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Rome

hudsonvalley

MMMM...Ember
Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
1,582
Saw four episodes of this last weekend at a motel. Intriguing. Can't wait to get a collection on DVD and sit through a bunch of episodes.
 
I've been watching this all season. It's very well done, great costumes/scenery. I'm really enjoying it. It's up to episode 8 so far and I think HBO is starting to replay the earlier episodes (They are also on HBO On demand if you have access to it).
 
I saw an episode and liked the show a lot. I just haven't had the chance to watch it regularly. Maybe when I finish my move I'll be able to see some on demand...
 
Great show..... especially the parts with Indira Varma. :)
indira_varma_rome-vi.jpg
 
I wish I could watch this on TV. From the previews I saw it looked like a very good show. Unfortunately, we don't have HBO. I guess I will have to wait to either buy it or rent it somewhere.
 

Just an FYI for all the ROME fans - "The second season of the Emmy® award-winning drama series premieres January 14th on HBO."
I believe they are also running the entire first season starting this week.


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The powers that be at HBO have decided not to cancel Rome, which is a wonderful show that is probably the most historically accurate depiction of the everyday lives of Roman citizens. I love it! Too bad they canceled Deadwood.

I just hope they keep the series alive till the Battle of Actium. Maybe they get a budget to show the greatest sea battle in Ancient times!
 
Netflix offers the whole set up till now, but you have to wait until the new season is made available for the next set of CD's.


I thought the series has been great so far.
 
The powers that be at HBO have decided not to cancel Rome, which is a wonderful show that is probably the most historically accurate depiction of the everyday lives of Roman citizens. I love it! Too bad they canceled Deadwood.

I just hope they keep the series alive till the Battle of Actium. Maybe they get a budget to show the greatest sea battle in Ancient times!
I would humbly disagree. The Romans were not very good sailors. and since they were fighting themselves, it's diificut for me to characterize the batlle of Actium as the greatest sea battle. I would opt for the Battle of Salamis. It had a much more profound effect on western civ.

Doc.
 
I don't get HBO.

Doesn't HBO cost you $15.00 or $20.00 extra a month just for that one channel?
 
The powers that be at HBO have decided not to cancel Rome, which is a wonderful show that is probably the most historically accurate depiction of the everyday lives of Roman citizens. I love it! Too bad they canceled Deadwood.

I just hope they keep the series alive till the Battle of Actium. Maybe they get a budget to show the greatest sea battle in Ancient times!
I would humbly disagree. The Romans were not very good sailors. and since they were fighting themselves, it's diificut for me to characterize the batlle of Actium as the greatest sea battle. I would opt for the Battle of Salamis. It had a much more profound effect on western civ.

Doc.

I disagree with you sir, humbly of course. I think saying that “Romans were not very good sailors” is a very broad statement considering the length of time Roman history spans. It is a true statement at one time, and a false statement at others.

Rome had an incredible navy at the time of the Battle of Actium in 31 BC and some of the best sailors and naval infantry as well. The last time Rome faced a serious threat at sea was nearly two centuries before during the Punic Wars where their Navy suffered incredible losses because it was young and untested against the might of Carthage and its navy. But Rome won the decisive naval battles of the first Punic War like the battle of the Aegadian Islands because they adapted and by the time of the Battle of Actium the Roman navy was second to none in the Mediterranean. Pompeii had effectively used Roman naval strength during his time as general and later Consul to eliminate most piracy in the Mediterranean and the only naval power in the region that could hope to stand up to Rome was Egypt and they quickly fell.

I think the Battle of Salamis was crucial for the Greeks, but not necessarily for Western Civilization. The Greeks had effectively spread their culture and civilization by establishing colonies throughout the Mediterranean by the time of the Battle of Salamis. The Greek colony of Syracuse was located between Rome and Carthage and contained all the important aspects of Western Civilization and would have survived the fall of Greece. Romans had already adopted many aspects of Greek culture by this time so I don’t really see how the battle would have a “much more profound effect” on the development of Western Culture than the Battle of Actium.

The reason why I think Actium is so important is because it cleared the way for Octavian to become Augustus. His reign saw the institution of the Republic replaced by Imperium. Some historians say Augustus’ reign was the beginning of the Roman Empire. I think this is a misnomer because these historians apparently don’t count the Roman colonies and conquests in Iberia (Spain), Gaul (France), North Africa, and all of Italy as an empire.
But I believe Augustus profoundly impacted human history because successful Roman emperors imitated his reign and the institution of Imperium would spread Roman civilization throughout the growing Roman Empire and forever change the shape of the world. It’s hard to say what would've happened to the world if Octavian had been defeated and Mark Antony came to rule over Rome, but I’d measure that he wouldn’t be granted the title of Augustus and I’d further argue that history and Western Civilization would be very different.

But hey, were both essentially presenting counter-factual arguments about decisive battles in history. It’s great to wonder “what if” but there’s only so far anyone can go with a counter-factual argument, so I humbly submit an edit to what I wrote-

One of the greatest sea battles in Ancient times.
 
Great show for sure. I beleive it's the next to last episode of the first season that has one of goriest battle scenes I have ever seen. It's a little over the top but nonetheless, one of the best gore special effects I have laid eyes upon.

By the way, isn't Deadwood supposedly going to wrap up with a pair of two hour finales?
 
The History Channel has a new series called "Engineering an Empire" that covers many ancient civilizations (Persia, Minoan, etc.) and the had two full episodes earlier tonight about the Roman empire. It was pretty cool but there is SO MUCH to cover about the Roman Empire, they were barely able to scratch the surface. :0
 
The History Channel has a new series called "Engineering an Empire" that covers many ancient civilizations (Persia, Minoan, etc.) and the had two full episodes earlier tonight about the Roman empire. It was pretty cool but there is SO MUCH to cover about the Roman Empire, they were barely able to scratch the surface. :0

I saw them both and loved them. I think they could do twenty shows and only scratch the surface. The Later Roman Empire episode on Byzantium during Justinian and Theodora was outstanding. I’ve always loved looking at Hagia Sophia and found its construction to be fascinating.

Peter Weller makes a great host. It’s kinda cool that the guy who played Robocop is now a Professor of history at Syracuse University.

HagiaSophia.jpg
 
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