline Chiu, Jon Solomon and Emma Stafford

Full Product Details

Author:   Antony Augoustakis (Professor of Classics, University of Illinois) ,  Stacie Raucci (Associate Professor and Chair of Classics, Union College, Schenectady, NY)
Publisher:   Edinburgh University Press
Imprint:   Edinburgh University Press
Weight:   0.568kg
ISBN:  

9781474424516

ISBN 10:   1474424511
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   05 June 2018
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Series Editors’ Preface Editors’ Acknowledgments Contributors List of Illustrations Introduction: The Reinvention of the Ancient Hero, Antony Augoustakis and Stacie Raucci Part I: Hercules 1. Hercules and the Millennial Generation, Jon Solomon 2. Hercules – The Mythopoetics of New Heroism, Alastair J. L. Blanshard 3. Hercules, Putin, and the Heroic Body on Screen in 2014, Emma Stafford 4. Heroes and Companions in Hercules (2014), Angeline Chiu 5. Sacrifice and Salvific Heroism in Supernatural (2005-), Meredith E. Safran Part II: Epic Heroes 6. Russell Crowe and Maximal Projections in Noah (2014), Monica S. Cyrino 7. The Immortality of Theseus and his Myth, Margaret Toscano 8. The Changing Faces of Heroism in Atlantis (2013-15), Amanda Potter 9. Xena: Warrior, Heroine, Tramp, Anise K. Strong 10. Divergent Heroism in Centurion (2010), Hunter H. Gardner Part III: Antiheroes 11. The Hero in a Thousand Pieces: Antiheroes in Recent Epic Cinema, Daniel Curley 12. Trouble in the Tehran Multiplex: Xerxes, 300 and 300 Rise of an Empire in Iran, Lloyd Llewellyn Jones 13. Ancient (Anti)Heroes on Screen and Ancient Greece Post-9/11, Vincent Tomasso 14. Making Modern (Anti)Heroes, the Ancient Way, Alex McAuley

Reviews

Damaged males and empowered females: the epic protagonists of this collection, including Dwayne Johnson and Vladimir Putin, show the increasing dark tones used to depict heroism in the new millennium. Constant references to the story of Hercules show the continuing, yet mutating influence of classical myth.--Arthur J. Pomeroy, Victoria University of Wellington

Author Information

Antony Augoustakis is Professor of Classics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. His research focuses on Imperial Latin literature of the first century CE, especially the role of gender and the representation of death and ritual in epic poetry. He has also published several book chapters on the representation of classical antiquity on film and television. He is the editor of Classical Journal. Stacie Raucci is Associate Professor of Classics at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Her academic research focuses on Roman elegy, Roman topography, and the reception of the ancient world in popular culture. She is the author of Elegiac Eyes: Vision in Roman Love Elegy (Peter Lang 2011) and co-author of Rome: A Sourcebook on the Ancient City (Bloomsbury 2018).

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