Audiovisual Narratives on Classical Antiquity: the representation of Emperor Augustus in cinema and TV

Abstract

Augustus has been represented in many ways in Western culture, but we must point out that in the big and small screen (except for some more recent productions), the audiovisual narratives about him are less common than those dedicated to other political leaders in Rome. Throughout the twentieth century, films set in Classical Antiquity emerged within a framework of late appropriation of the eighteenth century visual and literary culture, integrating narratives and images about Augustus that anticipated his filmic appearance. On one hand, representations of Imperial Rome on the screen tended to show a globalized and multicultural society and projected vague ideas of melting pot or American pax; on the other, we have seen recreations that balance between authenticity, entertainment and moralizing attitudes. Between these boundaries, various narratives and audiovisual compositions have been shaped around the historical figure of Augustus, which, in our opinion, must be reinterpreted within the framework of the so-called Studies of Reception, Film Studies and the History of Culture itself.