Hypatia and Brian: Early Christianity as Greek Mythological Drama

Abstract

Both the British film Monty Pythons Life of Brian (1979) and the Spanish film Agora (2009) reimagine canonical tales of the origins of Christianity, its conflicts with Judaism and Roman polytheism, and its transformation into a dominant religion. Rather than following religious orthodoxy, both films treat the narratives of Jesus and St. Cyril, as well as crucial turning points in the history of Christianity, as tales similar to ancient Greek myths: that is, they are available to be reinterpreted according to the values and beliefs of each new generation. In challenging traditional divisions between mythology and scripture, as well as between history and fiction, both films have drawn accusations of blasphemy and irreverence toward the canonical stories of Christianity. While Life of Brian is a popular comedic classic and Agora is an acclaimed art-house film, they share an interest in re-evaluating Christian “truths,” implicitly questioning why audiences welcome different depictions of Jason and his Argonauts, for example, but not of Jesus and his followers.