Rome is a television drama jointly produced by HBO and the BBC. It has aired in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, and premiered on August 28, 2005.
| Rome | |
|---|---|
| File:Rome33.JPG Logo for HBO's Rome | |
| Created by | John Milius William J. Macdonald and Bruno Heller |
| Starring | Kevin McKidd Ray Stevenson Polly Walker Kenneth Cranham Max Pirkis Indira Varma Kerry Condon Lindsay Duncan James Purefoy and Ciarán Hinds |
| Country of origin | USA / UK |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 52 min (commercial free) |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO / BBC |
| Release | August 28, 2005 – present |
The show is executive produced by Bruno Heller, William J. Macdonald, John Milius and Anne Thomopoulos for HBO, and Gareth Neame for the BBC.
Writers for the series include Alexandra Cunningham (Desperate Housewives), David Frankel (Sex and the City), Bruno Heller, Adrian Hodges, William J. Macdonald and John Milius.
Directors of the series include many veteran directors from other programs on HBO including Alan Poul (executive producer of Six Feet Under), Allen Coulter (The Sopranos), Tim Van Patten, (The Sopranos), Alan Taylor, (Deadwood), Julian Farino, (Entourage) Jeremy Podeswa, (Six Feet Under). Others include Michael Apted, who directed the pilot episode, and Mikael Salomon (Band of Brothers).
HBO renewed the series for a second season shortly after the third episode aired on September 11, 2005. Production will begin in March 2006 with a premiere set for early 2007.
The show was co-created by John Milius, William J. Macdonald and Bruno Heller.
Plot
The drama is set initially during the last years of Julius Caesar's military and political dominance at the end of the Roman Republic, and its downfall driven by the political conflict between the Roman upper-class (usually referred in literature as the patricians, Lat. patricii) and the lower-class (plebians, Lat. plebeii). The series begins in 52 BC (701 ab urbe condita), during the last year of the Gallic Wars, and culminates in Caesar's monarchy. It is centered around the lives and fortunes of two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo (who are mentioned briefly in Caesar's De Bello Gallico book V, 44), their families and acquaintances.
Characters and Cast
| # | Principal cast | Actor/Actress | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucius Vorenus | Kevin McKidd | A professional, unmerciful centurion (centurio secundi pili) in the 13th Legion, friend of Pullo, becomes primi pili in ep. 2, and praefectus evocatorum in ep. 5 | 2005-present |
| 2 | Titus Pullo | Ray Stevenson | Optimistic, Roman legionaire in the 13th Legion, friend of Vorenus | 2005-present |
| 3 | Gaius Julius Caesar | Ciarán Hinds | Energetic, dominating Roman general. A patrician who sides with the plebians. | 2005-present |
| 4 | Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey) | Kenneth Cranham | Elderly soldier who in his younger years was a Spanish and Syrian conqueror. Interim leader of the Republic. A plebian who however shift sides to the patricians. | 2005-present |
| 5 | Atia of the Julii | Polly Walker | Niece of Julius Caesar; a shadow ruler of Rome. Mother to Octavian and Octavia. Lover of Mark Antony | 2005-present |
| 6 | Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) | James Purefoy | Arrogant, brave conqueror who is both honored and revered. | 2005-present |
| 7 | Marcus Junius Brutus (Brutus) | Tobias Menzies | A young patrician and descendant of the first republican consul Lucius Junius Brutus; friend of Caesar | 2005-present |
| 8 | Servilia of the Junii | Lindsay Duncan | Mother of Brutus; lover of Julius Caesar. | 2005-present |
| 9 | Niobe Vorenus | Indira Varma | Beautiful young wife of Vorenus, whom she has not seen in 8 years while he was off to war. Mother to Vorena the Elder, Vorena the Younger and Lucius. | 2005-present |
| 10 | Gaius Octavianus Thurinus (Octavian) | Max Pirkis | Son of Atia; brother of Octavia; great-nephew of Julius Caesar | 2005-present |
| 11 | Octavia of the Julii | Kerry Condon | Daughter of Atia; sister of Gaius Octavian. | 2005-present |
| 12 | Quintus Pompey | Rick Warden | Son of Pompey Magnus. | 2005-present |
| 13 | Porcius Cato | Karl Johnson | Devoted leader of the conservative division of the Roman Senate. | 2005-present |
| 14 | Marcus Tullius Cicero | David Bamber | Leader of the moderates in the Senate. | 2005-present |
| 15 | Timon | Lee Boardman | A horse trader who is one of Atia's several lovers. | 2005-present |
Episodes
Season 1 (2005)
| # | Episode Title | Director | Writer(s) | Overview | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Stolen Eagle (Pilot) | Michael Apted | Bruno Heller | Eager to return to Rome after eight long years of war, Gaius Julius Caesar ends his campaign with a resounding triump in Gaul - and news of a shattering personal loss at home. In Rome, Caesar's old friend Pompey is counselled by the Senate, who worry about Caesar's growing popularity. Two soldiers are enlisted to find the army's stolen gold standard. Atia is careful to play both sides of an escalating power struggle. | August 28, 2005 (HBO) |
| 2 | How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic | Michael Apted | Bruno Heller | Anointed people's Tribune by Caesar, Mark Antony returns to Rome with Octavian's liberators, Vorenus and Pullo. After being feted by a grateful Atia, Vorenus heads home to his family, for the first time in eight years, while Pullo heads for the brothels. Pompey drafts an ultimatum stripping the general of his power. | September 4, 2005 (HBO) |
| 3 | An Owl in a Thornbush | Michael Apted | Bruno Heller | Scouting for Caesar some 30 miles from Rome, Pullo, Vorenus and ubian soldiers meet minimal resistance from a green group of Pompey recruits. Alarmed at the speed with which Caesar's army has advanced and with few soldiers, Pompey makes an unusual tactical decision: leave Rome. Pompey's decision to temporarily abandon Rome to Caesar forces patrician families to choose sides. | September 11, 2005 (HBO) |
| 4 | Stealing from Saturn | Julian Farino | Bruno Heller | As Pompey "maneuvers" outside the city, Caesar seeks to consolidate his hold on Rome. Atia throws a party to welcome Caesar home, while Vorenus throws one of his own to usher in his new life as a citizen businessman. Pullo's run of luck continues when he delivers Quintus Pompey to Caesar, who in turn returns Quintus to his father's camp--with an offer of truce he knows Pompey will never accept. | September 18, 2005 (HBO) |
| 5 | The Ram Has Touched the Wall | Allen Coulter | Bruno Heller | Caesar weighs Pompey's counteroffer against Antony's recommendation to chase down Pompey's vulnerable army. Vorenus is forced to reconsider his career choices after a series of business setbacks leave him with little income to support his family. A jealous Atia concocts a clever scheme to separate Caesar from Servilia. Pullo is recruited to tutor Octavian in the art of soldiering, but ends up learning a lesson or two from the boy. | September 25, 2005 (HBO) |
| 6 | Egeria | Alan Poul | John Milius and Bruno Heller | Mark Antony is running Rome while Caesar pursues Pompey in the East, but when news comes that the tide has turned and that Pompey now pursues Caesar, Antony must decide whether to stick by his old commander or turn against him as Atia and Pompey wish. Pullo takes Octavian to a brothel; Atia attempts to mend fences with Servilia; and Vorenus and Niobe rediscover their intimacy, albeit briefly. | October 2, 2005 (HBO) |
| 7 | Pharsalus | Tim Van Patten | David Frankel | Marooned in the Adriatic Sea, Vorenus and Pullo look to survive. In Greece, Pompey decides to attack Caesar's depleted forces, whose lack of options turns into their greatest strength; the result finds Pompey seeking reinforcements. In Rome, Octavia (Kerry Condon) is enlisted by Atia to ask another favor of Servilia. | October 9, 2005 (HBO) |
| 8 | Caesarion | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | Plot to be announced. | October 16, 2005 (HBO) |
| 9 | Utica | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | Plot to be announced. | October 30, 2005 (HBO) |
| 10 | Triumph | Alan Taylor | To Be Announced | Plot to be announced. | November 6, 2005 (HBO) |
| 11 | The Spoils | Mikael Salomon | To Be Announced | Plot to be announced | November 13, 2005 (HBO) |
| 12 | The Kalends of February | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | The Season 1 finale. | November 20, 2005 (HBO) |
Factual events
The Stolen Eagle (Pilot)
The episode is set in the year 52 BC. After eight years of war in Gaul, morale in Caesar's army is low.
How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic
This second episode is based on events that took place in 50 BC and 49 BC. Caesar's proconsulship in Gaul is about to expire, which would mean a loss of the office's immunity against prosecution by his political enemies. He had faced the same situation five years prior, but at that time his command had been extended with the help of his allies Pompey Magnus and Marcus Crassus. This time Caesar cannot count on his former allies, as Pompey has openly turned against him, and Crassus was killed in 53 BC. Caesar instead has to rely on Mark Antony for his political maneuvering: newly elected to the office of Tribune of the People (tribunus plebis), Mark Antony has veto power in the Roman Senate.
Meanwhile, Lucius Vorenus, now a first spear centurion (centurio primi pili), and Titus Pullo return to Rome. After dropping off Gaius Octavian, Vorenus returns to his wife, who he hasn't seen in eight years since he left for Gaul, and Pullo to prostitution and gambling. Pullo loses a lot of money gambling, when he discovers that he is being cheated by the other gamblers. He kills the cheater, but is injured in the fight that breaks out. He manages to drag himself to Vorenus's home, where he receives medical care.
Caesar's political enemies, led by Pompey, plan to pass a motion in the Senate that would set an ultimatum for Caesar to surrender his command, or be declared a public enemy. Pompey enlists the help of Cato the Younger, Metellus Scipio (Pompey's new father-in-law), and of the reluctant Cicero. Pompey wants the motion to pass by a large majority, so that Caesar would see that he is isolated and has no political supporters. On the other hand, Pompey also expects the motion to be vetoed by Caesar's ally Mark Antony, in which case the blame for any subsequent escalation would rest with Caesar. However, Mark Antony's veto is not recorded for procedural reasons. Pompey is taken by surprise, and arranges for the Senate session to be continued the next day, so that the tribune's veto can be recorded. He also gives orders that Mark Antony must not be harmed in any way.
Not knowing of Pompey's orders and fearing threatened because of his association with Caesar, Mark Antony calls on the soldiers from Caesar's 13th Legion (Legio XIII), including Vorenus and Pullo, for protection. With Vorenus and Pullo walking beside him, Mark Antony is on the way to the Roman Forum in order to properly record his veto in the Senate. Pullo is spotted and attacked by one of the gamblers who had been involved in the fight that broke out over Pullo being cheated. Mark Antony assumes that it is he who is being attacked, and fights a retreat out of Rome, in which Vorenus is wounded.
Antony, Pullo, and Vorenus return to Caesar's 13th Legion in Cisalpine Gaul (northern Italy). Upon hearing the news, Caesar marches his army south toward Rome, marking the beginning of the civil war. The episode ends with Caesar crossing the Rubicon – without uttering any memorable quotes – in January of 49 BC.
External links
- Rome at IMDb
- Rome - Official HBO site
- Rome - Official Fansite
- "New $100m TV epic set to rewrite history" - the Independent (UK), 25 July 2005
- "HBO enlists Firefox for series promotion" - CNet News.com, August 15, 2005