History Series / Masada

It was directed by Boris Sagal and starred Creator/PeterOToole as [[UsefulNotes/TheGloryThatWasRome Roman legion]] commander Cornelius Flavius Silva, Peter Strauss as the Jewish Sicarii commander Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Creator/BarbaraCarrera as Sheva (Silva's Jewish mistress), Anthony Quayle as Rubrius Gallus, Creator/DavidWarner as Pomponius Falco, Timothy West as Emperor Vespasian and Creator/PaulLSmith as Gideon. O'Toole was nominated for an Emmy for his performance, his first appearance in an American TV production. Music/JerryGoldsmith and Morton Stevens composed the series' score, which earned Goldsmith an Emmy. David Warner also won an Emmy, for Best Supporting Actor.

''Masada'' is an American {{miniseries}} that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a dramatization of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the citadel of Masada in [[UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} Judea]] by legions of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].

* TooDumbToLive: Rubius Gallus goes in range of the Jewish archers in broad daylight to make some measurements for the ramp.

* {{Worthy Opponent}}s: Silva and Eleazar consider each other as this.

''Masada'' is an American {{miniseries}} that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a dramatization of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the citadel of Masada in Judea (now UsefulNotes/{{Israel}}) by legions of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].

''Masada'' is an American {{miniseries}} that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a [[HistoricalFiction fictionalized account]] of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the Masada citadel in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} by legions of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].

* SuperweaponSurprise: The Romans manage to keep the construction of their BatteringRam-[=equipped=] [[SiegeEngines siege tower]] secret to the besieged Jews until its day of deployment, and by that day it's too late for Eleazar to device any serious counter-plan. All he can do is reinforcing the wall that's to be destroyed by the ram, and that plan doesn't work for long.

* TheBigGuy: Gideon (Paul L. Smith), among the Zealots. He is the strongest guy in all of Masada -- it takes up to ''five men'' to carry a big wooden beam similar to the one Gideon carries ''alone'' to reinforce the wall that's to be destroyed by the Roman siege tower's ram.

-->'''Flavius Silva:''' Victory? We have won a rock in the middle of a wasteland on the shores of a poisoned sea.

* ThirstyDesert: The Judean desert is not the most hospitable land to wage a war, especially in summer. Silva learned it through the years before the siege and regularly point this out.
** The people of Masada take baths, and audibly, in order to upset the Roman troops, whose rations of water are strictly limited. They also drop their used water down the cliffs during the Romans' drinking pause, for additional taunting.

''Masada'' is an American MiniSeries that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a [[HistoricalFiction fictionalized account]] of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the Masada citadel in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} by legions of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].

''Masada'' is an American MiniSeries that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a [[HistoricalFiction fictionalized account]] of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the Masada citadel in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} by legions of the UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].

* TheLostLenore: Silva's dead wife, Lilia.

* {{Badass Israeli}}tes: Eleazar and his men, very much so.

* KillItWithFire: The Zealots have no choice but to build a wooden wall behind the stone wall that is being quickly destroyed by the ram. In turn, the Romans have no choice but to put said wooden wall on fire, at the risk of a changing wind, which can propagate the fire to the siege tower.

* SuicideMission: Silva sends the two officers who are spies for the Senate on a mission to scout out the Serpent Path up to Masada, with the clear expectation that they won't be coming back

It was directed by Boris Sagal and starred Creator/PeterOToole as [[UsefulNotes/TheGloryThatWasRome Roman legion]] commander Cornelius Flavius Silva, Peter Strauss as the Jewish Sicarii commander Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Creator/BarbaraCarrera as Sheva (Silva's Jewish mistress), Anthony Quayle as Rubrius Gallus, Creator/DavidWarner as Pomponius Falco and Timothy West as Emperor Vespasian. O'Toole was nominated for an Emmy for his performance, his first appearance in an American TV production. Music/JerryGoldsmith and Morton Stevens composed the series' score, which earned Goldsmith an Emmy. David Warner also won an Emmy, for Best Supporting Actor.

* TwentyFourHourArmor: Averted. When not in battle the Romans are shown wearing their simple tunics, and when the Romans storm the citadel and discover all the defenders have committed suicide, Silva removes his armor in short order as he realizes he's not going to need it.

* TheBigGuy: Gideon (Paul L. Smith), among the Zealots. He is the strongest guy in all of Masada.

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: It takes up to ''five men'' to carry a wooden beam similar to the one Gideon carries ''alone'' to reinforce the wall that's to be destroyed by the Roman siege tower's ram.

* DavidVersusGoliath: 900 people in Masada against 5000 legionaries.
* DespairEventHorizon: As Falco catapults more and more Jewish slaves, Eleazar has one. Until Silva stops the massacre.

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/masada_aka_the_antagonists_tv-524582936-large_4547.jpg]]

It was directed by Boris Sagal and starred Creator/PeterOToole as Roman legion commander Cornelius Flavius Silva, Peter Strauss as the Jewish Sicarii commander Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Creator/BarbaraCarrera as Sheva (Silva's Jewish mistress), Anthony Quayle as Rubrius Gallus, Creator/DavidWarner as Pomponius Falco and Timothy West as Emperor Vespasian. O'Toole was nominated for an Emmy for his performance, his first appearance in an American TV production. Music/JerryGoldsmith and Morton Stevens composed the series' score, which earned Goldsmith an Emmy. David Warner also won an Emmy, for Best Supporting Actor.

''Masada'' is an American MiniSeries that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a [[HistoricalFiction fictionalized account]] of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the Masada citadel in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} by legions of the UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman-Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].

* BadassBeard: The Zealots are masters of surprise attacks, and they all have beards.

* CompilationMovie: The miniseries was cut down to a 2-hour movie called ''The Atagonists'' for theatrical release.

It was directed by Boris Sagal and starred Creator/PeterOToole as Roman legion commander Cornelius Flavius Silva, Peter Strauss as the Jewish Sicarii commander Eleazar ben Ya'ir, Barbara Carrera as Sheva (Silva's Jewish mistress), Anthony Quayle as Rubrius Gallus, Creator/DavidWarner as Pomponius Falco and Timothy West as Emperor Vespasian. O'Toole was nominated for an Emmy for his performance, his first appearance in an American TV production. Music/JerryGoldsmith and Morton Stevens composed the series' score, which earned Goldsmith an Emmy. David Warner also won an Emmy, for Best Supporting Actor.

''Masada'' is an American MiniSeries that first aired on Creator/{{ABC}} in April 1981. It is a [[HistoricalFiction fictionalized account]] of the historical [[TheSiege siege]] of the Masada citadel in Israel by legions of the UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire in AD 73 during the first UsefulNotes/JewishRevolts. The series' script is [[TheFilmOfTheBook based on the novel]] ''The Antagonists'' by Ernest K. Gann while also using details from historical sources by Roman-Jewish historian [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus Flavius Josephus]].