USA 250: “I’m Spartacus!”

American Roman cinema functions as a mirror for modern political anxieties, using the ancient world to navigate contemporary American identity. *Spartacus* (1960) serves as a critique of McCarthy-era institutional persecution, where the iconic line of solidarity challenges the era's forced betrayals. Conversely, Ridley Scott’s *Gladiator* (2000) evokes a nostalgic, Cincinnatus-like ideal of the virtuous citizen-leader, reflecting post-millennial concerns regarding the corruption of democratic values and the transition from republic to empire. Guest Maria Wyke, Professor of Latin at University College London, highlights how these films project American values onto history, often distorting the past to address domestic controversies. While these epics frequently lack a singular, coherent political message, they remain essential cultural artifacts that reveal how America continuously reinterprets Rome to define its own place in the world.