Yee-Ming
Senior HTF Member
Wow. Is there really anything more to say about what IMHO was a spectacular kick-off to the new season?
By that I don't mean a spectacle in terms of CGI, epic large events like battles or what not, just that generally the episode was briliant on so many levels and in so many scenes, small and large. Just a few examples: Anthony's "little chat" with Brutus and the other conspirators, his later almost casual killing of Quintus Pompeius, Pullo consoling Vorenus, and their later payback, Calpurnia's reaction when Servilia dared to show up to pay respects to Caesar, Octavian's masterly manipulation of his mother and Anthony, his discussion with Pullo on why Vorenus was "distracted" from bodyguard duties for Caesar, and Pullo's later "oath of allegiance" to Octavian for future duty, Pullo asking what's-her-name to marry him, Anthony insisting on having a shag before the funeral etc. I could go on.
Joseph's already mentioned the Masters of Rome books; if anything those could have formed a very good basis for dramatization as "historical fiction", without taking real history (as far as we know it) to the extremes that this TV series has. But I do recognise that some of the license taken is really for dramatic purposes (Servilia being deep into the assassination plot, in particular), and it does often work for entertainment purposes, even if it does education a disservice.
I had not realised that real-life historical accounts of Caesar's childhood were so scant. Joseph, is McCullough's account of Marius making Caesar the flamen dialis (Jupiter's special priest, a life appointment, who was forbidden to bear arms and therefore could never have as soldiering career, a necessary pre-requisite to a political career) true at all? McCullough portrayed that as the act of an old man trying to sabotage Caesar's career, since Marius knew/suspected that Caesar had the ability to far surpass his achievements, and Marius was trying to preserve his legacy/reputation as the greatest Roman of all time. Then again, that was IIRC Caesar's teen years already, so does that appear in Suetonius's work?
I guess one of these days I am going to have to get that; so far most of my understanding of Republican Rome is from McCullough's work, and some other odd sources (would you believe, the historical notes in the rulebook for Avalon Hill's "Republic Of Rome" game? Which is a simulation of politics in the Roman Senate. A pretty good game IMHO.)
Oh, and back to the TV show, I can't wait for the next episode. Any idea where S2 is going to end, in relation to historic events? I can't see them jumping so far ahead to the end of the second Civil War (Octavian v. Anthony), but then again, where else would an appropriate "end-point" be?
Another thing: I'm glad Max Pirkis is back (there were rumours he wasn't returning for S2), but it is a bit odd seeing him having grown a fair bit, when this episode picks up exactly where S1 left off. But for S2 purposes this "jump" does work out, since Octavian is now Caesar's heir and a significant player in his own right, if a bit young, raw and callow, and it does "look" a little better having the now-slightly older Pirkis in the role.
By that I don't mean a spectacle in terms of CGI, epic large events like battles or what not, just that generally the episode was briliant on so many levels and in so many scenes, small and large. Just a few examples: Anthony's "little chat" with Brutus and the other conspirators, his later almost casual killing of Quintus Pompeius, Pullo consoling Vorenus, and their later payback, Calpurnia's reaction when Servilia dared to show up to pay respects to Caesar, Octavian's masterly manipulation of his mother and Anthony, his discussion with Pullo on why Vorenus was "distracted" from bodyguard duties for Caesar, and Pullo's later "oath of allegiance" to Octavian for future duty, Pullo asking what's-her-name to marry him, Anthony insisting on having a shag before the funeral etc. I could go on.
Joseph's already mentioned the Masters of Rome books; if anything those could have formed a very good basis for dramatization as "historical fiction", without taking real history (as far as we know it) to the extremes that this TV series has. But I do recognise that some of the license taken is really for dramatic purposes (Servilia being deep into the assassination plot, in particular), and it does often work for entertainment purposes, even if it does education a disservice.
I had not realised that real-life historical accounts of Caesar's childhood were so scant. Joseph, is McCullough's account of Marius making Caesar the flamen dialis (Jupiter's special priest, a life appointment, who was forbidden to bear arms and therefore could never have as soldiering career, a necessary pre-requisite to a political career) true at all? McCullough portrayed that as the act of an old man trying to sabotage Caesar's career, since Marius knew/suspected that Caesar had the ability to far surpass his achievements, and Marius was trying to preserve his legacy/reputation as the greatest Roman of all time. Then again, that was IIRC Caesar's teen years already, so does that appear in Suetonius's work?
I guess one of these days I am going to have to get that; so far most of my understanding of Republican Rome is from McCullough's work, and some other odd sources (would you believe, the historical notes in the rulebook for Avalon Hill's "Republic Of Rome" game? Which is a simulation of politics in the Roman Senate. A pretty good game IMHO.)
Oh, and back to the TV show, I can't wait for the next episode. Any idea where S2 is going to end, in relation to historic events? I can't see them jumping so far ahead to the end of the second Civil War (Octavian v. Anthony), but then again, where else would an appropriate "end-point" be?
Another thing: I'm glad Max Pirkis is back (there were rumours he wasn't returning for S2), but it is a bit odd seeing him having grown a fair bit, when this episode picks up exactly where S1 left off. But for S2 purposes this "jump" does work out, since Octavian is now Caesar's heir and a significant player in his own right, if a bit young, raw and callow, and it does "look" a little better having the now-slightly older Pirkis in the role.
