Fall of the Roman Empire

Martin M. Winkler is Professor of Classics at George Mason University. He is the editor of Gladiator (Blackwell, 2004), Spartacus (Blackwell, 2007) and Troy (Blackwell, 2006) and the author of The Roman Salute (2009) and Cinema and Classical Texts (2009). He has also published numerous articles on Roman literature and filmic retellings of classical and medieval history and myth.

• List of Illustrations viiNotes on Contributors ixEditor's Preface xii1. A Critical Appreciation of The Fall of the Roman Empire 1Martin M. Winkler2. History, Ancient and Modern, in The Fall of the Roman Empire 51Allen M. Ward3. Marcus Aurelius: The Empire Over Himself 89Diskin Clay4. Was Commodus Really That Bad? 102Eleonora Cavallini5. East and West in The Fall of the Roman Empire 117Jan Willem Drijvers6. Empire Demolition 130Anthony Mann7. Excerpts from the American Souvenir Program of The Fall of the Roman Empire 1361. A Prologue by Will Durant 1372. The Roman Forum: In Ruins Today . . . and Re-Created 1393. An Epilogue 1438. Edward Gibbon and The Fall of the Roman Empire 145Martin M. Winkler9. Fact, Fiction, and the Feeling of History 174Martin M. Winkler10. Peace and Power in The Fall of the Roman Empire 225Ward W. Briggs, Jr.11. The Politics of The Fall of the Roman Empire 241Peter W. Rose12. Excerpts from Edward Gibbon 2621. Marcus Aurelius and His Time 2622. The Auction of the Empire 266The Chief Ancient Sources on Marcus Aurelius 2711. Cassius Dio 2712. The Augustan History: Marcus Antoninus the Philosopher 2823. Herodian 298Chronology: The Roman Empire at the Time of Marcus Aurelius 302Bibliography 305Index 327

"Useful perspectives and controversial points of discussion." (Scholia Reviews, 2009) “A comprehensive treatment of an underappreciated film from a variety of critical perspectives” (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2010) “After reading the book, I reviewed The Fall of the Roman Empire, this time better informed about the director, the history (Roman and cinematic), the political and social issues of the day, details about production, comparison with contemporary and later films, and much more. Viewing the film from this expansive vantage point made for a rich experience.”(Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, July 2011)