Starz Spartacus - (Screening Antiquity) by Antony Augoustakis & Monica S Cyrino (Paperback)

About the Book

The figure of Spartacus often serves as an icon of resistance against oppression in modern political movements. This new essay collection brings together a wide range of scholarly perspectives on the four seasons of the acclaimed and highly successful premium cable television series STARZ Spartacus (2010-13).

Book Synopsis

Gladiator, rebel slave leader, revolutionary: the figure of Spartacus frequently serves as an icon of resistance against oppression in modern political movements, while his legend has inspired numerous receptions over the centuries in many different media. With its visually excessive style of graphic sex and CGI-enhanced violence, the four seasons of the premium cable television series STARZ Spartacus tells the story of the historical Thracian gladiator who led a slave uprising against the Roman Republican army from 73 to 71 BC. STARZ Spartacus: Reimagining an Icon on Screen is the first scholarly volume to explore the entirety of this critically acclaimed and commercially successful drama series. This new volume brings together pioneering and provocative essays written by an international cast of leading classical scholars and experienced media critics. Turning a sharp eye on the series' historical framework, visual and narrative style, thematic overtones, and interaction with contemporary popular culture, this volume also engages with the authenticity of the production and considers its place in the tradition of epic films and television series set in ancient Rome. At once both erudite and entertaining, STARZ Spartacus: Reimagining an Icon on Screen is an invaluable resource for both students and scholars eager to confront a new Spartacus, as the hero of the slave revolt is recast for a twenty-first century audience.

From the Back Cover

'In 1960 Kirk Douglas' Spartacus was directed toward the liberal values of its middle class audience. The contributors to this volume ably show in their analyses how half a century later both producers and viewers of STARZ Spartacus have become significantly more disparate in their aspirations, whether political or sexual.' Arthur J. Pomeroy, Victoria University of Wellington Gladiator, rebel slave leader, revolutionary: the figure of Spartacus often serves as an icon of resistance against oppression in modern political movements, while his legend has inspired numerous receptions over the centuries in many different popular media. This new essay collection brings together a wide range of scholarly perspectives on the four seasons of the acclaimed and highly successful premium cable television series STARZ Spartacus (2010-13), with contributions from experts in the fields of Classics, History, Gender, Film and Media Studies, and Classical Reception. STARZ Spartacus uncovers a fascinating range of topics and themes within the series such as slavery, society, politics, spectacle, material culture, sexuality, aesthetics and fan reception. As the first volume of essays published on the entirety of the STARZ Spartacus series, this book is a valuable resource for both students and scholars eager to confront a new Spartacus, as the hero of the slave revolt is recast for a twenty-first-century audience. Antony Augoustakis is Professor of Classics at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Monica S. Cyrino is Professor of Classics at the University of New Mexico. Cover image: Donald MacKenzie Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-0784-7 Barcode

Review Quotes

In 1960 Kirk Douglas' Spartacus was directed toward the liberal values of its middle class audience. The contributors to this volume ably show in their analyses how half a century later both producers and viewers of STARZ Spartacus have become significantly more disparate in their aspirations, whether political or sexual.-- "Arthur J. Pomeroy, Victoria University of Wellington"

It remains to be noted that the present collection taps wonderfully into the ever-expanding series of works that deal with the reception of the ancient world in film and television. (translated from German)--Eugen Sonnenberg, Universitaet Trier "Thersites"

About the Author

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.

Monica S. Cyrino is Professor of Classics at the University of New Mexico. Her scholarly research centers on the reception of the ancient world on screen. She has published numerous books and articles and often gives lectures around the world on the representation of classical antiquity on film and television. She has served as an academic consultant on several recent film and television productions.