HBO'S ROME

For the past week I had the pleasure to watch HBO's series called ROME. I had heard about it, and seen it for sale at a local shop, and finally bought it. And I'm glad I did. Rome is an incredibly reaslitic no holds barred production, which attempts to depict Roman life circa 50BC.

The series is weaved around the lives of two Roman soldiers, Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus (pictured above) who happen to be in many of the key events of the time.

ROME has it all. Passion, story, violence, nobility, deceit, murder, debauchary-everything you would expect from Rome (although that sounds alot like life in America today). And along the way, one meets Julius Caeser, Mark Anthony, Cleopatra, and Augustus Caesar. It's gripping stuff, fascinating entertainment, and a great way to learn history.

While watching and enjoying Rome, you can also learn a great deal about the Celtic World. You will see Roman skermishes with the Gauls; you will see the tragic Gaulic leader Vercingetorix; you will witness a world just at the time that Christ was born. You will encounter a young King Herod. And probably like me, you will want more and wonder why they cancelled this incredible series after two years.

You will also get to see the Celtic world through Caesar's (Roman) eyes. Caesar is an important person in Celtic studies even though it might be for all the wrong reasons. He was the governor of southern Gaul and launched a military campaign to bring the area under Roman rule. Caesar joureyed to Gaul twice and wrote about them in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Commentary on the Gallic Wars, 50AD. Lucius and Titus's were actually mentioned in the Commentary and the directors imaginatively weaved the story around them. Caesar powers of observation are noted as he recognized there were three different tribes people whom he called "Galli". He also understood the importance of the Druids. Caesar was the first person to call Ireland "Hibernia" or "the winter place".

Tired of the waste land on TV? If you liked the films Gladiator or Sparticus, you would do well to check out Rome.  In an age of stupid, this production reaches high and delivers.

Hail Rome, full of life and intrigue!