• DOI:10.1007/S12138-014-0359-6
• Corpus ID: 161461708

The Classical Sources of Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur

@article{Solomon2015TheCS,
  title={The Classical Sources of Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur},
  author={Jon Solomon},
  journal={International Journal of the Classical Tradition},
  year={2015},
  volume={22},
  pages={29-75}
}

• J. Solomon
• Published 1 April 2015
• History
• International Journal of the Classical Tradition

Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was one of the most popular novels ever written, and its portrayal of ancient Rome and Roman institutions (e.g. chariot racing and penal system) influenced millions of people for well more than a century. Yet no one has ever identified Wallace’s classical sources or examined his research methodology. After discussing Wallace’s lack of formal education, this paper examines his access to and use of primarily Josephus, Plutarch, Homer, and other ancient and secondary sources, especially Gibbon and Pope, several problems (particularly the size of the Antioch Circus and length of the spina), and how subsequent theatrical and cinematic adaptations of the novel assumed, reinterpreted, or ignored the results of Wallace’s research.