I’m Spartacus!

Abstract

In cinematic terms, there is a notable juxtaposition of, and divergence between, Herculean, classical, pagan male forms (enlarged and muscular) and post-classical, Christian male forms (lithe and lean) as illustrated by the Hercules figure versus the figure of Christ on the cross. While not all Greco-Roman forms of masculinity are as enlarged as the Herculean model, classical action films, pepla or otherwise, may purposely posit the two forms in opposition, especially those with overt or subverted Christianized hemes. This chapter focuses on representations of crucifixion, which Western cultures largely perceive as a Christian mode of death despite its origins in pre-Christian cultures. Richard Dyer characterises Christianity as ‘a religion whose sensibility is focused on the body’ (Dyer, 1997, p. 15). While this is debatable, the centra lily of Christ’s crucified body to Christian doctrine and iconography is beyond question. Leon Hunt describes the crucified body as contradictor)’, exhibiting passivity and control, humiliation and nobility (of sacrifice), eroticism and (religious) transcendence (Hunt, 1993, p. 73). Over the centuries, these contradictions have been carried over and often highlighted by representations of crucifixion, in various media, and associated images such as the martyred Saint Sebastian. Crucifixion—literal or figurative— is also a feature of classical epics, pepla and sword-and-sorcery films.