The 20s A Difficult Age Opening Titles are the signature opening summaries to the Peplum saga and some of the smaller related media. The opening titles usually give introduction and context to whatever story is proceeding them.
Description[]
The opening titles begin with a black out and are usually accompanied by "The Light Motif" which
A Peplum Epic as it appears before the opening titles.
encompasses the swelling of strings three times. The trademarked phrase A Peplum Epic appears in "Helvetica Neue Bold" font and the old wall of a Roman fresco fades in. The "Peplum Theme" then begins playing, on the wall in a gold "Trajan Color" font words explain what has happened leading up to the current story, the episode is summarized through text cross fading into each other, each line of the opening crawl text appears directly in its entirety centered in the middle of the
The Blue Madjai arc episodic summary appearing on the fresco wall.
screen until the episodic summary is complete then they fade to black, revealing the title.
Summaries[]
MEANWHILE, THE LATIAN EMPIRE IS IN THE MOST PEACEFUL STATE EVER, DESPITE ITS GREATEST THREATS FROM WITHIN: INFLATION AND RISING COSTS TO LIVE. MARCUS ANTONIUS PRESENTS HIS THOUGHTS ON SOLVING THESE ISSUES TO THE SENATE BEFORE DISPATCHING WITH HIS LEGIONS TO THE WARRING NORTHERN BORDER... AVIDIUS HAS VAINGLORIOUSLY CROWNED HIMSELF THE "EMPEROR" OF LATIUM AFTER HEARING ERRONEOUS NEWS OF THE EMPEROR'S DEATH. SWORN TO HIS NEW "THRONE", HE PREPARES HIS LEGIONS FOR WAR AGAINST THE TRIBES OF THE NORTH AND THOSE WHO OPPOSE HIM... WITH HER FATHER MURDERED AND REMAINING COMRADES FROM THE THUNDERBOLT LEGION 12 POSSIBLY ERADICATED BY THE HIGH RANKING CASSIUS, THE FATES OF THOSE SHE SHARED BONDS WITH HAVE BEEN LEFT TO THE IMAGINATION. FOR HARNUPHIS...[1] |
Graphic Novels[]
The 20s A Difficult Age graphic novels also feature the opening titles in page form, in "the opening titles" the fresco wall has been darkened to see the text and is a page for page break down of the plot synopsis.
Arrangement[]
On 20s A Difficult Age the "Light Theme" appears at the end of the album during the epilogue. This was changed for visual mediums. The "Light Theme" and the "Peplum Theme" are two separate musical pieces but are often combined to form the "Peplum Theme" due to their separation on the 20s A Difficult Age album.
Origins[]
The opening titles are an homage to the opening credits of Ben-Hur (1959) and Jason and the Argonauts (1963), many of the musical compositions accompanying the opening and throughout the epic sound "dusty" and are very reminiscent of old sword and sandal films as well.
An opening still from the 1963 film Jason and the Argonauts.
Gallery[]
