A Cartoon's Black Star Prompts A Fight: What Did Roman Britain Look Like?
The BBC children's film starred a black Roman soldier in ancient Britannia. Was it an accurate portrayal of a multi-ethnic empire or an "incredibly deceptive" anachronism? The dustup has lasted weeks.
In a brief BBC cartoon posted to YouTube late last December, a high-ranking Roman soldier and his family tackle the challenges of daily life in ancient Britain. The dad is off helping build the famed Hadrian's wall at the province's far northern edge; the son tries to make right for losing his father's scarf. Everyone ends up happy ever after.
