HBO's Rome two seasons (originally shown in the years 2005-2007) covers in twenty two episodes the twenty two year period between the battle of Alesia in 52 BC and the aftermath to the battle of Actium in 30 BC (Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC is shown at the end of the first season and the beginning of the second season). While several plot threads runs through the series, basically the first season is about how Caesar rose to hold absolute power (defeating rivals like Pompey) just before being murdered, while the second season tell us how after Caesar's death, a struggle began between Octavian (later emperor Augustus) and Mark Antony to fill the power void generated by Caesar's death.
The series is centered round the lives of two friends and comrades from the campaign in Gaul, the hot tempered Vorenus (played by Kevin McKidd, who looks a lot like Daniel Craig) and the more amiable Pullo (played by Ray Stevenson, who looks a bit like Mel Gibson and another bit like Russell Crowe) They both existed historically (two centurions bearing those names are mentioned in Caesar's Commentaries on the War in Gaul), but little else is known about them, so most of what is shown in the TV series is invented. The rest of the cast is mostly British, none of them very famous (most of them come from a BBC high drama/theatrical background) but they mostly acquit themselves fine: James Purefoy particularly excels as the slimy, edgy Mark Antony; David Bamber is a fine Cicero, so is Polly Walker as the scheming matron Attia. The gorgeous Kerry Condon impresses as the young, promiscuous Octavia, while Ciaran Hinds is good in his understated performance as Julius Caesar.
With the obvious exception of having the Romans speak in English (there is always something ridiculous about movies where Romans deliver obscenities in a Cockney accent) real care was taken by the filmmakers to make this series as historically accurate as possible.
The production values are considerable. Still, since they didn't have an enormous budget, the filmmakers decided not to film huge crowd scenes, concentrating instead on smaller, more intimate scenes. Thus Mark Antony's funeral oration of Caesar is referred to but not shown, and with the exception of the battle of Philippi none of the other battles of the era is recreated. Despite this smaller scope, this miniseries represents a considerable achievement, a triumph both of popular and intelligent entertainment and scholarship.
The series is centered round the lives of two friends and comrades from the campaign in Gaul, the hot tempered Vorenus (played by Kevin McKidd, who looks a lot like Daniel Craig) and the more amiable Pullo (played by Ray Stevenson, who looks a bit like Mel Gibson and another bit like Russell Crowe) They both existed historically (two centurions bearing those names are mentioned in Caesar's Commentaries on the War in Gaul), but little else is known about them, so most of what is shown in the TV series is invented. The rest of the cast is mostly British, none of them very famous (most of them come from a BBC high drama/theatrical background) but they mostly acquit themselves fine: James Purefoy particularly excels as the slimy, edgy Mark Antony; David Bamber is a fine Cicero, so is Polly Walker as the scheming matron Attia. The gorgeous Kerry Condon impresses as the young, promiscuous Octavia, while Ciaran Hinds is good in his understated performance as Julius Caesar.
With the obvious exception of having the Romans speak in English (there is always something ridiculous about movies where Romans deliver obscenities in a Cockney accent) real care was taken by the filmmakers to make this series as historically accurate as possible.
The production values are considerable. Still, since they didn't have an enormous budget, the filmmakers decided not to film huge crowd scenes, concentrating instead on smaller, more intimate scenes. Thus Mark Antony's funeral oration of Caesar is referred to but not shown, and with the exception of the battle of Philippi none of the other battles of the era is recreated. Despite this smaller scope, this miniseries represents a considerable achievement, a triumph both of popular and intelligent entertainment and scholarship.