It is safe to say that we no longer believe in the gods of the ancient world. In fact, while most of us no longer believe in its literal existence, some of us do believe in its box office potential. this two–part video series of vanity fair Examines a variety of films and television shows based on Greek and Roman mythology since the mid-20th century. jason and the argonauts, clash of the titans, troyDisney’s Hercules. Provides commentary on fidelity to source material. peter meineckProfessor of Modern World Classics at New York University.
He’s not adamant about holding these entertainments to strict standards of accuracy. “I do not use the term ‘accuracy’ at any point. Xena: Warrior Princessbecause it’s great,” he said at one point. But when it comes to stories told by the ancient Greeks and Romans, we’re dealing with fairly fantasy-rich material to begin with.
They have been heightened, strengthened, refined and fused over generations and have come down to us in forms that reflect more or less eternal human conceptions of the forces governing reality and its vagaries. . In some cases, they are ready-made to be incorporated into reality. The latest superhero spectacle for the 21st century.
With their unique physical characteristics, temperaments, superhuman powers, and even grudges, many of the ancient gods of polytheism were, in a sense, the comic heroes of their time. And just as there are different “worlds” of characters we can choose from, different eras and cultures have their own lineups of gods, and no one is exactly like the other. “At the apex of this countless universe were the 12 gods of Olympus, led by Zeus and Hera,” says ancient history YouTuber Garrett Ryan. of told in stone video above. “The Greeks influenced Roman religion virtually from the beginning. By the time Rome came into the full light of history, the Roman gods had been assimilated with the Greek gods.”
So we recognize Greek Olympians like Poseidon, Artemis, Athena and Dionysus, but we also recognize their Roman counterparts Neptune, Diana, Minerva and Bacchus. “There seems to have been little doubt in the minds of the Romans that their main god was the same as the Greeks,” Ryan says. “Although the Greeks generally accepted that the Romans worshiped their gods under different names, they were also “avid collectors of foreign gods,” many of which were their own.” It could be found within a vast empire. The result was a bewildering abundance of gods, Greek-influenced or not, in all settings. It foreshadowed the more-is-more mentality that Hollywood blockbusters would embrace millennia later.
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Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on Twitter @Colinbemust or facebook.
Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
