My heart is breaking. My soul is aching,” an archaeologist said, as Israel’s bombardment threatens or destroys Roman amphitheaters, crusaders’ citadels and centuries-old souks.

Gladiator II is now in cinemas, and Ridley Scott’s epic, a sequel to his 2000 Oscar winner, has yielded much comment about its homoeroticism. Certainly there is a strong sense of feminisation. Take ...