Factual error: The verse Octavia recites is from Virgilius' poem "the Aeneid". That poem was written at least a quarter of a decade after the death of Caesar.
Rome (2005)
Starring: Polly Walker, Ray Stevenson, Kevin McKidd, Kerry Condon
Factual error: Vercingetorix was indeed displayed publicly in Caesar's triumph, but he was executed afterwards, not during the triumph itself.
Factual error: Caesar was not murdered on the Senate floor, as depicted in the series. That was the conspirators' plan, but when they learned that Mark Anthony was coming to meet Caesar, they instead lured Caesar into the portico of Pompey's theatre and killed him there.
Suggested correction: The reason the senate was meeting in a different place is because the Senate house had been burned down a little while before so they met elsewhere during its reconstruction.
Trivia: Although they didn't have any scenes together, Kevin McKidd (Vorenus) and Tobias Menzies (Brutus) would discuss their characters and brainstorm about how to portray them, because they felt their characters went through very similar moral conflicts. Confirmed by Kevin McKidd on the season one DVD commentary.
Trivia: Pompey Magnus had two sons that fought against Caesar: Cnaeus and Sextus. He never had a son named Quintus as is stated in the series.
Death Mask - S2-E7
Trivia: Herod's "gift" of 20,000 pounds of gold would be work about $290 million in today's money (20 thousand pounds = 320 million ounces x $905.00 = $290 million). However this amount of gold would have had much more purchasing power in the 1st Century BC than today as inflation was virtually unknown in Rome at that time. This is further demonstrated in that it was sufficient to purchase a whole country, Judea. As Marc Antony said "a good morning's work".
Titus Pullo: It's as hot as Vulcan's dick.
Cleopatra: A man without sons is a man without a future.
Cassius: Look now. Look at that.
Marcus Junius Brutus: It is a chair. What of it?
Cassius: A chair? It's a throne.
Marcus Junius Brutus: I believe thrones are generally more decorative. That is decidedly plain, and chair-like.
Question: I don't understand why Pullo is so angry with Vorenus and thinks he needs to apologise. Having fought in Caesar's army for as long as Pullo has he would be very well aware of the repercussions for what he did, why would he blame Vorenus for abiding the law and doing what is required of him as a centurion?
Answer: Its Pullo's nature to resent people of higher standing than him. His jealousy of Vorenus in later episodes, which in part leads to their falling out, is proof of that. From Pullo's point of view, Vorenus just got better breaks to get where he is in the army and so, isn't really his superior. That, plus his natural arrogance is explantion enough for his behaviour in spite of the fact that he broke the rules and was being fairly punished.
Question: Who is the mother of Pompey's children? His new wife can't be their mother, since they are too old compared to Niobe's son who's an infant when the show starts. And they can't be Julia's children, since Pompey is worried Caesar might kill them, and Caesar wouldn't murder his own grandchildren.
Answer: According to wikipedia, Pompey's children are all from his third wife, Mucia Tertia. Julia is his fourth wife. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey#Marriages_and_offspring.
Question: Was Series 2 shortened? Series 1 had 12 episodes vs 10 for Series 2. Also some of the subplots in Series 2 didn't really go anywhere and were tied up abruptly, e.g. Tyman killing his brother.
Answer: The show became too costly to produce so they ended the season early to save money.
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