Plot Outline<\/h3>\n
The movie Agora<\/em>, follows the studies of the philosopher and mathematician, Hypatia as she attempts to understand the way that the planets, or \u201cwanderers\u201d as she calls them, move across the sky. Throughout the film she tests different theories, moving from the Ptolemaic system, which is Earth-centric and employs the use of epicycles, to the Aristarchus model, which is Heliocentric. In her studies, she is nagged by the wavering light of the planets as she tries to resolve how they orbit in a circle, which is in her opinion the most perfect shape. She is only able to reconcile this issue hours before her death when she realizes that the planets instead move in an ellipse.<\/p>\n In her dedication to her studies she spurns the love of her student, Orestes (Oscar Isaacs<\/a>), by presenting him with a bloody menstrual napkin after he declares his love for her; she is also oblivious to the lust that her slave, Davus (Max Minghella<\/a>) holds for her. A faithful follower of the Neoplatonist school of thought, she refuses to engage in the tumult that is caused by the clashes between pagans and Christians in Alexandria, invoking Euclid\u2019s first law when she sees her students Orestes and Synesius (Rupert Evans<\/a>) bickering over faith. Even when the pagans are called to attack the Christians, she forbids her students from fighting and continues to hold discussions after the pagans are barricaded inside the fortress-like temple of Serapis.<\/p>\n The only time Hypatia loses her temper is when the Roman emperor issues a decree that the Christians can dispose of the Library and Serapeum as they see fit, as punishment for the pagans\u2019 transgressions. While she frantically collects books from the library before the Christians break through the gates, she screams at Davus, telling him that he is a useless slave. This incident causes Davus to leave her and assist the Christians in their destruction. Eventually he joins the parabalani<\/em>, a group of black-robed Christian police led by Ammonius (Ashraf Barhom<\/a>). These men mock the teachings of Hypatia and other such ideas of learning; they teach Davus not to question the acts of God.<\/p>\n With the destruction of the Serapeum and the outlawing of paganism, things only get worse. The Christians, under the leadership of Bishop Cyril (Sami Samir<\/a>), turn a hateful eye to the Jews of Alexandria, attacking them during their Sabbath. Orestes, now Christian and a prefect, is powerless to subdue the hatred between the Christians and Jews; retaliation is inevitable. The Jews fight back, luring Christians into a church and stoning many of them to death. In response, Cyril calls for the death of the Jews, including women and children. Both Hypatia and Orestes try to calm the anger of the court, but they are unsuccessful and an emigration of Jews occurs as Synesius, now the Bishop of Cyrene, reenters the city.<\/p>\n Cyril, distrustful of Hypatia and hateful of her relationship with Orestes and Synesius, delivers a sermon in the old library, now converted into a church. In his sermon, he cites a passage from the Bible that women should always be submissive to men; he condemns Hypatia publicly, and tells all to kneel before the word of God. Orestes refuses and leaves under a hail of stones thrown by Ammonius, who is later executed for this action. Synesius comes to him later and derides him for his transgressions against God, causing Orestes to break down, apologizing to God, but stating that he could never condemn Hypatia.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the parabalani<\/em> join by Cyril in mourning Ammonius. Cyril declares Ammonius a saint and a martyr, whipping his brethren into anger; after he leaves, they begin to plot against Orestes, knowing that they can hurt him deeply by killing Hypatia. The next morning, Davus runs to warn her of their intentions, but in vain. They find her soon after she finishes a meeting with Orestes and Synesius, who tried and failed to convince her to be baptized into the Christian faith. With Davus following, she is dragged to the old Library and stripped of her clothes. As the parabalani<\/em> collect stones, Davus suffocates her and leaves. His black robed brethren mutilate her body.<\/p>\n While none of Hypatia\u2019s works survive, there are a few that focus on her. These include multiple letters sent to her by her student Synesius (later Bishop of Cyrene), Socrates Scholasticus\u2019s Ecclesiastical History<\/em>, Damascius\u2019s Life of Isidorus,<\/em> and the Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu \u2014the only source to condemn Hypatia. The text that has the most to say on Hypatia is Damascius\u2019 Life of Isidorus<\/em>, chapter 43. Here, he describes Hypatia\u2019s character with overwhelming praise. He states that she was not content with mathematics, but also studied philosophy, publicly lecturing on the works of Plato and Aristotle (Damascius, Isodorus<\/em> 43A). He also states that she outdid her father in her intellect. Damascius goes on to describe her as virtuous, prudent, and just (ibid. 43A). These are all characteristics that drive her character throughout the movie, allowing Rachel Weisz\u2019s portrayal to evoke an extreme empathy in the viewer.<\/p>\n Damascius, a Neoplatonist himself, had obvious reasons for praising Hypatia and for portraying her in this light. Neoplatonist philosophies were based on the ability to form constructions from an abstract idea, such as mathematics or beauty (Deakin 2007, 35-6). Since their world was one of ideas, with the concrete world as perceived through the senses coming in second, Hypatia\u2019s ability to shun the material desires of humanity were extremely praiseworthy (ibid. 36). Damascius expounds this idea through the anecdote of Hypatia presenting one of her students with a cloth soiled in menstrual blood to abate his affections (Damascius 43A).<\/p>\n Hypatia\u2019s Neoplatonist viewpoints would have contributed to her interest in mathematics, for mathematics is the most studied form of the abstraction mentioned earlier (Deakin 2007, 36). These studies also take on a religious aspect, for Neoplatonism contains religious elements not unlike Christianity (Deakin 2007, 80). Neoplatonist thought contains the idea of a \u201cOne\u201d who is also \u201cidentified with the Good\u201d and the means of finding union with the \u201cOne\u201d are part of their studies in abstraction, which means separating themselves from the material world (ibid. 37). This realization makes sense of Synesius\u2019s continued adoration of Hypatia throughout his life, even though he was a Christian (ibid. 84). The movie also makes a clever play at her beliefs when she responds that she believes in philosophy when she is accused of believing in nothing at all (1:24:28-1:24:39). Taken out of context, this line implies atheist views. However, with the knowledge of Plato\u2019s philosophies and Neoplatonist beliefs, it simply shows that her beliefs differ slightly from that of the Christians.<\/p>\n The movie Agora<\/em> uses primary source accounts such as this description of Hypatia, as well as political incidents and other events as a strong back bone, building the plot around it. The writers also use any holes or ambiguities in the sources to their advantage. For example, they recast the youth in Damascius\u2019s anecdote about Hypatia and the menstrual cloth as Orestes, whose attempts to woo her fail throughout multiple scenes. There is significant evidence to show that Hypatia and Orestes had a close relationship, so much so that it is mentioned in the Chronicle of John, Bishop of Nikiu. John states that Hypatia had gained Orestes\u2019s support by \u201cbeguiling\u201d him (Chronicle of John LXXXIV, 100). The knowledge of this account, although it was slanderous, creates an easy step for the filmmakers to combine the figure of Orestes and the youth. Furthermore, this combination is a means for the filmmakers to heighten the drama between Cyril and Orestes, as Cyril starts to make moves to condemn the woman who Orestes has loved for years.<\/p>\n Another area of ambiguity that the filmmakers use to their advantage is the absence of knowledge around Hypatia\u2019s studies. The Suda states that she published three commentaries, one on Diophantus, one on astronomy, and one on Apollonian Conics (Suidas, Hypatia). This, and her aforementioned studies of philosophy and mathematics, is the extent of the knowledge about her work that has come down to us. Because of this lack of knowledge, the filmmakers take Hypatia\u2019s studies to a symbolic level as she is shown trying to prove the existence of an orderly and peaceful cosmos in the midst of constant turmoil and bloodshed. The fact that we know her father, Theon, was the last president of the Museum of Alexandria\u2014an institution of higher learning\u2014also adds a symbolic nature to their relationship and the idea of the loss of knowledge via religious turmoil (Deakin 1994, 234). Such symbolism takes form as Hypatia is killed by Christians mere hours after her groundbreaking discovery in the shell of the library her father once tended. This hints that not only knowledge has been stripped from the Earth, but the means by which to acquire it has also been lost.<\/p>\n Although the film received strong backlash for its portrayal of Christians as violent and unintelligent, we can see again that the ancient sources are there to back this up. Almost all of the incidents of violence in Agora<\/em>, whether incited by Christians, Jews, or Hellenes, can be found in multiple places. The violent acts of a group of black cloaked monks are also written about, which did, in fact include a man named Ammonius who attacked Orestes with a stone after accusing him of being a pagan and was later executed for it (Kaplow 2006, 12). Another accurate example of this religious anger is the destruction of the Serapeum, which the filmmakers mix with the Library, using Theon\u2019s timeline to their advantage once more. According to the information available to us, after a riot that caused the death of many Christians, the Hellenes barred themselves in the Serapeum, only to flee from it when the Emperor declared the Christians could destroy it (Kapalow 20006, 10). It can also be seen through these sources that although no party was innocent, the Christians almost always were the ones to incite the violence and were usually victorious when the bloodshed ended, something that the movie makes very explicit (Kapalow 2006, 22).<\/p>\n Agora<\/em> also accurately shows how each of these violent clashes incited the next, causing a cycle of murder and bloodshed that began with the destruction of the Serapeum, included clashes between the Christians and the Jews, and ultimately ended in Hypatia\u2019s death (Kapalow 2006, 1). There is much debate among scholars, however, as to whether Cyril was the one who called for Hypatia\u2019s death. Damascius states that Cyril had Hypatia killed out of jealousy for her popularity (Damascius 43E). While this statement tends to highlight his Neoplatonist beliefs and contrast Hypatia\u2019s virtues with Cyril\u2019s villainy, other sources agree; for instance, the Chronicle of John praises Cyril for disposing of her (Chronicle of John LXXXIV, 103). But modern scholars, such as J. M. Rist, say that Cyril\u2019s involvement would be unlikely (Rist 1965, 222). Rist says in his translation of the Suda, that those who killed Hypatia were monks (ibid. 222). We do know that after Ammonius was executed, Cyril spoke his eulogy, and proclaimed him a martyr, as he did in the movie (Kaplow 2006, 12). This act was a direct means of undermining Orestes and could have incited the other monks to violence, due to Orestes close ties with Hypatia (ibid. 12). The Chronicle of John\u2014like the parabalani<\/em> in the film as they dragged her up the stairs into the library\u2014states that Hypatia was a corrupting figure, saying that she dealt in magic and used her satanic wiles to gain followers (Chronicle of John LXXXIV, 87). Although this crescendo of violence seems too dramatic to be true, enough sources and accounts exist to show that the filmmakers of Agora<\/em> definitely did their research.<\/p>\n As can be seen by the obvious effort to research the historical context of 4th century Alexandria, Amen\u00e1bar took great pains to create a believable movie that would transport the viewer back in time (Olsen 2010). He called it archaeology and said that it was a great feeling whenever they found something real to add to the script (\u201cTIFF Alejandro Amen\u00e1bar AGORA Movie Interview\u201d 2010, 5:18-5:25). For example, he showed the crew images of late Roman Egyptian tomb portraits, proclaiming that they were reference photographs, or \u201cthe Bible\u201d because of their level of realism, a theme that the movie pushed forth (5:25-5:46). Amen\u00e1bar also stated that he wanted to show viewers as much as possible, the long streets, the architecture, the lighthouse, to truly envelop them in this world (2:50-3:14). He used giant sets and practical camera effects so that the characters had to move and react to a real space even though such effects would have been easier and cheaper to fabricate with computer generation (Olsen 2010). For example, when the Christians are destroying the Library, the camera pans upwards, over the dome, and then backwards, upside down (52:06-54:48). He also employed the use of impressive aerial shots to show the chaos on the streets, causing the Christians (who are cloaked in black) to look like an army of ants, running books out of the library to the fire pits to be burned (54:48-55:06). Because Amen\u00e1bar felt that the actors had to physically interact with the space to give convincing performances, his crew constructed massive sets, employed thousands of extras, and shot the movie in the arid climate of Malta (Olsen 2010). Because of this, the movie took on the classic sword and sandal adventure style. The difference, however, lies in what Agora is actually about. For, as Olsen states, it contradicts the tropes of its genre; it is not only an action adventure, it is a movie about ideas. Amen\u00e1bar states, \u201cthe real heroes in the movie are not the ones who use their swords, but the ones who use their minds\u201d (Olsen 2010).<\/p>\n Rachel Weisz elaborated on this aspect of the film by discussing her portrayal of Hypatia and her views of the making of Agora. She stated that \u201ceven though it\u2019s about ideas, what I wanted to portray was passion [. . .] I didn\u2019t want her to be cold. There\u2019s no love story, her love affair is with her work. To show passion for ideas, it\u2019s definitely challenging\u201d (Olsen 2010). Amen\u00e1bar chose Weisz to play the part for the very same reasons, stating that she is \u201cincredibly smart [. . .] so honest, so passionate (\u201cTIFF\u201d 2010, 2:11-2:21). Weisz said that what drew her to Agora was the naturalism in the acting and the realism of the film. She said that this is a film about today; it deals with contemporary issues of religious violence and the clash of religion and science (\u201cRachel Weisz Exclusive Interview for the movie Agora\u201d 2013, 1:15-1:40). Amen\u00e1bar related that the reason for the large camera pan outs that he creates to show the sounds of the Earth and the sounds of humans was to show that we sound no different today than we did then. We are still nasty and cruel to each other when faced with opposition (\u201cTIFF\u201d 2010, 3:50-4:12).<\/p>\n Max Minghella also spoke on the creation and portrayal of his character, Davus. Davus was a completely fabricated character, created to act as eyes for the audience and a bridge between the idealism of Hypatia\u2014who represented intellectualism\u2014and the aggressive faith of Ammonius, who represented the pervasiveness of the Christians (\u201cEntrevista a Max Minghella y Oscar Isaac por Agora\u201d 2009 2:45). Amen\u00e1bar discussed how Davus is desperately in love with his mistress, Hypatia, and only learns astronomy because he wants to show her that he can be as smart as her other students (\u201cMax Minghella – Behind the Scenes of Agora<\/em>\u201d 2013, 0:16-0:24).<\/p>\n Minghella stated that part of his job in acting this character was to figure out how much of his studies were because of his lust as opposed to his interest in learning (0:29-0:41). Hypatia\u2019s flaw, however, is that she could never see Davus as an equal, as seen when she screams at him in the Library, stating that slaves are never around when one needs them (48:37-48:54). Davus\u2019 realization of this flaw is a major part of his decision to become a Christian. \u00a0In contrast to her beliefs on this matter, Ammonius teaches Davus that the Christian God views and embraces all His followers as equal, regardless of social standing (\u201cMax Minghella\u201d 2013, 1:40-1:53). Rachel Weisz explained that the point of the bath scene was to show that Hypatia barely even acknowledges Davus is a man, since she leaves the tub completely unabashedly to be dried by the slaves, including Davus. This is recalled at the end when her clothes are ripped off by the parabalani<\/em> and she is shown completely vulnerable and afraid (\u201cRachel Weisz\u201d 2013, 3:39-3:50). Such conflict of social views creates another interesting dynamic to the already complex movie.<\/p>\n Although Amen\u00e1bar and the cast talk openly about their experiences and the creation of the film, there is a lot left unsaid. While Amen\u00e1bar mentions that this film is about today and hints about its views on religion, he leaves out the fact that there is a very obvious tilt toward the ideas of Islamic extremism. The evidence lies in the casting. While the Hellenes\u2019 pale skin and posh British accents are not unusual in a sword and sandal film, Ammonius and Cyril\u2019s Arabic intonation become immediately obvious. Both actors, who are Israeli and Egyptian respectively, play the most extreme and violent characters in the movie (\u201cAshraf Barhom\u201d; \u201cSammi Samir\u201d). They incite chaos in multiple scenes and seek to undermine the ideals of learning and scholarship which Hypatia and her followers hold dear. It is important to note that the Christians in the film who respect Hypatia and her interests, such as Synesius and Davus, speak with the same British lilt as the Hellenes. That being said, I argue the casting and accent decisions were made in attempt to make this movie relevant to issues that are pressing the world today, much in the same way as the large pan outs. Contrary to the beliefs of many angry Christians who oppose this movie on the basis that Amen\u00e1bar, an atheist, created Agora to push an atheist agenda, this movie instead acts as a cautionary tale for anyone who believe that there is no compromise for their ideologies (Mark 2014, 1).<\/p>\n If one looks closely at each character, it is easy to see that none of them are without flaws. Hypatia is as unwilling to compromise her beliefs as Ammonius, to the point that the two characters act as foils for one another. They exist as opposites in this movie and seek to portray the two extremes of opposing beliefs; both are doomed to be martyred for their strict ideologies. Ammonius who is led by impulse, righteousness, and revenge, relies on his faith in God to guide him through a bond which is so strong that he claims that God speaks to him \u201cso quickly\u201d that he has to ask Him to slow down. (1:21:00-1:21:13). Hypatia, led by reason and logic, talks many times of allowing bygones to be bygones for fear of a self-perpetuating circle of violence. Hypatia is, for the most part, unaffected by the turmoil in the streets, looking down on high from the balcony of her fortress-like house where she conducts most of her research. Although she speaks in court about the issues plaguing the city, she does nothing to help those around her and searches constantly for proof of a perfect cosmos, even though there is evidence all around her that this is not the case. However, unlike Ammonius and his chatty God, Hypatia is constantly vexed by the mysteries that the wanderers are hiding from her.<\/p>\n Ammonius, however, lives on the streets, willing to jump to the occasion when the alarm rises for a fire. When he is feeding the poor, he teaches Davus that money is nothing when one can help those around him. Ammonius also shows him how to have faith in powers beyond his control and welcomes him like a brother into his band of monks. Davus learned the opposite from Hypatia, who taught him to constantly question his beliefs, but was never able to treat him as an equal. Such opposing idealism creates a rift that cannot be bridged. Though they never interact, they are connected through Davus who is able to see both characters\u2019 fatal flaws as the movie progresses. Like Davus, the viewer needs to realize that neither of these ideologies are without flaws and the inability to compromise is what leads to each characters\u2019 ultimate destruction.<\/p>\n In fact, the character who is most willing to take a moderate view on his beliefs is Orestes, who embodies thoughtful and questioning views throughout the movie. For example, he allows Hypatia to spurn his love without retaliation and states when the Serapeum is under siege that he might as well find a new religion (40:54-41:02). He also refuses to take the gospel as law, as seen when he refuses to bow, and only acknowledges his insult to God when Synesius comes to him later to discuss Cyril. In this scene, his outpouring of emotion and anguish shows that he is a devoted follower of the Christian faith, regardless of his transgression earlier that day. However, unlike the other characters in the film, he is unwilling to compromise his personal convictions for a greater idea, whether it may be philosophy or religion. Instead, he disappears after Hypatia\u2019s death, something that the movie uses as a means to illustrate that he is unwilling to bend to Cyril\u2019s will any longer.<\/p>\n For her part, Hypatia refuses to compromise her ideologies of Neoplatonism to the point where she dismisses the guards who are willing to escort her home at the end of the movie. This decision ultimately leads to her death. Instead of pushing an atheist agenda, Amen\u00e1bar is pushing one of moderation. We live in a world that contains many opposing viewpoints, but in the end, Euclid\u2019s first law rings true and there are more things that \u201cunite us than divide us\u201d (14:56).<\/p>\n The idea of power overruling moderation and reason is another compelling theme in this film. There are many points in the movie where Orestes tries to put in place moderate edicts and laws that are soon negated by the threats of violence made by Cyril and his followers. Similarly, Hypatia\u2019s use of reasoning in court never seeks to incite any change, as she has no real power and no followers. Because those who value reason and moderation are unable to control the more violent, more extreme forces at play, injustices occur. These injustices result in the exile of the Jews from Alexandria, as Cyril calls for the death of women and children, something that Orestes cannot publicly oppose without the danger of the Christian half of the city rising against him. The strength of these violent forces only seeks to empower people like Ammonius, who claims that his actions are God\u2019s will (1:22:22-1:22:27). Such powers force all of the dignitaries to be baptized in public in the end. When Hypatia opposes this, and Orestes tries to persuade her by saying that he cannot fight this battle against Cyril alone, Hypatia states that if her only means of surviving is to become a Christian, then \u201cCyril has already won\u201d, perfectly summing up the main issue at play in the movie (1:51:57-1:52:06).<\/p>\n The movie Agora<\/em> attempts and, I believe, achieves its goal of causing viewers to think critically about the belief set they follow, whether it be a philosophy, political party, or religion. Amen\u00e1bar uses actual historical accounts of this time period to portray a theme that continues to repeat itself throughout thousands of years of human history. He shows with an impartial eye that all parties are guilty of blind faith in some capacity, which causes many of the characters\u2019 ultimate destruction. In the end, he points a finger at the viewer, cautioning us to live a life of moderation, for otherwise only violence and ignorance can ensue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (Header Image:\u00a0“Death of the philosopher Hypatia, in Alexandria,” \u00a0by Louis Figuier. Published in Vies des savants illustres, depuis l’antiquit\u00e9 jusqu’au dix-neuvi\u00e8me si\u00e8cle<\/em>, 1866. Public Domain {{PD-1996}})<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Agora<\/a><\/em>. Directed by Alejandro Amen\u00e1bar. 2009. Santa Monica, CA: Lionsgate, 2010. DVD. IMDb.com.<\/p>\n \u201cTIFF Alejandro Amenabar AGORA Movie Interview.\u201d<\/a> YouTube video, 8:13. June 4, 2010.<\/p>\n Damascius. The Philosophical History<\/em>. Ed. and trans. Polymnia Athanassiadi. Athens: Apamea Cultural Association, 1999.<\/p>\n Deakin, Michael A. B. Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr<\/em>. Amherst: Prometheus Books, 2007.<\/p>\n —. \u201cHypatia and Her Mathematics.\u201d The American Mathematical Monthly<\/em> 101.3 (1994): 234-243.<\/p>\n \u201cEntrevista a Max Minghella y Oscar Isaac por Agora.\u201d<\/a> Youtube video, 3:50. Oct. 14, 2009.<\/p>\n John of Nikiu. The Chronicle of John, Coptic Bishop of Nikiu: Being a History of Egypt Before and During the Arab Conquest<\/em>. Trans. Herman Zotenberg. Amsterdam: APA – Philo Press, 1850.<\/p>\n Kaplow, Lauren. \u201cReligious and Intercommunal Violence in Alexandria in the 4th and 5th centuries CE.\u201d Hirundo: The McGill Journal of Classical Studies<\/em> 4. 2-26 (2005-2006): 1-26.<\/p>\n Mark, Joshua J. \u201cHistorical Accuracy in the Film Agora<\/em><\/a>.\u201d Ancient History Encyclopedia. February 17, 2014.<\/p>\n Olsen, Mark. \u201cIndie Focus: In \u2018Agora,\u2019 a faceoff between faith and science<\/a>.\u201d Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2010.<\/p>\n Rist, J. M. \u201cHypatia.\u201d Phoenix<\/em> 19.3 (1965): 214-225.<\/p>\n \u201cSami Samir<\/a>.\u201d IMDb.com.<\/p>\n Suidas. \u201c Suidae Lexicon.\u201d Trans. A. Adler. In Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr<\/em>, edited by Michael A. B. Deakin, 137-139. Amherst: Prometheus Books, 2007.<\/p>\n TheCinemaSource. Rachel Weisz Exclusive Interview for the movie Agora<\/a>. Youtube video, 4:14. June 6, 2013.<\/p>\n \u201cMax Minghella – Behind the Scenes of Agora.<\/em>\u201d<\/a> Youtube video, 2:32. June 11, 2011.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hollywood and History is an on-going series featuring\u00a0the\u00a0original work\u00a0of students in the course Ancient Worlds on Film. Papers have been slightly edited for publication.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Joelle Cicak The 2009 Spanish film, Agora, directed by Alejandro Amen\u00e1bar, is a historical drama that follows the religious upheaval of 4th century AD Alexandria and the life of the female philosopher, Hypatia (Rachel Weisz). This film examines the issue of fanaticized religion and preaches ideas of moderation, as well as the ability to … Continue reading Hollywood and History: Agora (2009)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3387,"featured_media":58,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[138309],"tags":[138296,138295],"class_list":["post-55","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ancient-worlds-on-film","tag-classical-history-on-film","tag-hollywood-and-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3387"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Historical Background<\/h3>\n
![\"Christians](\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/files\/2017\/02\/agora-christians-destroying-statues-300x194.jpg\")
Making the Movie<\/h3>\n
Themes and Interpretations<\/h3>\n
![\"Screenshot](\"http:\/\/blogs.dickinson.edu\/classicalstudies\/files\/2017\/02\/Amenabar-agora-300x225.jpg\")
Conclusion<\/h3>\n
Work Cited<\/h3>\n