[The Iguana]

Let's take a look at one of my pet peeves: Peter Jackson's Middle-earth is way too much like Medieval Europe. Tolkien's Middle-earth bears little resemblance to Medieval Europe, and drew upon many classical (pre-Medieval) and modern (post-Medieval) influences, from Greco-Roman history and mythology to Victorian/Edwardian England.

I've argued this point before with Martinez.

I understand where he's coming from but the fact remains that Tolkien, for all his descriptiveness, really does not give us all that many clues as to the precise apparel and architectural stylings of much of Middle Earth.

We really have not seen enough of Gondor to know just exactly how its culture will be depicted - a classical flavor or a medieval flavor? Or something not quite in either realm?

Osgiliath certainly had the smell of Roman or Byzantine ruins - but we'll have to see what ROTk has in store for the living Gondor.

[BradyLS]

Osgiliath certainly had the smell of Roman or Byzantine ruins - but we'll have to see what ROTk has in store for the living Gondor.

Gondor seemed very much like the Byzantine Empire with Minas Tirith representing Constantinople, IMO.

[Vast Buffalo Wing Conspiracy]

We have actually already seen Gondor and Minas Tirith, in FOTR, when Gandalf visits the city to research the history of the One Ring. Minas Tirith looked very Byzantine and Constantinoplish to me.