Favourite Historical TV Shows and Movies

[Al Jackson]

I'm a member of a History forum and on there a members asked about favourite historical television shows and movies. I came up with my list, because like most of you I'm a geek, and I am very curious what the answers might be on here. Anyone care to add theirs?

Here are mine:


Rome - The epic series about the trials and tribulations of Rome as it transitions from Republic to Empire. Still one of my favourite series.

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Comment on Roman history. If one went to the movies between 1950 and 1960 one would have been led to think the Roman Empire fell in 60 AD!!
Roman Emperors featured (just the big movies)

Quo Vadis is a 1951 Nero

The Robe (film) 1953 Caligula

Demetrius and the Gladiators 1954 Caligula and Claudius

The Silver Chalice is a 1954 Nero

Ben-Hur (1959) Tiberius

(Some New Testament films in there so possible Augustus.)

Thing is to this day I don't think there have been any BIG movies or TV that take place when
Nerva.
Trajan.
Hadrian
Antoninus Pius
were Emperor not that I can recall.
We did get Fall of the Roman Empire (actually it did not fall then!) and Gladiator that had
Marcus Aurelius and Commodus .....
Rome reached it height between AD 100 and AD 200 and was still at that power between 200 and 300.
It did continue beyond that even when broken into two parts, for some while.
Movies were too focused on old and New Testament 'Rome' .
The pre Empire civil wars and Tiberius to Nero get all the coverage.
On the page Steven Saylor did write Empire a historical novel that had Trajan and Hadrian , seemed he was gong to do more but that never happened.

 

[sknox]

The Fall of the Roman Empire (film) - Wikipedia
1964

The third century was not kind to the Empire--invasions, civil wars, something like 26 emperors in fifty years, whole provinces breaking away, economic collapse. So bad, in fact, they needed a Diocletian to come along and re-invent it.

And I found this list, which both affirms the general point made by Al Jackson, and fills in on some obscure films.
List of films set in ancient Rome - Wikipedia

 

[svalbard]

The Fall of the Roman Empire (film) - Wikipedia
1964

The third century was not kind to the Empire--invasions, civil wars, something like 26 emperors in fifty years, whole provinces breaking away, economic collapse. So bad, in fact, they needed a Diocletian to come along and re-invent it.

And I found this list, which both affirms the general point made by Al Jackson, and fills in on some obscure films.
List of films set in ancient Rome - Wikipedia

Steve Reeves and Gorden Scott the mainstay of cheesy swords and sandals movies. Spent many a rainy and happy Saturday afternoon watching such movies with my Dad.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Sknox, agree with most of that, but if Aurelian hadn't done such a great job in his brief(ish, was longer than many at that time) stint then Diocletian might not have had an empire to rule. Aurelian always gets overlooked.

 

[sknox]

Our sources do get thin in the 3rdc. Maybe that has something to do with it. But a novel set in the era, without necessarily being about Aurelian or his family, certainly has potential. Fewer sources, fewer toes to stub!

 

[BigBadBob141]

Although it's not Film or TV if your interested like me in military history, go to You Tube and watch Lindybeige!!!
This chap is brilliant at putting across his subject, and covers many different periods and aspects of this subject!
I've just found out that WW2s Royal Navy western approaches anti u-boat war gaming departments greatest weapon was a nineteen year old WREN!