My interests lie in the discourse, performance, and imagery of power in imperial Rome, with special interest in spectacle and gender. I have authored and edited and co-edited Blood in the Arena; The Roman Games; and The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World. I am likewise alert to representations of the ancient Mediterranean in modern popular culture, particularly film and television, with publications on The Viking Queen 1967) Spartacus 1960 and 2010-13) HBO’s Rome 2005, 2007) and Xena: Warrior Princess 1995-2001) I have appeared as a talking head in a number of public-facing media, including, most recently, for National Geographic and BBC History Extra, on such topics as gladiators, the Roman arena, Cleopatra, Boudica, Hannibal, and the Bible. Look for the forthcoming Colosseum" an eight-part series on the History Channel!