# HBO's Rome--what is that big pegboard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604 "2007-03-12T14:44:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/1 "2007-03-12T14:44:05Z")
It shows up in the opening credits, and may show up at least once an episode; I’m not sure that every episode has featured it. I’m not quite sure how to describe it other than as a big board with some sort of “pegs” that go into probably-not-randomly-spaced square frame things. I had thought that it might be some sort of calendar, but I’m not sure, and it’s never shown long enough for me to really inspect it. Thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/2 "2007-03-12T14:47:45Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s a calendar. They could take a whole episode to explain the Roman calendar, and Julius Caesar’s reforms to it. Viewership might really drop off, though. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/3 "2007-03-12T14:49:50Z")
Yep, it’s a calendar. Here’s a recreation of the Roman calendar showing what it looked like: [http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxk116/RomanCalendar/romecal.html](http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxk116/RomanCalendar/romecal.html) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/4 "2007-03-12T14:51:00Z")
I thought it was a large Calendar and notice set up in the Forum. I vaguely recalled references to such a thing elsewhere, but I can’t recall enough about it. I like the way they start panning before where “July” and “August” would be, so you don’t see that August isn’t yet there (and when _did_ they change it to “July”, anyway?) ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/5 "2007-03-12T15:07:07Z")
Thanks for the quick replies, guys. What is the significance of the “peg?” ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/6 "2007-03-12T15:13:13Z")
The commentary in one of the early DVDs says that “they” don’t exactly know how it worked or what it communicated, although there are several theories. I don’t know if “they” meant the producers of the show, or historians. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/7 "2007-03-12T17:45:50Z")
Is there anything on the DVD that explains the graffiti in the opening credits? The only one I sort of get is the one where the guy’s head explodes. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/8 "2007-03-12T17:49:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Is there anything on the DVD that explains the graffiti in the opening credits? The only one I sort of get is the one where the guy’s head explodes. I can get some vof them, I think. You’ve got the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. There’s also a pretty impressive Medusa, with flowing snales. An obscene grafitto of a soldier with a huge penis (with “arma” = “weapon” written next to it. A kinda pun.) There are geese and other animals. I’ve assumed the guy with the exploding head is a reference to Athena’s birth from Zeus’ head – but since the guy doesn’t look very Zeuslike, I assume it’s a reference to some leader who only _thinks_ he’s Zeus. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/9 "2007-03-12T17:52:38Z")
I think the guy being dragged behind a chariot is a reference to be Hector ( I think. From the Illiad). ---
**Author:** ![Matt2h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@Matt2h](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matt2h)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/10 "2026-05-16T18:11:50Z")
And what is the face with snakes for hair? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/11 "2026-05-16T18:31:18Z")
Medusa? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/12 "2026-05-16T18:46:50Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I like the way they start panning before where “July” and “August” would be, so you don’t see that August isn’t yet there (and when _did_ they change it to “July”, anyway?) The Roman Senate changed the name Quintilis to July in 44 BC, in honor of the late Julius Caesar. Sextilis was renamed August in 8 BC, in honor of the Emperor Augustus. As I recall, the calendar was displayed in the Forum to keep the populace informed as to what day it was. The pegs were probably used to mark the current day and others of importance (like public holidays). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/13 "2026-05-16T21:48:35Z")
Or maybe something the artist saw at the chariot races that were held often. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/14 "2026-05-16T21:59:48Z")
The Senate proposed naming September after Tiberius, the emperor who succeeded Augustus, but Tiberius declined, claiming that he was not worthy of the honor given to Julius Caesar and Augustus. A few later emperors tried renaming months after themselves but the names never stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/15 "2026-05-17T14:05:46Z")
That may be true. Man I haven’t been here for years, I didn’t know this palce was still around. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/16 "2026-05-17T20:49:17Z")
Today is the venerable day of the Sun, the 16th day before the Kalends of June, 2779 AUC. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hbos-rome-what-is-that-big-pegboard/395604/17 "2026-05-17T23:37:41Z")
Good job getting the inclusive counting correct.