What’s so Funny about Rome? A Look into Western Satirical Depictions of Ancient Rome

Ryan Tidwell

Advisor: Dr. John Clarke

Abstract

In this paper, I am delving into how A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), Fellini Satyricon (1971), Monty Python’s: Life of Brian (1979) and “I, Carambus” from The Simpsons (2020), changed the western idea of ancient Rome from a conservative and straight-laced society to a liberal and nuanced society. These satires caused this change by ridiculing the world of ancient Rome and the conservative ideals established by older depictions, like Ben Hur (1959), Quo Vadis (1953) or The Robe (1953). These older depictions used a masculine, conservative male protagonist to show what every Roman was like and what everybody should aspire too. But these satires challenged this notion by having the protagonist be a morally grey, sexually promiscuous and generally liberal Roman through comedy. This paper will discuss how comedic techniques were used, what influenced the creation of the depiction and how contemporary and modern audiences reacted to the depiction. In conclusion, by having the Romans act ridiculous for the audience, the western audience came to accept the idea that ancient Rome was a flawed society and not something to be revered.