HBO's Rome

It's been awhile since I posted here - I have been really busy finishing HBO's Rome and now I am watching House season 4.

Gaius Julius Caesar

Last year I read somewhere online about this show on HBO called Rome. I was intrigued so I ended up buying both season 1 and 2 on eBay. I love period shows especially if they depict history, even though sometimes they are inaccurate, but that is up to the viewer to get the fact right.


Here's some information about the show:


" The series is a historical drama depicting the period of history surrounding the violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire; a change driven by civil warfare between populists (populares) and conservatives (optimates), the decay of political institutions, and the actions of ambitious men and women. The HBO website provides the following introduction:

The Triumph of Gaius Octavian Caesar

Half a century before the dawn of Christianity, Rome has become the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people — epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any one man from seizing absolute control.


It is a society where soldiers can rise up from provincial commoners to become national heroes, even leaders of the Republic. But as the ruling class became extravagantly wealthy, the foundations have crumbled, eaten away by corruption and excess, and the old values of Spartan discipline and social unity have given way to a great chasm between the classes.[2]


While chronicling the lives and deeds of the rich, powerful and "historically significant," the series also focuses on the lives, fortunes, families and acquaintances of two common men: Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, two Roman soldiers mentioned historically in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico. The fictionalized Vorenus and Pullo manage to witness and often influence many of the historical events presented in the series.

The wedding of Marc Anthony to Octavia of the Julii

Season 1 depicts Julius Caesar's civil war of 49 BC against the traditionalist conservative faction in the Roman Senate, his subsequent rise to absolute dictatorship over Rome and his eventual fall, spanning the time period from the end of his Gallic Wars (52 BC or 701 ab urbe condita) until his assassination on March 15, 44 BC (the infamous Ides of March).

Against the backdrop of these cataclysmic events, we also see the early years of the young Octavian, who is destined to become the first Emperor of Rome, Augustus.
Season 2 chronicles the power struggle between Octavian and Mark Antony following Caesar's assassination, spanning the period from Caesar's death in 44 BC to Octavian's final victory over Antony at Actium in 31 BC." source


It's really sad that this show didn't continue after 2 seasons as I must say that this is one of the best shows I have ever watched. Mind you it's not for young ones, there are a lot of nudity and some foul language, which really portrays Rome back in the days.


If you can get pass the nudity and sex scenes, this show has a lot of strong points. Rome is not some kind of a low budget series, actually they ended up stopping the show due to budget - it cost too much to make it. The costumes are beautiful and the props are so realistic that I feel like I am looking at Rome back in the days. The history itself is I would say 70% accurate, but that is the viewers discretion to find the facts.

Cleopatra and Octavian

I must say though that the strongest point of this show are the actors. It's amazing that these unknown actors are doing much better that the popular ones out there. Each of them portrays their character so well that you'll believe them. Young, middle aged, old; these actors are so talented, I love watching them speak and act, it seems so natural to them.

Vorenus, Marc Anthony and Cleopatra

I am a little sad that I have finished season 2 and I am hoping that eventually they will continue this show. It's a shame that shows that stimulate the mind is getting put on the shelf while shows that lowers your IQ are on the top chart. What is happening to our society? So Sad.