Watch Steven Online |
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UK Book Tour 2011: One of the highlights of Steven’s tour was his appearance at the Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry & Creative Writing in Hull. Watch his conversation with Martin Goodman, director of the Larkin Centre, here. UK, 2011, 73 minutes. |
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Saylor & Pressfield at the Getty Villa: Steven and fellow author Steven Pressfield (Gates of Fire) discuss the challenges of setting fiction in the ancient world. Watch it here. USA, 2008, 84 minutes. |
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ROMA: “Periodista Digital”: Steven is interviewed about Roma during his Madrid book tour. Steven’s replies are dubbed over in Spanish. Watch it here. Spain, 2008, 6 minutes. |
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ROMA Book Launch, Madrid: In February 2008, Steven’s Spanish publisher La Esfera de los Libros hosted a launch party for Roma at the massive SPQR Roman art exhibit. Watch a clip < href="http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2008/02/26/cultura/1204030867.html" target="_blank">here. Spain, 2008, 3 minutes. |
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ROMA: “Meet the Author”: An exhausted Steven (can you tell?) sits for a brief “Meet the Author” interview about Roma at the end of his 2007 UK book tour. Watch it here or here. UK, 2007, 4 minutes. |
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O. Henry: Steven is interviewed about author O. Henry, the main character of A Twist at the End, Steven’s novel about Austin, Texas in the 1880s and America’s first recorded serial murders. Watch it here. USA, 2007, 6 minutes. (Read more about the novel here.) |
Animation |
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Achilles: The saga of the Trojan War, and the love story of Achilles and Patroclus, narrated by Derek Jacobi and captured in stop-motion animation by Barry J.C. Purves, whose site features others great shorts and lots of extras. Watch it here. UK, 1994, 11 minutes. |
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Carthago Nova: This animated docudrama depicts the Roman siege of the Carthaginian colony in Spain, and the subsequent life of the city under Roman rule through a fictional story about the Albinus family. (The site of Carthago Nova is at present-day Cartagena.) Watch in Spanish or in English. Spain, 2011, 66 minutes. |
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Etched in Stone: From the inscription on Trajan’s Column comes the typeface that bears his name. But can a font be too powerful? An unlikely Hollywood murder mystery. Watch it here. USA, 2004, 10 minutes. |
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Gladiator Academy: This animated series for kids comes from Spain, but you can watch all of episode 1: The Art of Deception and 2: Sporadicus in English at YouTube. Spain, 2002, 24 minutes |
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Gladiator—Playmobil Tribute: An homage to the Ridley Scott film, using the medium of Playmobil. We are all auteurs now. Watch it here. USA, 2008, 6 minutes. |
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Heracles Visits Admetus: Soviet-era animation by Anatoly Petrov, based on the myth of Alcestis. English subtitles. Watch Part 1 • Part 2. Russia, 1986, 18 minutes. |
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Ikaros and the Wise Men: Soviet-era animation, based on the Icarus myth. Watch it here. Russia, 1974, 8 minutes. |
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Mighty Hercules in “Medusa’s Sceptre”: This TV series was a treasured inspiration from Steven’s boyhood. Johnny Nash sings the theme song: “Softness in his eyes, iron in his thighs, virtue in his heart, fire in every part of the mighty Hercules!” Watch it here. USA, 1963, 6 minutes. (A Mighty Hercules collection is now available on DVD!) |
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Mytho Logique: French students made this animated short (with English subtitles) set in a pastoral world of fauns, centaurs, and dryads—plus a cameo appearance by Zeus. Watch it here. France, 2010, 6 minutes. |
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Oedipus: Sophocles’ timeless Greek tragedy, performed by...vegetables! A sword and salad mini-epic from filmmaker Jason Wishnow. Watch it here or (maybe) here. USA, 2004, 8 minutes. |
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Panoply: Watch figures on ancient Greek vases come to life in a series of shorts created by British animator Steve K. Simons and Classical scholar Sonya Nevin. Start watching here. |
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Playmobil: Fluch der Pharaonen (Curse of the Pharaohs): Is it a videogame? Will it be a movie? Is there an English version? Steven, a stranger to Playmobil, is not quite sure, but the trailer looks fantastic! Watch it here. Germany, 2016, 1 minute. |
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Time Travel to Ancient Rome: animated short from National Geographic shows one idea of how Trajan’s Column was built—and reminds us that it was probably brightly painted, making it one of Rome’s most eye-catching monuments. (As to why the column was built, See Part Four of Steven’s novel Empire.) Watch here. USA, 2015, 5 minutes. |
Documentaries & Docudramas |
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Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul: National Geographic made these short videos for the eye-opening exhibit, including Greek and Egypto-Roman artifacts, which has toured the US, Canada, and the UK. Watch here. USA, 2008. (Read the companion book.) |
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The Antikythera Mechanism: A Shocking Discovery from Ancient Greece: Dr. Tony Freeth discusses the remarkable artifact recovered from a Greek ship that sank 2000 years ago. A presentation of the Stanford Humanities Center. Watch it here. USA, 2015, 108 minutes. |
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Balancing Fact & Fiction: The Ancient World of HBO’s Rome: Jonathan Stamp (author of the Rome coffee table tome) discusses his experiences as the historical consultant on the Rome series in an appearance at the Getty Villa. Watch it here. USA, 2009, 75 minutes. |
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Caligula: Reign of Madness: “While Rome cowered in terror, Caligula killed for the sheer fun of it!” Watch it here. (Veoh Web Player download and ad-viewing required.) USA, 1997, 44 minutes. |
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Catacombs of Rome: A three-year long project has created the first 3D images of Rome’s catacombs. Read the BBC story and watch a brief clip here. UK, 2009, 1 minute. |
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Claudius, Boy of Ancient Rome: Educational short made by Encyclopedia Britannica in 1964, using footage and sets from The Fall of the Roman Empire. Claudius and his friends speak Latin! Watch here. US, 1964, 16 minutes. |
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Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer: BBC docudrama inspired by the discovery of a skeleton purported to be that of Cleopatra’s younger sister Arsinoë (more info here), murdered at the queen’s behest. Watch it here. (Veoh Web Player download and ad-viewing required.) UK, 2009, 58 minutes. |
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Decoding Dacia: Fascinating documentary about ancient Dacia (modern Romania), the subject of all those images of conquest on Trajan’s Column. Who were the Dacians, and what traces remain of them? Watch here. US/Romania, 2013, 48 minutes. |
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Digital Karnak: This extraordinary site, hosted by UCLA, offers numerous videos and virtual reconstructions of the site of Karnak, one of the largest temple complexes of Ancient Egypt. Begin your explorations here. |
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Draco: The Stone Faces (Chipurile de paitra): Romanian director Octavian Repede’s documentary about the ancient Dacians (whose civilization was obliterated by Trajan and his legions). Watch it here. Romania, 2012, 45 minutes. |
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Getting to Know Herakleides: Scientific analysis has revealed the secrets of the rare and spectacular mummy of Herakleides; a talk by conservator Marie Svoboda at the Getty Villa. Watch it here. USA, 2008, 40 minutes. |
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Hadrian: Empire & Conflict: A series of mini-videos produced by The British Museum, including “An Emperor’s Love” about Antinous. Watch them here. UK, 2008. (Read the companion book.) |
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Hearst & Getty: Collectors of Antiquities: Hearst Castle historian Victoria Kastner explores the relationship between two major collectors of Classical art and architecture. A presentation at the Getty Villa. Watch it here. USA, 2010, 64 minutes. |
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Herculaneum Uncovered: What was life like before the eruption of Vesuvius, and how did the destruction of Herculaneum differ from that of Pompeii? An episode from the PBS “Secrets of the Dead” series. Watch it here. US, 2004, 55 minutes. |
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Pericles of Athens and the Dangers of Democracy: Classicist Loren J. Samons II examines the legacy of the man who created the Athenian Empire; a talk at the Getty Villa. Watch it here. USA, 2008, 72 minutes. |
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Secrets of Egypt: Alexander’s Tomb: A look at Alexander the Great’s exploits in Egypt and the mystery of his tomb’s location. Watch the UK version here (Veoh Web Player download and ad-viewing required) or US version here. UK, 2009, 45 minutes. |
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Secrets of Egypt: Cleopatra: Overview of the Egyptian queen’s proud pedigree and tumultuous career. Watch it here. (Veoh Web Player download and ad-viewing required.) UK, 2008, 45 minutes. |
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Sinking Atlantis: Did a huge volcanic eruption and tsumani wipe out Minoan civilization? An episode from the PBS “Secrets of the Dead” series. Watch it here. US, 2008, 53 minutes. |
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The Supersizers Eat...Ancient Rome: BBC foodies Giles Coren and Sue Perkins whip up dishes from ancient Rome. Watch it here. UK, 2009, 59 minutes. |
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Tracking the Cosmos: The Technology of the Antikythera Mechanism: Jo Marchant, author of Decoding the Heavens, and science historian James Evans discuss the unique artifact recovered from a Greek ship that sank 2000 years ago. A presentation at the Getty Villa. Watch it here. USA, 2010, 67 minutes. |
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Uncorking the Past: A Fermented Drink with the Midas Touch: Patrick McGovern explains the archaeological approach behind the recreation of a heady brew served at the King Midas funerary feast. A presentation at the Getty Villa. Watch it here. USA, 2011, 18 minutes. |
Feature Films & TV Episodes |
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Barefoot in Athens: Peter Ustinov won an Emmy as the Greek philosopher Socrates in this Maxwell Anderson play. The cast includes Geraldine Page and Christopher Walken in his film debut. If you know any way to see the complete version, please let Steven know! Online clips here and here. USA, 1966. |
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Caligula: Spanish-language TV production of the play by Albert Camus. Watch here. Spain, 1971, 107 minutes. |
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The Cleopatras: Hoping to repeat the huge success of I, Claudius, British TV came up with this scandalmongering mini-series about the Ptolemy dynasty in Egypt. Start watching here. UK, 1983, 8 50-minute episodes. |
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Peplumz Channel at YouTube: As Captain Oveur asked in Airplane!, “Do you like movies about gladiators?” Get your daily dose here. (For a more substantial fix, check out Steven’s Sword & Sandal page.) |
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The Search for Alexander the Great: 4-part docudrama series hosted by James Mason, starring Nicholas Clay as Alexander and Ian Charleson as Hephaistion. You mught the whole thing is up at YouTube; start watching here. UK, 1981, approx. 200 minutes. |
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Sikander: Vintage Bollywood epic starring the dashing Prithviraj Kapoor as Alexander the Great. To access English subtitles, click on the CC button. Watch here. India, 1941, approx. 142 minutes. |
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The Theban Plays: In 1984, British TV broadcast the entire trilogy by Sophocles with superb casts (Anthony Quayle as Oedipus, Juliet Stevenson as Antigone). If you know of higher quality versions, please let Steven know! Watch Oedipus the King • Oedipus at Colonus • Antigone (If you know a link, please share!) |
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Time Tunnel: “Revenge of the Gods”: In this episode from the 1966 TV series, two American time travelers find themselves in the Trojan War—where everyone speaks English! Watch it here. 51 minutes. |
Shorts & Commercials |
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Cléopâtre—L’accord: Music video from the French rock opera “Cléopâtre, la dernière Reine d’Egypte” starring Sofia Essaïdi and Christopher Stills (son of Stephen Stills). Watch here. France, 2009, 3 minutes. (Also available on Region 2 DVD from France.) |
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Dark Horse: Katy Perry is no Liz Taylor, but her incarnation of Cleopatra is kinda...Juicy! Watch the music video here. USA, 2014, 4 minutes. |
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Discus: Commercial for GE Ecomagination shown during the Beijing Olympics; a discus thrower in ancient Greece (Anderson Davis) inadvertently wreaks havoc. Watch it here. USA, 2008, 1 minute. |
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Imperator: Sumptuously staged student film from Poland about the ill-fated Roman emperor Otho, entirely in Latin (with Polish and English subtitles). Watch it here. Poland, 2014, 40 minutes. |
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One Epic Ride: This commercial for the Kia Optima, which debuted during the 2011 Super Bowl, features an awesome cameo appearance by Poseidon. Watch it here. USA, 2011, 1 minute. |
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Paco Rabanne Invictus: Walk like a man, smell like god! Directed by Alexandre Courtès. Watch it here. USA, 2013, 45 seconds. |
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Paco Rabanne Olympéa: A stylish look at the home of the gods and its lovely inhabitants. Smells divine! Directed by Alexandre Courtès. Watch it here. USA, 2015, 41 seconds. |
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Pepsi: We Will Rock You: Beyoncé, Britney, and Pink rock the arena as gladiatrices. Watch it here. (Making-of video here.) USA, 2004, 3 minutes. |
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Rinse the Blood Off My Toga: Vintage comedy skit by the Canadian duo Wayne & Shuster. Brutus on Caesar: “He was stabbed, yeah. They got him right in the rotunda!” Watch it here. 8 minutes. |
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Scion: Zeus: At last the Greek gods are making a comeback...as pitchmen! Scion decided to make Zeus, “God of Awesome,” the spokesman for their latest cars, with a whole series of commercials and “Behind the Scenes” shorts. Watch here or here. USA, 2011, 7 minutes. |
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Trailerifor a Remakeiof Gore Vidal’s “Caligula”: Read more about conceptual artist FrancescoiVezzoli and his star-studded mock-trailer at The NY Times. Watch it here. Italy, 2005, 6 minutes. |
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Un, Dos, Tres...Cleopatra: Composite musical number spans three decades from the Spanish TV show “Un, dos, tres...responda otra vez,” with not one but three sexy Queens of the Nile. Watch it here. Spain, 1984, 1993, 2004, 3 minutes. |
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United 300: Pseudo-Spartan tomfoolery. MTV Movie Award for Best Movie Spoof. Watch it here. USA, 2007, 5 minutes. |
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Versace Eros: Does Versace capture the smell of the love god? Watch it here. 2013, 30 seconds. |
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Whims of Fortune (Capriciile Fortunei): Short drama follows the fate of three Roman soldiers lost in the province of Dacia. All the dialogue is in Latin (with English subtitles). Watch it here. Romania, 2015, 11 minutes |
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The World According to Smith & Jones S1E2: The Romans: The British comedy duo poke fun at the ancient world via an amazing collection of movie clips. Watch it here. UK, 1987, 24 minutes. |