Arveh, and welcome to Emperors of Rome, a Roman history podcast from La Trobe University.

I'm your host Matt Smith, and with me today is Riannon Evans,

Associate Professor in Classics and Ancient History at La Trobe University.

This is episode CCXXVI.XVI.

The Madness of Cometus.

To celebrate the 10th year of the Emperors of Rome podcast,

Rianan and myself convened at a screening of the epic movie Gladiator starring Russell Crow.

It was preceded by a live podcast recording,

in which we discussed the history and basis of the character Comedus portrayed by

Joaquin Phoenix. It was held at the Thornbury Picture House in Melbourne

Australia. Here's Rianna Evans. As we are gathered here to watch a movie of

Gladiator which for the record I have never seen

on the big screen. I have because I'm older than you. What would you like to say at the opening

of this podcast? What of your thoughts on the film and the historical accuracy and what we're

about to sit through with the big rusty kind of screaming at the audience? I feel very intimidated by having this behind me. I feel like, you know, it's just, it's a lot.

Just don't make eye contact with him.

Well, I have seen it more recently, probably than you, with my students. We're probably going to

ruin it for you now by telling you what's wrong with. There's going to be spoilers in this podcast, sorry.

Well, not only that kind of ruin, but hopefully we'll enhance it for you.

It is very much a Hollywood movie.

It revived the ancient epic film, which is no mean feat, and had been killed off really in the early

1960s by a film that this is in large part based on, not Cleopatra, which many people say killed it off,

...