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52 B.C. Eager to return to Rome after eight long years of war, Gaius Julius Caesar ends his campaign with a resounding triumph in Gaul - and news of a shattering personal loss at home. When his army's gold standard is stolen, Caesar's cousin and commander Mark Antony enlists two soldiers, Centurion Lucius Vorenus and Legionnaire Titus Pullo, to track it down. Despite their differences, the two make a formidable duo, and elevate themselves by retrieving more than just the missing standard. In Rome, Caesar's old friend Pompey Magnus is counseled by Cato, Cicero, Scipio and other old-guard members of the Senate, who worry that Caesar's popularity among the masses will rattle the patrician status quo, along with their wealth and power. Pompey too has experienced a personal loss, which Caesar's niece, Atia, looks to assuage through an offering of her daughter, Octavia. Careful to play both sides of an escalating power struggle, Atia sends Caesar a grand token of her esteem, hand-delivered after a perilous journey by her precocious 11-year old son, Octavian.
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Jun 15, 2006 9:36 PM
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I had forgotten about the post below from three months ago and will take the opportunity to edit it like this because I can't get into the original anymore. The conspirator who egged on Brutus to kill GJC was Cassius, his brother-in-law and not Casca, as written. Cassius was married to Brutus' half-sister Junia Tertia. Another half-sister, Junia Secunda, was married to Lepidus, the triumvir of the second Triumvirate with Octavian and Antony. And the real Atia died in 43 and not in 45 BC.
Also, since I wrote this, I found more of Servilia's incredible family ties to the principals of this drama - and one remarkably close to her staredown companions, Atia and Octavian themselves. Atia's second husband and Octavian's stepfather at the time of the assassination was a man named Marcius Phillipus. It turns out that Phillipus' daughter, Marcia, was Cato's (Servilia'a half-brother's) second wife. Moreover, when a friend of Cato's coveted Marcia for himself, "noble" Cato divorced her so she could marry his friend. After the friend died, Cato remarried Marcia and together they enjoyed the grieving widow's inheritance!
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"We shall begin in exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to return to the place where we started and know it for the first time." T.S. Eliot - from "Little Gidding".
Ignore:
RScom
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Edited by cleopatraselene at 06/15/2006 6:54 PM
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Jun 15, 2006 1:51 PM
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"The Stolen Eagle" Introduction:
Four hundred years after the last king was driven from the city The Republic of Rome rules many nations but cannot rule itself. The city is constantly roiled by conflict between the common people and the nobility. Power is shared and order maintained by two soldier?s old friends Gnaeus Pompey Magnus and Gaius Julius Caesar.
Once Pompey was acknowledged by all to be the greater man but for the last eight years while Pompey has kept the peace in Rome, Caesar has waged a war of conquest in Gaul that has made him ever more rich and popular. The balance of power is shifted and the nobility have grown fearful.
Though of noble blood himself Caesar stands with the common people A man like that, an aristocrat with soldiers, money and the love of the people might make himself king.
Re-airing begins June 17th, 8pm EST. Tune in weekly for all 12 episodes. Enjoy!
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Edited by Aureate at 06/17/2006 6:21 AM
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Mar 19, 2006 12:51 PM
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> > I have found no information concerning the women
> > n atia and Servillia howeverI did find a reference
> to
> > Niobe. Any refernces or Bibliography you have
> about
> > theses women would be helpful.
>
> There has been much discussion in the Member Created
> Threads about the inaccuracies in "Rome", most
> thought to be subsumed by the artistic license
> exercised in putting this fascinating series
> together. There is some consensus, however, that
> trouble awaits where the real histories pertaining to
> Atia and Servilia are concerned.
>
> The real Atia indeed was married at the time to a man
> named Phillipus who was a very good stepfather to
> Octavian
> and Octavia and who was much concerned when Octavian
> came into his inheritance that it would not be a good
> thing for a young man with serious health issues to
> take on. Further, there is no indication in the
> historical records that the real Atia was the
> hedonistic voluptuary portrayed in "Rome". And the
> real Atia died in 45 BC. Publicity for the series has
> indicated that she will, nonetheless, be kept on, and
> I've seen no comment from anybody here yet that they
> have a problem with that at all!
>
> More problematic is Servilia's history. Brutus was
> not her only child and Casca, the conspirator who
> baited him into action, in fact was her son-in-law,
> married to daughter Tertia. Further, her daughter
> Secunda was married to Lepidus, the future triumvir.
> Servilia also had family ties to Octavian's future
> wife, Livia. In short, including her long term
> liaison with Caesar, the woman, literally and
> figuratively was "connected" up the wazoo. Her
> survival long after Brutus was undoubtedly
> explainable by all that, and assisted by the notion
> that Brutus was blameless (now that he was gone)
> because his desire to kill GJC sprang not from
> selfishness, but nobly from sincere personal belief
> that, like his sainted ancestral namesake, he was
> doing what was necessary to save the Republic. In any
> event, whatever revenge is meted out to Servilia by
> anyone, may thrill the viewers, but factually
> wouldn't turn a historical hair.
>
> *************
> "We shall begin in exploration, and the end of all
> our exploring will be to return to the place where we
> started and know it for the first time." T.S. Eliot -
> from "Little Gidding".
therra and cleopatraselene, thanks for the great information. 
As for finding a "reference to Niobe", was this other than the Niobe of Greek mythology?
Also Wikipedia is a great place for information. I believe they have a geneology chart for Caesar's family.
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174
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Mar 19, 2006 9:18 AM
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> I have found no information concerning the women
> n atia and Servillia howeverI did find a reference to
> Niobe. Any refernces or Bibliography you have about
> theses women would be helpful.
There has been much discussion in the Member Created Threads about the inaccuracies in "Rome", most thought to be subsumed by the artistic license exercised in putting this fascinating series together. There is some consensus, however, that trouble awaits where the real histories pertaining to Atia and Servilia are concerned.
The real Atia indeed was married at the time to a man named Phillipus who was a very good stepfather to Octavian
and Octavia and who was much concerned when Octavian came into his inheritance that it would not be a good thing for a young man with serious health issues to take on. Further, there is no indication in the historical records that the real Atia was the hedonistic voluptuary portrayed in "Rome". And the real Atia died in 45 BC. Publicity for the series has indicated that she will, nonetheless, be kept on, and I've seen no comment from anybody here yet that they have a problem with that at all!
More problematic is Servilia's history. Brutus was not her only child and Casca, the conspirator who baited him into action, in fact was her son-in-law, married to daughter Tertia. Further, her daughter Secunda was married to Lepidus, the future triumvir. Servilia also had family ties to Octavian's future wife, Livia. In short, including her long term liaison with Caesar, the woman, literally and figuratively was "connected" up the wazoo. Her survival long after Brutus was undoubtedly explainable by all that, and assisted by the notion that Brutus was blameless (now that he was gone) because his desire to kill GJC sprang not from selfishness, but nobly from sincere personal belief that, like his sainted ancestral namesake, he was doing what was necessary to save the Republic. In any event, whatever revenge is meted out to Servilia by anyone, may thrill the viewers, but factually wouldn't turn a historical hair.
*************
"We shall begin in exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to return to the place where we started and know it for the first time." T.S. Eliot - from "Little Gidding".
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35
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11/16/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Mar 18, 2006 7:23 PM
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For more onn Attia and Servillia, if you read Collene Mcullough's Masterd of Rome series, you will find them there.
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1
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3/18/06
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Mar 18, 2006 2:11 PM
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First of all let me first state that I do love the show and can't wait for the second season. That being said...
During the first episode there is no mention of Crassus or of the First Triumvirate. The allianc between Pompey Crassus and Caesar in which they took turns being consul of Rome. While Caesar was surpressing the revolt led by vercingetorix his agents in Rome attempted to dominate politics which threatened Pompeys position. 56BC they were made to meet at Luca where they temporarily reconciled and it was decided that Caesar would stay in Gaul for another five years. Durning this time Crassus and Pompey would be consul (55BC). Caesar raids Briton making Crassus antsy for military glory and he heads for his post in Spain where he picks a fight with the Parthain Empire and is defeated at Carthae in 53 BC. THIS removed the last buffer between Caesar and Pompey disolving the first Triumvirate. NOT, Julia the daughter of Caesar given to Pompey to cement the Triumvirate died a year earlier than Crassus 54 BC.
I have found no information concerning the women atia and Servillia howeverI did find a reference to Niobe. Any refernces or Bibliography you have about theses women would be helpful.
Other discrepancies:
: Octavian should not have been in Rome when Caesar was killed. He is supposted to come from Medalina? after learning Caesar is his adopted father and avenge him becoming the darling of the senate and the first emperor of Rome.
: Atia has pubic hair when she is stepping out of the bath tub. Only virgins in ancient Rome ussually remained unshaved. It is unlikely that even though she is not currently married that she would have stopped shaving after the deaths of her last husband.
: The fabric of the higher class women should be a great deal less opaque than the lower class. THe opacity of the cloth was a marker of the individuals wealth since the dress styles of Roman women did not change very often if at all. The more sheer the dress was the more expensive the fabric.
Keep up the good work, and stay accurate!
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1,478
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Dec 23, 2005 5:37 PM
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> This series reminds me of the fabulous I,
> Claudius and it explains to me (or makes clearer
> to me) what Augustus was screaming about when he
> shouted he "wants my eagles back." Now I know what
> he was talking about and could visualize them. I
> guess they [eagles] went missing more than once.
I, Claudiuswas a wonderful series, which I would like to see again. The Augustus of I.C. is quite a different type of character from "Rome"'s young Octavian. I suspect the HBO character is a little closer to the truth, but it's fun to compare them.
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14
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Dec 7, 2005 1:52 PM
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This series reminds me of the fabulous I, Claudius and it explains to me (or makes clearer to me) what Augustus was screaming about when he shouted he "wants my eagles back." Now I know what he was talking about and could visualize them. I guess they [eagles] went missing more than once.
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69
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11/21/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Nov 28, 2005 3:48 PM
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> > I am a huge HBO fan -- Deadwood, SFU, Sopranos.
> But
> > I was so disappointed with Rome. There is nothing
> > appealing about ANY of the characters.
>
Wow! I respect your opinion, but I came away from ROME with a huge respect for the actors and an addiction to their characters' storylines. I especially felt Ciaran Hinds was masterful in his portrayal of Caesar.
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11/16/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Nov 26, 2005 12:14 PM
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Very intelligently said, jeel.
> Holy cow! I spent some time reading these posts and
> there are some strong opinions here. Here's my take
> on some of the posts:
>
> 1. I like Rome because it gives the viewer a pretty
> neat glimpse of history even if some parts aren't
> exactly accurate.
>
> 2. I love the opening scene because it focuses on a
> small group of soldiers. It also introduces us to
> Pullo and Vorenus in a manner somewhat resembling
> that of Caesar's description of those two in his book
> "The Conquest Of Gaul." (Yes, he did write a book.)
> But the real event took place before Vercingetorix's
> s rebellion and Pullo was also a centurion.
>
> 3. The Brit accents don't bother me since it's been
> the Hollywood standard since the sixties. As for the
> original Roman accent, I don't imagine it to be that
> far removed from the Italian accent. Check out "The
> Far Arena" which is a pretty far-fetched story which
> the movie "Ice Man" was loosely based on. There's a
> funny scene where a frozen gladiator is unthawed and
> he's mumbling something. One scientist figures out
> he's speaking in Latin and the other says, "But why
> does it sound Italian?"
>
> 4. Some of the acting could be improved but Caesar,
> Atia, Cato, and Octavian are all doing a great job.
>
> 5. I'm a bit disappointed with the Egyptians'
> makeup.
>
> 6. Reading Tacitus and other Roman writers helped me
> appreciate the real soap opera that is Rome.
>
> 7. I think ALL series should only last two years.
> Deadwood & Carnivale are pretty good but after a
> a while, they start to lose the magic. And the
> Sopranos, if you've seen two episodes you've seen all
> 4,583 of them. I'm a fan of 24 but after the second
> season... same holds true for Battlestar Galactica.
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Nov 26, 2005 12:09 PM
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> I am a huge HBO fan -- Deadwood, SFU, Sopranos. But
> I was so disappointed with Rome. There is nothing
> appealing about ANY of the characters.
Huh? Were you watching the same show I did?
> All the women are one-dimensional conniving characters and all the men are power-hungry.
Having said that you enjoyed Sopranos, aren't the men in Sopranos or Deadwood power hungry? This show is supposed to be about ancient Rome, the men and women are supposed to behave like that (but it's really no difference than today, come to think of it). Perhaps if you do a bit more research into the period, the history, and the intention of the "show" (and I mean, show, not documentary), you'll be more appreciative of what HBO tried to do.
> Where's the complexity? The full frontal scenes were thrown in for what reason ??
Do some research, and you will see why they show the casualness of the sex and nudity (not casual sex, but casualness of the sex). Until Christianity came along (and only after the Catholic church decreed several things through its writings), sex was revered, and not something to be looked down upon.
> Just because the producers wanted to make sure
> e Rome was different than the run-of-the-mill TV show
> ???
It's a DIFFERENT show, that's why it's not called Son of Sopranos, or Son of Deadwood, or Son of Carnival. It's obvioulsy geared toward a different kind of audience, one that is interested in a little bit of myth, entwined with history.
> Where's all the intelligent writing? Who cares
> about the lavish sets when the characters are boring
> and the sex and violence is thrown in just for shock
> value. Come on HBO! You took a misstep here.
There are hundred of fans who disagree with you. Not everyone will like every show that's ever put on. Calm down.
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4
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8/14/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Nov 1, 2005 6:03 AM
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this might be the wrong place to ask this question , but right before they aired the first episode , they had this lil music video playing, as hbo normally does. I was just wondering what the song was used in it.
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3
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10/18/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Oct 31, 2005 6:18 PM
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I've seen them all. Some are better than others. In general, they're all great but I don't think they need to throw in "shocking" gratuitous sex in every episode.
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188
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2/21/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Oct 28, 2005 6:19 PM
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> 7. I think ALL series should only last two years.
> Deadwood & Carnivale are pretty good but after a
> a while, they start to lose the magic. And the
> Sopranos, if you've seen two episodes you've seen all
> 4,583 of them. I'm a fan of 24 but after the second
> season... same holds true for Battlestar Galactica.
I think any good series should last four years, five years maximum. X-Files lasted 9 years but I only really liked the first 5 seasons.
How many episodes of Rome have you seen so far?
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3
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10/18/05
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Re: Episode 1: The Stolen Eagle
Oct 28, 2005 12:29 PM
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Holy cow! I spent some time reading these posts and there are some strong opinions here. Here's my take on some of the posts:
1. I like Rome because it gives the viewer a pretty neat glimpse of history even if some parts aren't exactly accurate.
2. I love the opening scene because it focuses on a small group of soldiers. It also introduces us to Pullo and Vorenus in a manner somewhat resembling that of Caesar's description of those two in his book "The Conquest Of Gaul." (Yes, he did write a book.) But the real event took place before Vercingetorix's rebellion and Pullo was also a centurion.
3. The Brit accents don't bother me since it's been the Hollywood standard since the sixties. As for the original Roman accent, I don't imagine it to be that far removed from the Italian accent. Check out "The Far Arena" which is a pretty far-fetched story which the movie "Ice Man" was loosely based on. There's a funny scene where a frozen gladiator is unthawed and he's mumbling something. One scientist figures out he's speaking in Latin and the other says, "But why does it sound Italian?"
4. Some of the acting could be improved but Caesar, Atia, Cato, and Octavian are all doing a great job.
5. I'm a bit disappointed with the Egyptians' makeup.
6. Reading Tacitus and other Roman writers helped me appreciate the real soap opera that is Rome.
7. I think ALL series should only last two years. Deadwood & Carnivale are pretty good but after a while, they start to lose the magic. And the Sopranos, if you've seen two episodes you've seen all 4,583 of them. I'm a fan of 24 but after the second season... same holds true for Battlestar Galactica.
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