I have been watching that TV series Rome, which is about Rome in the last years of its Republic. It was on the television a while ago so you have probably seen it already. Or maybe you are not interested in ancient Rome, in which case public crucifixion shall be your fate. The series follows a number of different characters as Rome falls into civil war between the Senatorial faction and Julius Caesar. Coming so soon after I finished the wonderful Rubicon book, this is like a gift from the Gods for me. Watching it with my beloved has proved to be quite entertaining, for whereas I have some understanding of the career and life trajectories of the characters, she does not. So I am hoping that subsequent series go as far as bringing the story to the end of the Civil Wars. Then we can rent out I, Claudius and know everything there is to know about the late Republic and early Empire, albeit from highly skewed perspectives.
Part of the magic of the programme is the way it makes people who do seriously unpleasant things somewhat sympathetic… Vorenus, lovely bloke if a bit uptight, except he deals in slaves and their deaths only upset him because they leave him out of pocket. Or loveable Pullo, an implicit rapist. I’m waiting for Atia’s simpering daughter to turn out to have some incredibly dark side to her nature. Talking of which, we still have not reached the episode with the lezz up Wood was going on about, but I’m sure it will repay close attention.
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I had a great convo with Mister Monkey about the upcoming series of this, where he basically proceeded to tell me everything that's going to happen. "But you already knew that," he said. "No," I said. "See where I told you I don't know anything about Roman history? Well, what that means is..."
In fairness, I didn't tell her everything that's happening. Now I feel kind of guilty about pointint out that Octavian is one-to-watch and the he would go places.
Someone confidently told me that they were definitively not making a second series, so I cracked and told my beloved all about Octavian & Atia's future. Now I hear they are making a second series. I should never listen to people.
SPOILERS. I do wonder if they're going to make something of Vorenus's oath to Mark Anthony given that Pullo is so close to Octavian. That could be a really complicated scene if Vorenus decides he must stick with Anthony no matter what.
Also, Rubicon is top. There is apparently some debate about Cato's death though as I've read somehwere that he fell defending the gates of Utica. Not sure if that's correct though.
Big Boss, reading the Wikipedia entries on Tullo and Vorenus gives me an actual impression of how their story might end, though the historical record is ambiguous and the TV series has been happy to play fast and loose with it. Also, I cannot remember what happens.
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