The New Peplum: Essays on Sword and Sandal Films and Television Programs Since the 1990s

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Are you not entertained?
These are the prophetic words of Gladiator’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, signifying that a new era of sword and sandal films and television shows that began in the 1990s, had officially arrived. The critical and commercial success of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator combined with small screen popularity of Xena: Warrior Princess reignited interest in the genre, and soon the gates were opened for movies and shows such as 300, Spartacus, Rome, Troy and many more. This contemporary wave of historic epics, known as neo-pepla, is distinctively different from the peplum films of decades past due to its embracement of new technologies and storytelling techniques, creating truly epic and immersive experiences that could not be realized before. This collection of essays examines the neo-peplum phenomenon, taking a critical look at a variety of topics such as antiquity stories adapted from comic books as with Hercules staring Dwayne The Rock Johnson, how sword and planet films such as Jupiter Ascending and John Carter expand genre boundaries, depictions of Romans and slaves in Spartacus, and how films such as The Eagle and Centurion are a metaphor for American soliders during the Iraq War.