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0 / 31 Fotos
Roman gladiators
- If you've watched any Hollywood movies set in ancient Rome, you probably got the impression that all gladiators were men. Particularly men who had been enslaved and who quite often fought to the death.
© NL Beeld
1 / 31 Fotos
Roman gladiators
- In fact, before 200 CE, women used to be allowed to fight other women in the arena.
© NL Beeld
2 / 31 Fotos
Roman gladiators
- And not all gladiators were criminals or slaves. Indeed, they were treated like popular sports stars, much like pro boxers or MMA fighters are nowadays. For this reason, many (free) people wanted to become gladiators.
© NL Beeld
3 / 31 Fotos
Scottish warriors in the 13th century
- Mel Gibson playing William Wallace with his face painted blue in 'Braveheart' (1995) is an iconic image. But while Scottish men did paint their faces blue while fighting against the Romans, this was not the case when the country first fought for independence from the English.
© NL Beeld
4 / 31 Fotos
Scottish warriors in the 13th century
- Another thing that Hollywood movies set around the same time get wrong is the use of kilts by men in battle.
© NL Beeld
5 / 31 Fotos
Scottish warriors in the 13th century
- Kilts had not even been invented around that time. Scottish warriors would wear long tunics and a belt around their waist.
© NL Beeld
6 / 31 Fotos
Currency
- We often see large gold coins being used in movies set in ancient Rome, Greece, or Egypt.
© NL Beeld
7 / 31 Fotos
Currency
- But gold coins were not used for currency in Sparta, for instance. Instead, jewels and precious metals were used to make payments.
© NL Beeld
8 / 31 Fotos
Currency
- In 'Troy' (2004), we can see large gold coins being placed on soldiers' eyes. But history tells us that the Trojan War occurred somewhere between 1334 to 1135 BCE, and there were no gold coins at the time.
© NL Beeld
9 / 31 Fotos
Vikings
- Vikings are usually depicted as blood-thirsty, barbaric northern peoples who just think about pillaging and conquering new lands.
© NL Beeld
10 / 31 Fotos
Vikings
- While there is an element of truth when it comes to the use of violence, the Vikings were nonetheless a nomadic people looking for new lands.
© NL Beeld
11 / 31 Fotos
Vikings
- So, deep down they were a community trying to survive the harsh Scandinavian winter. Looking for new places where crops would grow and livestock could be kept was the driving force.
© NL Beeld
12 / 31 Fotos
Personal hygiene
- Unlike many Hollywood movies portray, not everyone was covered in filth back in the day.
© NL Beeld
13 / 31 Fotos
Personal hygiene
- Sure, peasants in the Middle Ages might have struggled to keep clean sometimes, but humans have always made efforts to stay on top of their personal hygiene.
© NL Beeld
14 / 31 Fotos
Personal hygiene
- From deodorants in ancient Egypt to bathhouses in ancient Rome, humans have long since strived to keep clean and smell nice.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Battles
- We've all seen it: disorganized opposing armies charging at each other, disregarding any other possible battle tactics.
© NL Beeld
16 / 31 Fotos
Battles
- While many battles went down this way, there was usually a lot more to it. Specific formations of special military units were often used, rather than just randomly running towards the enemy army.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Battles
- Archers would usually attack, and infantry units charge. Then lines of military units would be tactically sent into the battlefield.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Upper-class Roman women
- Upper-class Roman women are usually depicted as not only gorgeous, but also as powerful and influential. However, this was hardly the case in ancient Rome.
© NL Beeld
19 / 31 Fotos
Upper-class Roman women
- The reality was a bit different. These women were expected to dedicate their lives to their husbands and children, and were not even allowed to walk alone in the street.
© NL Beeld
20 / 31 Fotos
Upper-class Roman women
- Upper-class Roman women would not really have a public role, nor engage in politics or any decisions. They also dressed more conservatively than they are usually portrayed in movies.
© NL Beeld
21 / 31 Fotos
Maya civilization
- This ancient Mesoamerican civilization is usually portrayed in movies as violent and primitive.
© NL Beeld
22 / 31 Fotos
Maya civilization
- The truth, however, is that the Maya peoples were actually quite civilized, and indeed sophisticated. They lived in organized cities, in houses made of stone, and were far from the barbaric warriors depicted by Hollywood.
© NL Beeld
23 / 31 Fotos
Maya civilization
- While other civilizations, such as the Aztecs, did indeed perform human sacrifices, there is no evidence that the Maya peoples engaged in the same practice.
© NL Beeld
24 / 31 Fotos
Ethnicity in ancient Egypt
- According to numerous Hollywood movies, ancient Egypt was full of white people. While it was indeed a multicultural area, this was hardly the case.
© NL Beeld
25 / 31 Fotos
Ethnicity in ancient Egypt
- This is particularly true in movies that depict Egyptian rulers, nobility, and even gods as being white.
© NL Beeld
26 / 31 Fotos
Ethnicity in ancient Egypt
- Egypt was, however, a pretty ethnically-diverse place, where people from different cultures lived. Still, the majority of nobles would at best have olive skin, but likely a darker skin color.
© NL Beeld
27 / 31 Fotos
Persian women
- If you watch movies such as 'The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption' (2012) or 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' (2010), among others, you'll notice that Persian women seem to wear revealing clothing.
© NL Beeld
28 / 31 Fotos
Persian women
- But showing off body parts was certainly a no-no back then. Women would traditionally cover their bodies with multilayered dresses.
© NL Beeld
29 / 31 Fotos
Persian women
- And showing some cleavage was certainly not an option either. Sources: (Vox) (National Geographic) (Ranker) (PBS) (Insider) (ThoughtCo) (Live Science) (Grunge) (Deutsche Welle)
© NL Beeld
30 / 31 Fotos
© NL Beeld
0 / 31 Fotos
Roman gladiators
- If you've watched any Hollywood movies set in ancient Rome, you probably got the impression that all gladiators were men. Particularly men who had been enslaved and who quite often fought to the death.
© NL Beeld
1 / 31 Fotos
Roman gladiators
- In fact, before 200 CE, women used to be allowed to fight other women in the arena.
© NL Beeld
2 / 31 Fotos
Roman gladiators
- And not all gladiators were criminals or slaves. Indeed, they were treated like popular sports stars, much like pro boxers or MMA fighters are nowadays. For this reason, many (free) people wanted to become gladiators.
© NL Beeld
3 / 31 Fotos
Scottish warriors in the 13th century
- Mel Gibson playing William Wallace with his face painted blue in 'Braveheart' (1995) is an iconic image. But while Scottish men did paint their faces blue while fighting against the Romans, this was not the case when the country first fought for independence from the English.
© NL Beeld
4 / 31 Fotos
Scottish warriors in the 13th century
- Another thing that Hollywood movies set around the same time get wrong is the use of kilts by men in battle.
© NL Beeld
5 / 31 Fotos
Scottish warriors in the 13th century
- Kilts had not even been invented around that time. Scottish warriors would wear long tunics and a belt around their waist.
© NL Beeld
6 / 31 Fotos
Currency
- We often see large gold coins being used in movies set in ancient Rome, Greece, or Egypt.
© NL Beeld
7 / 31 Fotos
Currency
- But gold coins were not used for currency in Sparta, for instance. Instead, jewels and precious metals were used to make payments.
© NL Beeld
8 / 31 Fotos
Currency
- In 'Troy' (2004), we can see large gold coins being placed on soldiers' eyes. But history tells us that the Trojan War occurred somewhere between 1334 to 1135 BCE, and there were no gold coins at the time.
© NL Beeld
9 / 31 Fotos
Vikings
- Vikings are usually depicted as blood-thirsty, barbaric northern peoples who just think about pillaging and conquering new lands.
© NL Beeld
10 / 31 Fotos
Vikings
- While there is an element of truth when it comes to the use of violence, the Vikings were nonetheless a nomadic people looking for new lands.
© NL Beeld
11 / 31 Fotos
Vikings
- So, deep down they were a community trying to survive the harsh Scandinavian winter. Looking for new places where crops would grow and livestock could be kept was the driving force.
© NL Beeld
12 / 31 Fotos
Personal hygiene
- Unlike many Hollywood movies portray, not everyone was covered in filth back in the day.
© NL Beeld
13 / 31 Fotos
Personal hygiene
- Sure, peasants in the Middle Ages might have struggled to keep clean sometimes, but humans have always made efforts to stay on top of their personal hygiene.
© NL Beeld
14 / 31 Fotos
Personal hygiene
- From deodorants in ancient Egypt to bathhouses in ancient Rome, humans have long since strived to keep clean and smell nice.
© Getty Images
15 / 31 Fotos
Battles
- We've all seen it: disorganized opposing armies charging at each other, disregarding any other possible battle tactics.
© NL Beeld
16 / 31 Fotos
Battles
- While many battles went down this way, there was usually a lot more to it. Specific formations of special military units were often used, rather than just randomly running towards the enemy army.
© Getty Images
17 / 31 Fotos
Battles
- Archers would usually attack, and infantry units charge. Then lines of military units would be tactically sent into the battlefield.
© Getty Images
18 / 31 Fotos
Upper-class Roman women
- Upper-class Roman women are usually depicted as not only gorgeous, but also as powerful and influential. However, this was hardly the case in ancient Rome.
© NL Beeld
19 / 31 Fotos
Upper-class Roman women
- The reality was a bit different. These women were expected to dedicate their lives to their husbands and children, and were not even allowed to walk alone in the street.
© NL Beeld
20 / 31 Fotos
Upper-class Roman women
- Upper-class Roman women would not really have a public role, nor engage in politics or any decisions. They also dressed more conservatively than they are usually portrayed in movies.
© NL Beeld
21 / 31 Fotos
Maya civilization
- This ancient Mesoamerican civilization is usually portrayed in movies as violent and primitive.
© NL Beeld
22 / 31 Fotos
Maya civilization
- The truth, however, is that the Maya peoples were actually quite civilized, and indeed sophisticated. They lived in organized cities, in houses made of stone, and were far from the barbaric warriors depicted by Hollywood.
© NL Beeld
23 / 31 Fotos
Maya civilization
- While other civilizations, such as the Aztecs, did indeed perform human sacrifices, there is no evidence that the Maya peoples engaged in the same practice.
© NL Beeld
24 / 31 Fotos
Ethnicity in ancient Egypt
- According to numerous Hollywood movies, ancient Egypt was full of white people. While it was indeed a multicultural area, this was hardly the case.
© NL Beeld
25 / 31 Fotos
Ethnicity in ancient Egypt
- This is particularly true in movies that depict Egyptian rulers, nobility, and even gods as being white.
© NL Beeld
26 / 31 Fotos
Ethnicity in ancient Egypt
- Egypt was, however, a pretty ethnically-diverse place, where people from different cultures lived. Still, the majority of nobles would at best have olive skin, but likely a darker skin color.
© NL Beeld
27 / 31 Fotos
Persian women
- If you watch movies such as 'The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption' (2012) or 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time' (2010), among others, you'll notice that Persian women seem to wear revealing clothing.
© NL Beeld
28 / 31 Fotos
Persian women
- But showing off body parts was certainly a no-no back then. Women would traditionally cover their bodies with multilayered dresses.
© NL Beeld
29 / 31 Fotos
Persian women
- And showing some cleavage was certainly not an option either. Sources: (Vox) (National Geographic) (Ranker) (PBS) (Insider) (ThoughtCo) (Live Science) (Grunge) (Deutsche Welle)
© NL Beeld
30 / 31 Fotos
Things Hollywood gets wrong about ancient societies
Debunking some myths and stereotypes
© NL Beeld
The Vikings were blood-thirsty northern peoples, and 13th-century Scottish warriors wore kilts to battle, right? Well, not quite. For many years, Hollywood has been responsible for perpetuating numerous myths and stereotypes about ancient civilizations. Think about it: were gladiators really just slaves who battled to the death?
Click through the following gallery and discover the things Hollywood gets wrong about ancient societies.
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