8 Movies to Watch if You Can’t Stop Thinking About the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire is having a bit of a moment right now.

If you spend a lot of time online, odds are you’ve seen the trend. Maybe you’ve been asked the question yourself: How often do you think about the Roman Empire?

If you haven’t, here’s the 4-1-1:

So, What Is The Roman Empire Trend?

It likely began with a September 5 post on X (formerly Twitter) from Rev. Kelsey Lewis Vincent

“I saw an IG Reel that said something along the lines of ‘women have no idea how often the men in their lives think about the Roman Empire.’ So I asked my husband: ‘How often do you think about the Roman Empire?'” she wrote. “And without missing a beat he said ‘Every day.’ Y’ALL! Why!?”

From there, more women began asking the men in their lives how often they think about the Roman Empire in Tiktok videos and Reels — and are shocked when they answer things along the lines of every day or a few times a week.

So now we’re all thinking about the Roman Empire, right?

8 Best Roman Empire Movies:

• Gladiator (2000)

  Ridley Scott’s historical epic Gladiator stars Russell Crowe as Maximus, a former Roman general who is forced into slavery by the corrupt emperor who murdered his family, and the lengths Maximus goes to exact revenge.

  where to stream Gladiator

• Spartacus (1960)

  Kirk Douglas stars as the titular character in Spartacus. The Stanley Kubrick-directed film follows Spartacus, a slave who leads a rebellion against Rome during the Third Servile War. Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Peter Ustinov (who won an Academy Award for his performance), and Charles Laughton are among the supporting cast.

  where to stream spartacus

• Julius Caesar (1953)

  A largely faithful adaptation of William Shakespeare’s play of the same name, Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Julius Caesar starred Louis Calhern as Caesar, with Marlon Brando appearing in the leading role of Mark Antony. The movie focuses on the period of time following Caesar’s return to Rome and rise to tyrannical power.

  where to stream julius caesar

• Cleopatra (1963)

  Another Mankiewicz picture, Cleopatra stars Elizabeth Taylor as the titular Queen of Egypt who manipulates Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) and Mark Antony (Richard Burton) in an attempt to resist Roman imperialism and save her own Egyptian empire.

  where to stream cleopatra

• Ben-Hur (1959)

  Though Ben-Hur is a religious epic set in Jerusalem, its plot revolves around Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston), a Jewish prince, facing the wrath of his childhood friend-turned-Roman consul Messala (Stephen Boyd); Judah is forced into galley slavery on a Roman ship, and the movie features a massive battle at sea.

  where to stream ben-hur

• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)

  Adapted from Stephen Sondheim, Burt Shevelove, and Larry Gelbart’s musical of the same name, …Forum is inspired by the farcical work of ancient Roman playwright Plautus and follows a slave who attempts to win his freedom by helping his master woo a girl from the house next door. It stars Zero Mostel and Jack Gilford, who starred in the stage production, Buster Keaton (in his last film role), Phil Silvers, Michael Crawford, Michael Hordern, and Roy Kinnear.

  where to stream a funny thing happened on the way to the forum

• History of the World, Part I (1981)

  One of the four main settings of Mel Brooks’ 1981 comedy, which parodies epic films, is the Roman Empire (fitting, considering how many Roman-set epics make this list!). Dom DeLuise plays Emperor Nero who, in Brooks’ version of Ancient Rome, presides over a eccentric society with his wife Nympho (Madeline Kahn).

  where to stream history of the world, part i

• Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

  Without saying too much, since Indy 5 only hit theaters a few months ago and has been streaming for barely a month, the final movie in this series does tie back to the Roman Empire. How? You’ll just have to watch it to find out…

  where to stream Indiana jones and the dial of destiny

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