The series begins in 52 BC, as Gaius Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) completes his conquest of Gaul after eight years of war, and prepares to return with his army to Rome. While Caesar's self-interested niece Atia (Polly Walker) and long-lost paramour Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) anxiously await the general's return, ruling patricians despair that Caesar's homecoming will disrupt the status quo, and threaten the extravagant prosperity they've enjoyed at the expense of the lower class. In the Senate, old-guard leaders plot to undermine Caesar's influence by convincing his old friend, Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), that the general is a threat. Back at the front, two mismatched soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), see their fortunes rise following several serendipitous missions. As Caesars legions move closer to Rome, allegiances are put to the test for soldiers and civilians - and the escalating tensions climax with a full-scale conflict destined to change history.
Comments
@digibron I think GoT is even slower-paced than Rome. As @ColeFrost said, there's so much stuff happening in so few episodes... This is one of my favorites, it's the second time I'm watching it.
@DarkReality That's really interesting! I guess that's where the German word "kaiser" (meaning "emperor") came from.
As far as this show goes, I want to like it but I'm struggling to get through it... does anyone else feel like it's a bit slow paced, particularly compared to more contemporary shows like GoT? Not that slow paced is necessarily a bad thing, I loved "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" and they were pretty slow by today's standard. I guess I'm just not particularly interested in what happens to the characters in Rome... should I keep going?
@Lasnait That's what I was saying, apparently it was pronounced "Kai-sar" in old Latin.
@DarkReality The point is: how is pronounced in Latin?
I never questioned it while I was watching, but the dual pronunciation of "Caesar" in the computer roleplaying game "Fallout: New Vegas" got me looking it up, and apparently pronouncing the name "See-zer" is a recent invention; in Julius Caesar's day, the name was actually pronounced "Kai-sahr". (Funny that the characters in this post-apocalyptic survival tale know this, yet the gang shacked up in a school of Elvis Presley impersonation can find no record of the name of "The King".) So I pronounce it Kai-sahr, forgive people who say it "incorrectly" in modern times, but I look back at this and wonder why they didn't say it correctly on the show. Pronunciation issues aside, this show is definitely worth watching.
For those thinking about not watching this, it is definitely worth it. Same production team as Game of Thrones, though a different creator and writers.
The show is really high end and was only cancelled because it cost too much to make. The sets were ridiculously expensive.
The show does close all of its storylines, which makes it really worth watching due to getting so much in so few episodes. It is a quick viewing, worth the time and effort.
Recently bought the blu ray, I loved the show when it aired but it is even better on blu-ray. That version is unabridged with even more gore & sex. Deffinitely a great series.
Yep, Season 2 was good. The most urgent plot points were tied up mostly, but Season 3 would have shown the reign of Octavian during the Pax Romana. I am sad this great programme did not continue.
@Lemon it finished up the plots, but left room for a next season. nothing really hanging, the only dissatisfying part was that there was not a season 3. worth watching, definitely.
How was the ending on this show, did it leave open plots or is there a real ending?