Advertisement

'The world never had this many sexpots': Top UK historian sets up TV company to counter misleading portrayals of women

Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the 1963 epic drama film: Rex Features
Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra in the 1963 epic drama film: Rex Features

One of Britain’s leading historians has helped to set up a TV company as part of an attempt to “write women back into history” and counter the “super-sexualised” portrayal of heroines of the past.

Bettany Hughes says too many important women have been portrayed as “sexpots” and their real achievements and talents have often been overlooked.

She cites examples including Queen Boudicca — who was a great strategist possessing more than just “nice hair” — and Roman empress Theodora, an erotic dancer who became the world’s most powerful woman in the sixth century and helped to build one of the greatest churches in the world, the Hagia Sophia, in what is now Istanbul.

Hughes and three colleagues have set up a production company, Sandstone Global, to make films that will help redress the balance.

Historian Bettany Hughes. (Getty Images for Baileys Women's)
Historian Bettany Hughes. (Getty Images for Baileys Women's)

The historian, who has presented TV programmes and written books on Helen of Troy, Istanbul and philosopher Socrates, was speaking ahead of her appearance in two new series.

Eight Days That Made Rome, starting on Channel 5 on Friday, recounts eight key events in Roman history. Venus Uncovered on BBC4 next month tells the story of the goddess Venus — and will be followed by similar films next year on Bacchus and Mars.

Ms Hughes said she would not be “trying to shove women back into history where they don’t belong”, but the programmes would give a balanced story of the world, including a fairer depiction of female characters who have been excessively sexualised in previous accounts.

Alex Kingston pictured as Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni. (imdb)
Alex Kingston pictured as Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni. (imdb)

“I got so sick of sitting on panels talking about the need to make films that put women centre stage, write those stories back into history, and tell stories in a different way that I suddenly thought, ‘Change won’t happen unless you change things’. So four of us have set up a TV and film production company.

“What is really fascinating about these strong female characters from history — Boudicca, Cleopatra, Helen of Troy — is these are women who had a real impact on the world and the men and women around them, but history has recorded them as being overtly super-sexualised creatures. We remember the Roman description of Boudicca that she had flaming hair down to her hips and flashing eyes. But she was a real strategist. She galvanises huge numbers of troops that give the Romans, one of the most effective armies in history, a really good run for their money. So she’s not just got nice hair.”

Ms Hughes said her Rome series would show how empresses had “a real chance to wield political power,” including Theodora, who with her husband Justinian I ruled the Byzantine, or Eastern Roman, empire: “For example, there’s Theodora who helps to build Hagia Sophia. In the series I’m making sure that women are part of the story and they’re not just sexpots.” The programme on Venus will “speak to all the issues about women’s bodies, people feeling that they can own them, and whether you should cover up”.

Hughes, a patron of charity Classics for All, which funds schools to teach about the ancient world, appealed for donors to help more pupils study “these exciting, inspiring moments”. She added: “I’m really passionate about that and getting classics back into state schools.

“We are pushing at an open door because of films like Gladiator, because Harry Potter has Latin spells, kids are desperately wanting to know about the subject.”