Quo Vadis

[Octavia]

Hello everyone. I saw a movie called Quo Vadis which took place in the reign of Nero. I thought it was pretty good. What do you all think of it?

[M. Porcius Cato]

Hello everyone. I saw a movie called Quo Vadis which took place in the reign of Nero. I thought it was pretty good. What do you all think of it?

 

Great book, dumb movie. Personally, I can't stand these movies that portray Rome as some sort of degenerate society in need of Christ's salvation. Christianity didn't do much to alleviate the horror-fest that was the Dark Ages, that period immediately after the fall of Rome. This fact alone suggests that Roman culture was onto something that Christianity utterly failed to provide (viz., science, engineering, humanism, pride, and the love of beauty and pleasure--just to name a few). Unforunately, these Greco-Roman values are utterly ignored in movies like Quo Vadis, which similarly ignore wonderfully colorful Romans like Petronius and lavish slavish attention on insipid, colorless mediocrities like Lygia. IMHO.

[The Augusta]

Hello everyone. I saw a movie called Quo Vadis which took place in the reign of Nero. I thought it was pretty good. What do you all think of it?

 

Great book, dumb movie. Personally, I can't stand these movies that portray Rome as some sort of degenerate society in need of Christ's salvation. Christianity didn't do much to alleviate the horror-fest that was the Dark Ages, that period immediately after the fall of Rome. This fact alone suggests that Roman culture was onto something that Christianity utterly failed to provide (viz., science, engineering, humanism, pride, and the love of beauty and pleasure--just to name a few). Unforunately, these Greco-Roman values are utterly ignored in movies like Quo Vadis, which similarly ignore wonderfully colorful Romans like Petronius and lavish slavish attention on insipid, colorless mediocrities like Lygia. IMHO.

 

MPC - you always add wonderful, readable posts to the Forum. Sometimes, I agree with you, sometimes I don't - but you always have something worthwhile to say. And then there are posts like this one above, when I just sit back and think - 'Why didn't I write that one?'

 

Well said!

[Pertinax]

"applauds".

 

I was discussing the Seven Deadly Sins recently and opined that Pride far from being the apex of Sinfulness was the bedrock of humanity.Indeed the Classical virtues of pride and thoroughly hating, reviling and chastising ones enemies (vengefulness) whilst cherishing ones friends seem far more logical as the social and sociietal tools of mature peoples..

[M. Porcius Cato]

I always loved what Aristotle said of pride: "the crown of the virtues".

[Pertinax]

I always loved what Aristotle said of pride: "the crown of the virtues".

and why anyone considers meekness a virtue..well, words fail me.

[M. Porcius Cato]

Back to the topic of Quo Vadis, I really do heartily recommend the novel. It's written from a pro-Christian perspective, but it's very perceptive of the differences in worldview between classical Greco-Roman culture (as embodied by Petronius), the rising brutalism of the Imperial order (as embodied by Tiggelinus and Nero), and the new religion of Christianity (as embodied by Lygia). If you recall your Tacitus, you already know that Petronius isn't like the dour Stoic opponents of the Imperial order (who lionized Cato), but Petronius has no less integrity and honor--and considerably more wit and panache.

 

Also, in terms of historical correctness, few novels set in the ancient world get so many details correct while still getting the big picture right too.

[Octavia]

I always wondered if it was Poppaea who persuaded Nero to persicute the Christians or if it was Nero himself. Also, did the actress who played Poppaea play in any other movies?