World History
HBO: Rome. I watched the first episode of this show on HBO tonight. As a whole, I liked it and I do look forward to seeing more episodes.
Here are a few thoughts:
This series is beginning with the start of the great Roman civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Most of the people in the world know that eventually Caesar is going to win. Most will know that the boy Octavian will eventually rule the world as August Caesar. However, the state of history education in the USA may mean that many Americans will be surprised by how this series ends. (However many seasons that takes...)
I also note that most of the actors appear to be British. This is the same as the BBC 1970s TV series I, Claudius. Why are Brits hired to portray Romans most of the time? The Romans considered Brittania at the time of Caesar to be one of the most barbaric places in the world. What irony that British actors are presented as Romans. For obvious reasons, English is used for this TV series rather than Latin. So why does it matter what accent the English has?
I was a bit disturbed by how Caesar was portrayed when he learned his daughter Julia had died. In the HBO series, he is indifferent and promptly seeks to find political gain. In contrast, Pompey mourns the death of Caesar's daughter who is also his wife. My readings of history on this topic (which include Jimenez, R. L. (2000) in Caesar Against Rome: The Great Roman Civil War and Holland, T. (2003) in Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic) lead me to conclude that Caesar was not indifferent to the death of his daughter. Very few fathers would not have some grief at the death of one of their children. Why should Caesar be presented differently? This must be forshadowing of how Caesar is going to be presented in this series...
I eagerly await to see how this series is played out.
- Did Julius Caesar Decimate A Legion?
I have been watching the The Battle for Rome miniseries on the Discovery Channel. While uneven in quality, I have enjoyed the six episodes I have watched. However, I think I have found a huge error in the episode on Julius Caesar. The Caesar episode...
- Three New Books On Roman History
I was very excited when I came back home from the university today. Three books from two book clubs had arrived in the mail. All deal with Roman history. The World History Blog posts about all kinds of history but I realize I tend to keep coming back...
- Julius Caesar, War Criminal?
I have just finished reading Chronicle of the Roman Republic by Philip Matyszak. This tome looks like a coffee table book. I am sure many treat it this way. However, I went beyond the pictures and enjoyed it. Matyszak uses biography to inform the reader...
- The Heart Of Change: Julius Caesar And The End Of The Roman Republic
The Heart of Change: Julius Caesar and the End of the Roman Republic. This is an essay that looks at the organizational change theory of Kotter and Cohen (2002) and applies it to the actions of Julius Caesar as he brought about the end of the Roman Republic....
- The Cosby Show: Friends, Romans And Countrymen
If you're studying the end of the Roman Republic and rise of Julius Caesar, your kids might like this rap of Shakespeare's speech about Caesar. I'll post the more serious Marlon Brando version next....
World History
HBO: Rome
HBO: Rome. I watched the first episode of this show on HBO tonight. As a whole, I liked it and I do look forward to seeing more episodes.
Here are a few thoughts:
This series is beginning with the start of the great Roman civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey. Most of the people in the world know that eventually Caesar is going to win. Most will know that the boy Octavian will eventually rule the world as August Caesar. However, the state of history education in the USA may mean that many Americans will be surprised by how this series ends. (However many seasons that takes...)
I also note that most of the actors appear to be British. This is the same as the BBC 1970s TV series I, Claudius. Why are Brits hired to portray Romans most of the time? The Romans considered Brittania at the time of Caesar to be one of the most barbaric places in the world. What irony that British actors are presented as Romans. For obvious reasons, English is used for this TV series rather than Latin. So why does it matter what accent the English has?
I was a bit disturbed by how Caesar was portrayed when he learned his daughter Julia had died. In the HBO series, he is indifferent and promptly seeks to find political gain. In contrast, Pompey mourns the death of Caesar's daughter who is also his wife. My readings of history on this topic (which include Jimenez, R. L. (2000) in Caesar Against Rome: The Great Roman Civil War and Holland, T. (2003) in Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic) lead me to conclude that Caesar was not indifferent to the death of his daughter. Very few fathers would not have some grief at the death of one of their children. Why should Caesar be presented differently? This must be forshadowing of how Caesar is going to be presented in this series...
I eagerly await to see how this series is played out.
- Did Julius Caesar Decimate A Legion?
I have been watching the The Battle for Rome miniseries on the Discovery Channel. While uneven in quality, I have enjoyed the six episodes I have watched. However, I think I have found a huge error in the episode on Julius Caesar. The Caesar episode...
- Three New Books On Roman History
I was very excited when I came back home from the university today. Three books from two book clubs had arrived in the mail. All deal with Roman history. The World History Blog posts about all kinds of history but I realize I tend to keep coming back...
- Julius Caesar, War Criminal?
I have just finished reading Chronicle of the Roman Republic by Philip Matyszak. This tome looks like a coffee table book. I am sure many treat it this way. However, I went beyond the pictures and enjoyed it. Matyszak uses biography to inform the reader...
- The Heart Of Change: Julius Caesar And The End Of The Roman Republic
The Heart of Change: Julius Caesar and the End of the Roman Republic. This is an essay that looks at the organizational change theory of Kotter and Cohen (2002) and applies it to the actions of Julius Caesar as he brought about the end of the Roman Republic....
- The Cosby Show: Friends, Romans And Countrymen
If you're studying the end of the Roman Republic and rise of Julius Caesar, your kids might like this rap of Shakespeare's speech about Caesar. I'll post the more serious Marlon Brando version next....