The Roman galley slave: Ben-Hur and the birth of a factoid

Abstract

Of the repertoire of stereotypical images representing the Roman world in Western popular historical discourse, that of the chained galley slave stands out, since it is demonstrably false: the Roman empire knew no such practice. Since the notion must therefore have a post-classical origin, it may be possible to trace its roots and the means of its establishment in contemporary culture. It is argued that the motif was constructed by projecting onto classical times knowledge of the historical galley slavery of the early modern Mediterranean. Further, both the principal point of origin for the idea, and the means of its dissemination and implantation in popular historical discourse, lay not in academic scholarship but in popular fiction: they may be traced primarily to the tale of Judah Ben-Hur. A spectacularly successful Victorian novel and an equally popular stage show before the famous film versions, Ben-Hur had an unequalled impact on the entertainment, religious instruction and even formal education of several generations across the United States, the Anglophone world and beyond. Through this enthusiastic public reception, it is suggested, motifs such as galley slavery and chariot racing passed permanently into popular understandings of Rome. It is a vivid illustration of the role of fiction in the creation of popular views of history.