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How about a Historical TV series set in Ancient Alexandria????

posted 15 years ago by Mithrandir-Olorin888
9 replies | jump to latest

In my opinion the Hellenistic era was the Golden Age of the ancient world, and Alexandria was the center of the Hellenistic world.

http://tinyurl.com/3ahro5q

The 3rd Century B.C. would be the best time to set it, probably latter so it can reference stuff that happened before.

Right now I'm in the formative stages of coming up with an Idea in my head for a show that would start in 220 B.C.

Time wouldn't move quite as fast as it does on The Tudors, it's not about trying to chronicle anyone's reign, but about showing the Awesomeness of The Library in a historical backdrop.

There would be included lots of characters not all historical, cause it should also show some normal daily life in Alexandria, not just the acts of significant people.

Regardless the following historical figures are all around when the show would start, and will have reason to appear on it.

The Ptolemaic dynasty
King Ptolemy Philopator
Queen Arsinoe, Royal Sister-Wife of Ptolemy
Lysimachus, Younger brother of Ptolemy
Alexander, Younger brother of Ptolemy

Egyptian Politicians
Sosibios
Oenanthe, a Meaned
Agathocles, son of Oenanthe
Agathoclea, daughter of Onanthe
Ino, daughter of Onanthe
Autonoe, daughter of Onanthe
Theognetos Diognetos
Nicon
Philo
Philammon

Greek Scientists
Eratosthenes of Cyrene
Archimedes of Syracuse
Aristophanes of Byzantium
Apollonius of Perga

Stoic Philosophers
Chrysippus of Soli
Zeno of Tarsus

Epicurean Philosophers
Polystratus the Epicurean
Dionysius of Lamptrai
Basilides the Epicurean

Jews
Simon, The High Priest
Aristobulus of Paneas

High Priesthood of Memphis
Horemakhet, High Priest of Memphis
Nefertiti, wife of Horemakhet
Nebetudjai, wife of Horemakhet
Anemhor, Master of secrets of Osiris & master of Rosetau
Horemhotep, brother of Horemakhet

High Presithood of Letopolis
Ahmes, High Preist of Letopolis
Tadjetuser, wife of Ahmes
Horemhotep, brother of Ahmes
Wennefer, brother of Ahmes
Semsem, wife of Wennefer

Seleucid Dynasty
King Antiochus
Queen Laodice
Prince Achaeus

Other Leaders of Nations
Attalus King of Pergamon
Mithridates King of Pontus
Xerxes King of Armenia

I will be constantly editing this list to add more

So far I've created only 1 entirely fictional character, another Alexandrian Jew
Abigail Bath-Benjamin

*Update*

I've been some thought into the storyline now. Do not be concerned about it not being Scandalous enough, much of the story will revolve around the family of Oenanthe, a Meaned
Agathocles, son of Oenanthe
Agathoclea, daughter of Onanthe
Ino, daughter of Onanthe
Autonoe, daughter of Onantheand their political ambitions. First Oenanthe (Who for the interpretation in this story is a Meanad) gains access to the royal family by seducing Sosibios. Then her oldest daughter Agathoclea she has seduce the young king Potlemy, and her other 2 younger daughters seduce his brothers. Then her Son Agathocles is appointed to a high ranking position. He will also try to seduce Arsinoe, but Arsinoe will is more interested in Women and develops a relationship with the Jewish girl named Abigail.

If the show goes all the way to end o Ptolemy IV's reign, I will ultimately follow the theory that Agathoclea is the real mother of Ptolemy V.Nevertheless, it is hard for me to resist the (unprovable) speculation that it was in fact Agathoclea not Arsinoe III who was the real birth mother of Ptolemy V. Strabo 17.1.11 names Agathoclea as the mother of Ptolemy IV; evidently in error. However, Appian, Syriaca 1.4 confuses Ptolemy V with Ptolemy IV. While the obvious and most likely explanation for Strabo's error is that he forget the true relationship between her and Ptolemy IV, the same error would result if he had forgotten which king she was the mother of. Circumstantially, the account of Polybius 15.25 makes it clear that Arsinoe III was kept as a virtual prisoner and was murdered before she could take a role as the regent for Ptolemy V. Clearly neither Agathoclea nor anyone in her family, nor any of the legitimist partisans of the dynasty, would have had any interest in publicly announcing her maternity as this would have undermined the legitimacy of Ptolemy V.
http://www.tyndalehouse.com/Egypt/ptolemies/unknown_iv.htm#Unknown.2

I've decided to add a little discussion of accents. I my over thinking I've even considered what I would do for accents that might not even appear.

The Jews will have Israeli rather then Yiddish accents. The Romans will have British accents (Cockney for the lower class soldiers just like in I, Claudius).

Macedonian Greeks (includes the both Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties) will have Irish and Scottish accents like in Oliver Stone's Alexander, I liked that idea. The Athenians will have New England accents, to go along with the premise of them being the elitist Greeks. Following the tradition of certain modern stage versions of Ancient Greek plays, the Spartans and other Pelaponesian/Doric Greeks will have Texan accents. And the Ionian Greeks will have Australian and new Zealand accents. And any other types of Greek that appear would just have miscellaneous American accents.

Baneteans, Idumeans, Bedouins and other Arabian tribes will have Arabic accents. Parthians and other Persians will have Persian/Iranian accents. Galatians will have French accents. The Carthaginians will be Berbers, and Nubians obviously will have African accents.

Native Egyptians will have Coptic accents. Britons would have Welsh accents.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"

[–] Poisoned_Dragon1964 15 years ago

What do you intend to be the source of drama? And upon what basis do you think the Jews would have a role in it? Contributing scrolls to the Library?

There's this line in Cleopatra (1963), uttered by Hume Cronyn as Sosigenes, who has informed the Queen that the Great Library is burning, ruefully lamenting: "Aristotle's manuscripts, the Platonic commentaries, the plays, the histories. The Testament of the Hebrew God - The Book of Books."

I don't know how he delivered that line with a straight face; I myself always wince when hearing it. It's painfully laughable.

§« The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. »§

[–] Mithrandir-Olorin888 15 years ago

2 5ths of Alexandria was Jewish.

I intend too delve into some of the politics, as well as the Incest between Ptolemy and Arsinoe.

This is not nearly as well worked out in my head as the Maccabees film, or that project we've discussed in PMs, it's just an embryo right now.

We had a thread on that line on the Cleopatra board, and most people realized it's not as ridiculous as you'd think.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"

[–] Flame_of_Udun_49 15 years ago

Which Arsinoe? If you mean Cleopatra's sister, 3rd century is too early.

Memory says, I did that. Pride replies, I could not have done that. Eventually, memory yields.

[–] Mithrandir-Olorin888 15 years ago

Considering I give a date for when it's set, it shouldn't be hard to figure out.

She is Arsinoe III, the first real Incestuous marriage of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Cleopatra VII's sister was Arsinoe IV.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"

[–] otter 15 years ago

I'm sure a great script could be written about that time, the problem would be selling it. Selling it to producers who'd put money into it, and selling it to audiences who aren't familiar with that era.

It's not just as well-known as the story of Julius Ceasar or Cleopatra's reign, kids learn about both in school. There's no book about that period as well known as "I, Claudius" or Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", and there's no clear-cut audience expecation of extreme sex and violence like their is for eras of the later Ceasars. Even people who don't like history like seeing Roman orgies, or the persecution of early Christians. Oh, and BTW that's one reason the A.D. history of Rome is better known than B.C., the presence of Christians.

Best of luck, it sounds like great source material.

* * * FedEx just took NINE days to send me an "overnight" package. * * *

[–] Mithrandir-Olorin888 15 years ago

The Christian's predecessors the Jews are there.

There Is plenty of Sex Violence and Intrigue in the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which was Incestuous.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"

[–] otter 15 years ago

It's not the amount of actual historical sex and violence that matters, it's whether audiences (and the suits who'd fund this) *assume* there will be enough sex and violence to make it entertaining. Believe me, that's a big reason that films set in ancient Rome have been popular from the silent era to today, and something to take into account when trying to pitch your work.

And WTF "predators"?

* * * FedEx just took NINE days to send me an "overnight" package. * * *

[–] Mithrandir-Olorin888 15 years ago

That was an example of my spell checker screwing me, it's fixed.

"It's not about money.... It's about sending a Message..... Everything Burns!!!"