Rome (TV series)  

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Rome is an American-British-Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius, and William J. MacDonald. The show's first season originally aired on HBO in the United States between August 28 and November 20, 2005, subsequently being broadcast on the United Kingdom's BBC Two between November 2, 2005 and January 4, 2006, and on Rai Due in Italy between March 17, 2006 and April 28, 2006. The second season aired on HBO in the U.S. from January 14, 2007 to March 25, 2007.

The story of Rome depicts the period of history surrounding the violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire; a change driven by civil warfare between radical populares and conservative optimates, the decay of political institutions, and the actions of ambitious men and women. The series follows the two main characters Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo from Caesar's invasion of Gaul to the death of Mark Antony and the rise of the first Emperor Augustus.

The series was a ratings success for HBO and the BBC. The show received much media attention from the start, and Rome was honored with numerous awards and nominations in its two-season run. Co-creator Heller stated in December 2008 that a Rome movie is in development. The series was filmed in various locations, but most notably in the Cinecittà studios in Italy.

Cast

• Kevin McKidd as Lucius Vorenus (Season 1 and 2) – Is depicted as a staunch, traditional, Roman soldier, who struggles to balance his personal beliefs, his duty to his superiors, and the needs of his family and friends. The basis for this character is the historical Roman soldier of the same name, who is briefly mentioned in Julius Caesar's De Bello Gallico.
• Ray Stevenson as Titus Pullo (Season 1 and 2) – A friendly, upbeat, devil-may-care soldier with the morals of a pirate, the appetites of a hedonist, and a total lack of personal responsibility, who discovers hidden ideals and integrity within himself. The basis for this character also comes from the books by Julius Ceasar named De Bello Gallico and Commentarii de Bello Civili.
• Ciarán Hinds as Julius Caesar (Season 1 main, 2 recurring) – Ambitious and unscrupulous, Caesar bears a strong resemblance to his real life counterpart. His aims and motives are often kept ambiguous to further complicate the plot and test the personal loyalties of the other characters. Like the real Caesar, he advertises himself as a reformer who sides with the Plebians, even though he is himself a Patrician. He is also merciful to his beaten enemies, seeming genuinely distressed by their deaths and relieved at their willingness to make peace where a more vindictive individual would have simply killed them.
• Kenneth Cranham as Pompey Magnus (Season 1) – A legendary general, past the days of his prime, who tries to recapture the glories of his youth as much as to do what is right for the Republic. The real Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus was a Roman general and politician, who, while as ambitious as Caesar, and just as unorthodox in his youth, chose to ally himself with the optimates in opposing Caesar and supporting the traditional Roman Republic.
• Polly Walker as Atia of the Julii (Season 1 and 2) – The niece of Julius Caesar and mother of Octavian/Augustus and Octavia, she is depicted as a cheerfully amoral and opportunistic manipulator. Her family connections and sexual liaisons have brought her into contact with some of the most powerful individuals in Rome, making her a highly influential figure in Roman society. Atia is very loosely based on the historical figure Atia Balba Caesonia about whom little detail is known. Rome Historical Consultant Jonathan Stamp identifies the historical figure Clodia as the primary basis for the character of Atia.
• James Purefoy as Mark Antony (Season 1 and 2) – A Roman general and politician and a close supporter of Julius Caesar in season 1. In season 2 he fights for power in the Roman Republic against Octavian and eventually loses.
• Tobias Menzies as Marcus Junius Brutus (Season 1 and 2) – Portrayed as a young man torn between what he believes is right, and his loyalty and love of a man who has been like a father to him. The real Marcus Junius Brutus was the most famous of Julius Caesar's assassins, and one of the key figures in the civil wars that followed the assassination.
• Lindsay Duncan as Servilia of the Junii (Season 1 and 2) – The mother of Marcus Junius Brutus, lover of the married Julius Caesar and enemy of Atia of the Julii, Servilia is depicted as a sophisticated and regal Roman matron who follows her heart to her detriment. Betrayed by love, and hungering for revenge, she slowly becomes as cruel as those she would destroy. Servilia is loosely based on the historical personage of Servilia Caepionis, mother of Marcus Junius Brutus, and famous lover of Julius Caesar.
• Indira Varma as Niobe (Season 1 main, 2 recurring) – A beautiful woman devoted to her family, Niobe is a proud Plebeian from a large clan. After marrying Lucius Vorenus and giving birth to their two daughters, she functioned as a single parent when Lucius went off to war.
• Max Pirkis (season 1 and early 2) and Simon Woods (season 2) as Gaius Octavian – Portrayed as a shrewd, if somewhat cold, young man, with an understanding of the world, people, philosophy, and politics that go well beyond his years. The basis for this character is the early life of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor.
• Nicholas Woodeson as Posca (Season 1 and 2) – A slave of Julius Caesar, yet also his friend, aide-de-camp, and confidante in most things personal and professional. As a slave, he will seldom receive credit, but it appears that many of the more simple and elegant solutions to Caesar's problems come from the mind of Posca. Posca is freed and given a stipend in Caesar's will at the start of the second season. He throws his support behind Antony in later episodes, but later strategically defects to Octavian.
• Kerry Condon as Octavia of the Julii (Season 1 and 2) – The character is based on the Roman matron Octavia Thurina Minor, sister of Roman Emperor Augustus. Born to one of the most powerful families in Rome, the Julii, Octavia is the only daughter and elder child of Atia of the Julii, who is the niece of Gaius Julius Caesar.
• Rick Warden as Quintus Pompey (Season 1 and 2) – The son of Pompey. The basis for this character is unclear. There is no historical mention of a Quintus Valerius Pompey, but the character may be meant to represent both of Pompey's historical sons Sextus Pompeius and Gnaeus Pompeius.
• Karl Johnson as Porcius Cato (Season 1) – An extreme traditionalist, against political and social decay, and a staunch defender of the Roman Republic. The real Cato the Younger was a Roman orator, author, and politician.
• David Bamber as Marcus Tullius Cicero (Season 1 and 2) – A moderate politician and scholar, who is challenged with trying to save the traditional Republic from the ambitions of the various characters on the show. The real Cicero was a Roman politician, writer, and orator.
• Lee Boardman as Timon (Season 1 and 2) – A Roman-Jew, depicted as a "hired sword" — from bodyguard to assassin — for Atia of the Julii, from whom he is quite willing to take her body in lieu of coin.