# Rome 11/6--No spoiler tags **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863 "2005-11-07T02:53:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/41 "2005-11-09T17:33:45Z")
Titus Pullo really just doesn’t know how to live as a civilian, where you can’t express your feelings by abruptly killing people. It looks like his character is on a really bad downhill slope. There sure are a lot of people in Rome who change with the wind. If Pompey had won, they’d be kissing his ass now, instead of Caesar’s. I liked Caesar’s slave making the same self-serving “ends justifying the means” argument that every dictator or would-be dictator has used (and still uses). Caesar is a great general, but now. . . somebody needs to ventilate that guy. I liked Octavian’s expression of atheism (in the prior episode) – at least as regards the Pantheon of anthropomorphic gods. Cicero had similar feelings, at least in his private writings. ---
**Author:** ![zoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71c47a/32.png) [@zoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/42 "2005-11-09T19:47:39Z")
I have a question/comment about Pullo using the phrase “Wet as October”. I have been to Rome in October and it was indeed wet. When I was there in August it was hot and dry. This usage seems odd since the “October” in pullo’s time to is now “August” after Julius and Augustus changed the calendar. Is this a mistake or am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/43 "2005-11-09T20:09:35Z")
> [@zoo](#): > > I have a question/comment about Pullo using the phrase “Wet as October”. > > I have been to Rome in October and it was indeed wet. When I was there in August it was hot and dry. This usage seems odd since the “October” in pullo’s time to is now “August” after Julius and Augustus changed the calendar. > > Is this a mistake or am I missing something? I’m no expert, but [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sextilis) Wiki article says August was Sextilis, and it appears October was still October. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/44 "2005-11-09T20:14:57Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I knew a vanquished king or general was sacrificed, or strangled, but I thought it was done away from the crowd, within Jupiter’s temple. Poor Vercingetorix. I was a bit surprised they killed him. I knew that vanquished kings were forced to participate in the triumph; but I had the wonderfully naive impression that after they kissed Caesar’s ring (or whatever) and signed a peace treaty, they got to retire gracefully. Kinda like the Ethiopians in _The Ten Commandments_. Guess not. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/45 "2005-11-09T20:22:26Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > I liked Octavian’s expression of atheism (in the prior episode) – at least as regards the Pantheon of anthropomorphic gods. Cicero had similar feelings, at least in his private writings. As I recall, Octavian expressed some sympathy with Aristotle’s Prime Mover theory, so he seems to have monotheistic leanings. Would’ve made a good Christian. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/46 "2005-11-09T20:24:09Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > …my personal favorite, “Cac!” Translation, please? ---
**Author:** ![zoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71c47a/32.png) [@zoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoo)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/47 "2005-11-09T20:44:08Z")
Thank you\*\* levdrakon\*\*. I had always thought July and August had bumped down September and the rest, what with September being the ninth month and all…. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/48 "2005-11-09T21:12:50Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Translation, please? Shit ---
**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:** [November 10, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/49 "2005-11-10T01:04:20Z")
I knew that Vercingetorix was (it’s generally thought) publicly strangled in association with Caesar’s Triumph in 46 BC; I’m assuming it was dramatic license when his body, thrown out with the trash, was recovered and burned on a pyre by Gauls. The Romans killed a **lot** of people. In battle, by crucifixion, by wild animals in the arena, by slow torture, by any number of forms of public execution. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/50 "2005-11-10T14:33:11Z")
What would the king of the Gauls have done if he had captured Caesar? Were the Romans that much more brutal than other people? ---
**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:** [November 10, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/51 "2005-11-10T15:01:58Z")
> [@Eleanor of Aquitaine](#): > > What would the king of the Gauls have done if he had captured Caesar? Were the Romans that much more brutal than other people? Not particularly. If Vercingetorix had captured Caesar, he wouldn’t have been long for the world. Caesar’s skull would probably have been made into a drinking goblet. The Gauls liked to do that with the skulls of their enemies. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/52 "2005-11-10T16:09:56Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Shit As in “ca-ca”? Interesting. I would’ve thought the Latin word would’ve been more like copro- or scato- something. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/53 "2005-11-10T16:32:28Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Not particularly. If Vercingetorix had captured Caesar, he wouldn’t have been long for the world. Caesar’s skull would probably have been made into a drinking goblet. The Gauls liked to do that with the skulls of their enemies. Dunno why. Skulls make horrible goblets. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/54 "2005-11-10T17:22:11Z")
Well, technically, the verb cacat means “to shit”. Cacat, caco, cacare, cacavi, cacatus. A piece of shit would be “merda”. I’m pretty sure our root “scato-” comes from the Latin verb “cacat”. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/55 "2005-11-11T08:22:07Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > The few shots of the parade shown from the back of the crowd demonstrated they didn’t put a lot of money into production. They’re being careful with their dollars episode-to-episode, but they obviously spent a shitload of money on the sets. That huge Forum is one of the biggest, most elaborate things I’ve ever seen constructed for a TV series. And it also costs a ton to have all those extras hanging around all the time. I’m willing to forgive them a meager semi-parade or two. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/56 "2005-11-11T11:48:19Z")
That had occured to me as well, Cervaise. Same thing for the missing battle scenes. In a series like this, it’s hard not to think in movie terms, where revenues will be coming in for possibly the next fifty years. I think you’re right that by the time writing started full tilt, a huge chunk of the budget had been spent. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/57 "2005-11-12T14:51:28Z")
I finally got around to watching this last night. I used to like Pullo, but after what he did, no more. My thought while he was beating the slave to death was, “Well, she’ll never marry you _now_.” I found it interesting that Vorenus was more upset at the violence done in his house than at the actual murder. He snapped at the slave girl to stop crying, a sign that they don’t consider them humans. Very revealing. It was my understanding that captured kings were treated as befitted their station, fed well, etc, since it did no good to show the citizens of Rome a bedraggled captive. You want to show someone strong, fit, royal-looking, to prove what a worthy opponent he was, and how much greater was the might of Rome. Only two episodes left. Not much time for Cleo to return, is it? ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863/58 "2005-11-14T03:15:46Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I finally got around to watching this last night. I used to like Pullo, but after what he did, no more. My thought while he was beating the slave to death was, “Well, she’ll never marry you _now_.” > > I found it interesting that Vorenus was more upset at the violence done in his house than at the actual murder. He snapped at the slave girl to stop crying, a sign that they don’t consider them humans. Very revealing. The operative word here is slave. Pullo busted up a piece of property, he did not commit a murder. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-11-6-no-spoiler-tags/329863.md?page=2)