Rome: The Return

Posted on July 18, 2007 
Filed Under TV-SHOWS

Octavia and Atia - two characters from tv programme RomeThis is the second series of the joint HBO and BBC series, Rome, which is loosely based on the Roman Empire during the times of Gaius Julius Caesar, Marc Antony and Cleopatra. This lavish production has a British cast including James Purefoy, Lindsay Duncan and Ray Stephenson.

The first series focussed on Julius Caesar and his rise and fall from grace. The second series has been concentrating on the political turmoil since his assassination, with Marc Antony and Caesar’s grand nephew Gaius Octavian battling for supremacy, but deciding to rule Rome and the Empire together.

The series concentrates not only on the main characters of Atia (Octavian’s mother and lover of Marc Antony), Octavia (her daughter), Octavian, Marc Antony, Brutus and members of the Roman senate but has a strong side-plot concentrating on the lives of loyal soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo and their dedication to the state and their families. There is an insight into the fierce battles that took place and Roman civilisation including the orgies, debauchery, violence and merrymaking . The characters think nothing of ordering someone to be killed if they fall out of favour.

Tonight’s episode concentrated on the famine in Rome with grain supplies running low and people starving. After being married off to Octavia (to seal unity between the house of Caesar and Marc Antony) and the marriage being exposed as a sham, Marc Antony decides to live in Alexandria. He takes up with Cleopatra who bears him two sons. He holds back grain supplies to Rome, finally relenting to sell it at three times cost value.

Octavian decides to test out Marc Antony’s loyalty by sending Octavia (Marc Antony’s wife) and Atia (his lover) to ask for the grain. The thinking is that Marc Antony will reject either Cleopatra or his wife. He sends his wife away without seeing her and thus prompts a Civil War

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One Response to “Rome: The Return”

  1. Ghazi on April 12th, 2008 7:55 am

    i’ve seen the first and the second seasons, i wonder if there’s the third part of Rome ? i like the story very much and the actors were great !

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