The Good, the Bad and the Ancient: Essays on the Greco-Roman Influence in Westerns

Although Americans are no longer compelled to learn Greek and Latin, the classical ideals embedded into the U.S. have not altered. There is still a constant allusion to the Greek and Roman Greats in American law and politics, philosophy, oratory, history and play. These republican values are especially relevant in popular culture. Aristotle, Homer, Cicero and Cato are all alive and well in Hollywood. Outstanding film and television directors (such as John Ford, Raoul Walsh, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann and Sam Peckinpah) drew inspiration from antiquity when creating the Wild West, and the Graeco-Roman values and influences in their work have shaped our conceptions of the West for years.

This thought-provoking, first-of-its-kind collection of essays celebrates, affirms and critiques the West’s relationship with the classical world. Explored are films like Cheyenne Autumn, The Wild Bunch, The Track of the Cat, Trooper Hook, Hellgate, The Furies, Heaven’s Gate, and Slow West, as well as serials like Gunsmoke and Lonesome Dove.