As this series opens Rome is still a republic but two men dominate and there is a fear that either could declare themselves king. These are Pompey Magnus in Rome and his friend Gaius Julius Caesar who is in Gaul; the latter may have been away for years but his victories and the treasures he sends back to Rome makes him popular with the common people of the city. As Caesar's popularity rises some in Rome advise Pompey to move against him; he refuses to do so
publicly at least. In Gaul local tribesman have stolen Caesar's Eagle, the standard his army marches behind, leading to unrest amongst the soldiers. Caesar gives the job of finding it to Centurion Lucius Vorenus and he selects soldier Titus Pullo to accompany him; Pullo isn't a model soldier; in fact when selected he is awaiting execution for drunkenness in battle! Meanwhile Caesar's Niece, Atia of the Julii has sent her son Octavius to Gaul to deliver a magnificent stallion to her uncle; unfortunately he is captured by the locals
no points for guessing who rescues him.
This HBO/BBC co-production is an exciting telling of the rise of Julius Caesar. There are plenty of main characters to get to know but not too many. The story in this episode nicely combines fact based drama with imagined actions that serve to introduce the cast. Most of the protagonists are senior people and their relatives but we also have Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo representing more ordinary people so we can see the unfolding story as it affects different parts of society. The cast does an impressive job making us believe in their characters and their situation. The sets are impressive; they have a 'real' feel to them rather than looking like obvious film sets.
This telling of the story of ancient Rome won't be to everybody's taste; there is a fair amount of strong bloody violence that may disturb some viewers and nudity which may offend others; however if you aren't put off by this I'd recommend watching this series. This is a great opening episode that got me keen to watch the rest of the series.
This HBO/BBC co-production is an exciting telling of the rise of Julius Caesar. There are plenty of main characters to get to know but not too many. The story in this episode nicely combines fact based drama with imagined actions that serve to introduce the cast. Most of the protagonists are senior people and their relatives but we also have Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo representing more ordinary people so we can see the unfolding story as it affects different parts of society. The cast does an impressive job making us believe in their characters and their situation. The sets are impressive; they have a 'real' feel to them rather than looking like obvious film sets.
This telling of the story of ancient Rome won't be to everybody's taste; there is a fair amount of strong bloody violence that may disturb some viewers and nudity which may offend others; however if you aren't put off by this I'd recommend watching this series. This is a great opening episode that got me keen to watch the rest of the series.