# Rome



## Scott (Jun 11, 2007)

Does anyone watch Rome? Is it good? Are the main characters the typical post-modern antiheroes of today's media? Thanks


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## eternallifeinchrist (Jun 11, 2007)

I don't watch it or know anything about it...Is it on HBO?


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## Contra_Mundum (Jun 11, 2007)

I've never seen it, but I've seen at least one review of it in print. The gist was, "You think the ancient world was just like today, same morals, etc? Wrong!" So basically it shows a world that's very sin-sick, brutal, highlights Greco-Roman "virtues". The culture-shock is supposed to be very visceral, i.e. "How could people do that, or live that way; that's unnatural." But it is supposed to be almost obsessively historically researched.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2007/02/13/rome/index.html

But the show is also accused of pandering to modern titillation.


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## Anton Bruckner (Jun 12, 2007)

I watched. It was the only thing I watched consistently on HBO since it started in 2005. Unfortunately, only 2 seasons were filmed because of costs. What is being shown no is reruns.

Anyway Ciar n Hinds was the best actor who played Ceasar. He stole the role in the first season, which focused primarily on him coming to power up until his assassination. 

Season 2 focused on the defeat of Brutus and Cassius, and the final ascension of Octvian, and the descension and death of Anthony and Cleopatra.

Two things that would make me not recommend the series.

1. Graphic sexual content. In an effort to try to portray the liscentiousness of the Roman Aristocracy, the directors portrayed too much than was needed. These scenes are tantamount to ouvert p0rnography. But this is HBO. Sex sells and every opportunity to use it is to be taken advantage of.

2. In an effort to condense the history of that period, liberty was taken with the events to make the script work. e.g Attia was made into a promiscuous and scheming woman.

Memorable Highlights.

1. Herod from Judea came to Rome. This was interesting in that it offered a glimpse of the power politics in Palestine at that time.

2. The Pharisees were shown in Jerusalem deciding which leader they should support.

3. Ceasar commented to his slave after the slave cut him whilst shaving him, "Thou Art a bloody man".

4. Marc Anthony commented after the names were determined for the proscription, "Woe be to Rufius Tranquillus"


Anyway the directors did a good job in providing viewers with two point of view.
1. Point of view from the aristocracy and those that wielded power (This came in the form of Ceasar, Octavian, Brutus, Cassius etc)

2. Point of view from the common man. (This came in the from the two primary characters, Titus Pullo (a legionaire), and Lucius Vorenus (A camp Prefect)

Would I generally recommend this? No.

Why did I watch it? I am a history junkie and love good drama. If it wasn't for the historical nature of the show, it would have been written off.


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## AV1611 (Jun 12, 2007)

Give it a miss if I were you...pornographic in places


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## matt01 (Jun 12, 2007)

AV1611 said:


> Give it a miss if I were you...pornographic in places




I watched a few minutes of the first episode, and then turned it off. It was completely gratuitous violence and p0rnography.


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