Rome (2005–2007)

A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.

Creators:

Bruno Heller, William J. MacDonald, John Milius

Stars:

Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 14 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Kevin McKidd	...	Lucius Vorenus (22 episodes, 2005-2007)
Ray Stevenson	...	Titus Pullo (22 episodes, 2005-2007)
Polly Walker	...	Atia of the Julii (22 episodes, 2005-2007)
Kerry Condon	...	Octavia of the Julii (22 episodes, 2005-2007)
James Purefoy	...	Mark Antony (22 episodes, 2005-2007)
Ian McNeice	...	Newsreader (20 episodes, 2005-2007)
Coral Amiga	...	Vorena the Elder (19 episodes, 2005-2007)
Lindsay Duncan	...	Servilia of the Junii (18 episodes, 2005-2007)
Lidia Biondi	...	Merula (18 episodes, 2005-2007)
Tobias Menzies	...	Marcus Junius Brutus (17 episodes, 2005-2007)
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Posca (17 episodes, 2005-2007)
Indira Varma	...	Niobe (15 episodes, 2005-2007)
David Bamber	...	Marcus Tullius Cicero (15 episodes, 2005-2007)
Chiara Mastalli	...	Eirene (15 episodes, 2005-2007)
Manfredi Aliquo	...	Castor (15 episodes, 2005-2007)
Suzanne Bertish	...	Eleni (14 episodes, 2005-2007)
Max Pirkis	...	Gaius Octavian (13 episodes, 2005-2007)
Lee Boardman	...	Timon (13 episodes, 2005-2007)
Esther Hall	...	Lyde (13 episodes, 2005-2007)
Ciarán Hinds	...	Gaius Julius Caesar (13 episodes, 2005-2007)
Anna Fausta Primiano	...	Vorena the Younger (12 episodes, 2005-2007)
Michael Nardone	...	Mascius (10 episodes, 2005-2007)

Storyline

In this British historical drama, the turbulent transition from Roman republic to autocratic empire, which changed world history through civil war and wars of conquest, is sketched both from the aristocratic viewpoint of Julius Caesar, his family, his adopted successor Octavian Augustus, and their political allies and adversaries, and from the politically naive viewpoint of a few ordinary Romans, notably the soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo and their families.

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Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Civil War | Roman Salute | Eroticism | Roman Empire | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [uk] HBO [us]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Roma

Filming Locations:

Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

HD Vision Studios, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min (1 episode) 50 min (9 episodes) 52 min (22 episodes) 60 min (12 Episodes)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The olive trees in the Sacred Grove of the Forum set are over 200 years old.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the series Lucius Vorenus is the primus pilas, or senior centurion, of the Thirteenth Legion. In the show he is referred to as "First Spear Centurion;" this is a mistranslation of his title. The correct translation of primus pilas in this sense would be "first file," meaning the front line of the legion.

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Quotes

Atia of the Julii: [to Cleopatra] Die screaming, you pig spawn trollop.

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Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons: Funeral for a Fiend (2007)
Marge mentions it.

User Reviews

Rome for the First Time

Great. Loving classical literature and history, and the sometimes ridiculous film genre known as Sword and Sandal, I was thrilled by the first episode - I really feel like I'm getting something very like the grit and feel of the place and the politics for the first time. I've read some stupid comments here that somehow the series is less than authentic because these Romans speak English - and most absurd - that the actors are all too old because the average male died in his 40's. That figure - If true - is skewed tremendously by the fact that many died of childhood maladies that are easily treated today. Many men lived in to their 70's and 80's, especially in the aristocracy. Pompey

• one of the oldest in the series - died at something like 58, and his

death was anything but natural. Look, some suspension of disbelief is required every time you turn the TV on. I think they've done a great job with this series and I look forward to future episodes.