Learn about how the province of Britannia has been depicted in cinema and television drama over the past century.
This course looks at Roman Britain on screen. It will examine various ideas about the depiction of the province, and how those have manifested themselves in productions over the years. The course includes dramatic movies, comedies, whole television series and broadcast versions of Shakespeare plays. In each class we will look at a particular category of Roman Britain on screen, and an example of that depiction.
All sessions are recorded, and the recordings distributed subsequently to ticket holders. You can join the course at any point, and receive all the previous recordings for the course.
9 January 2023
Introduction: Roman Britain on screen.
Boadicea (1927)
16 January 2023
The invasions of Julius Caesar:
Asterix in Britain (1986)
23 January 2023
The reign of Cunobelinus:
BBC Television Shakespeare: Cymbeline (1982)
30 January 2023
The conquest of Claudius:
Britannia (2018-2021)
6 February 2023
The revolt of Boudicca:
The Viking Queen (1967)
13 February 2023
Break week
20 February 2023
The Ninth Legion and Hadrian’s Wall, Part 1:
Doctor Who, ‘The Eaters of Light’ (2017)
27 February 2023
The Ninth Legion and Hadrian’s Wall, Part 2:
The Eagle of the Ninth (1977)
6 March 2023
The ‘historical’ Arthur:
King Arthur (2004)
13 March 2023
Britons abroad: Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)
20 March 2023
Outliers:
Chelmsford 123 (1988-1990)
