As a historian, all I can say is that this show promised us proof of not only FEMALE GLADIATIORS, a rare thing for sure, but female gladiators in London, all narrated by Lucy Lawless, XENA herself, so it must be true, right? WRONG.
If you pay close attention to the details presented,as opposed to all the stuff we are assured is "proof", we see the story falls apart. The body referenced is in its mid-30's which Lawless repeatedly stresses is "in the prime of life" over and over again in the script as if ancient Roman Britain was Los Angeles replete with Pilates studios, pricey nutritionists and Day spas with herb wraps. A woman that age, in that culture, in the condition she was found, with all the items indicating the cult of Isis, was most likely what she appeared to be: a house- servant and not some She-Gal warrior Chic. Had she been a female version of "Ah-nold" she would have shown much more damage to her skeleton AND more crucially, much more thick muscular development which can be seen from where it attaches to the bones.
Also, the producers skirt around the issue that the grave site is near a household site making her slavehood more likely and that no proof ever existed of Female Galdiators outside of Rome and even in Rome that proof is scarce. This is a shameful use of Lucy Lawless to promote barely laughable "history". Here's hoping she steers clear of such attempts to exploit her XENA fame in the future ans seeks more firmer scientific ground should she endorse such a project again.
If you pay close attention to the details presented,as opposed to all the stuff we are assured is "proof", we see the story falls apart. The body referenced is in its mid-30's which Lawless repeatedly stresses is "in the prime of life" over and over again in the script as if ancient Roman Britain was Los Angeles replete with Pilates studios, pricey nutritionists and Day spas with herb wraps. A woman that age, in that culture, in the condition she was found, with all the items indicating the cult of Isis, was most likely what she appeared to be: a house- servant and not some She-Gal warrior Chic. Had she been a female version of "Ah-nold" she would have shown much more damage to her skeleton AND more crucially, much more thick muscular development which can be seen from where it attaches to the bones.
Also, the producers skirt around the issue that the grave site is near a household site making her slavehood more likely and that no proof ever existed of Female Galdiators outside of Rome and even in Rome that proof is scarce. This is a shameful use of Lucy Lawless to promote barely laughable "history". Here's hoping she steers clear of such attempts to exploit her XENA fame in the future ans seeks more firmer scientific ground should she endorse such a project again.
