Here’s a good picture.
This series of paintings is an excellent record of how the Roman army looked over its 1000+ years of existence.
I take it as a easy to drop-in Latin-ism, to add to the atmosphere. “Bona Dea” is a another one they like to drop in, and I can’t forget my personal favorite, “Cac!”
It’s not a Britishism that I know of but ne in Latin is a negative particle used in questions. Usually it comes at the beginning of a sentence rather than the end but is basically has the same effect as sticking a “…no?” at the end of a sentence.
Pullo seems to be heading for rough times. I can see him end up as the muscle in a ‘trade’ operation. He’s got nothing now, and I wonder if him and Vorenus ever make up (ie, Pullo saves Vorenus’ life) or if they go seperate ways, the wedge driven in deeper when Octavian and Antony are on opposite sides.
Posca is vinegar mixed with water. Does the character have a sour disposition?
He’s sort of perpetually exasperated and sardonic - it fits :).
- Tamerlane
I think he’s the only one who really understands the bigger picture, and he often lets it show. What language is “Posca” from?
Latin, presumably, since posca was a Roman drink, the beverage of the legionaire:
http://home.comcast.net/~rthamper/html/body_romanfooddrink.htm#Drinks
- Tamerlane
Vaguely, hell. 
No spoilers! I’m hoping Jesus gets away this time!
I think he rather resembles a rodent. Very rat-like. Hmmm.
I was thinking it might be a temple of the cult of Isis, popular among Romans of the time. From Wikipedia:
The highlighted language makes me think the show’s writers were referencing Isis. Also from Wikipedia there’s this:
So I suppose we may both be right.
By the way, hats off to the casting director for this series. I think all of the roles are perfectly filled.
According to the website, Octavia took a self-imposed exile at the Temple of Cybele.
Honey, Patrick Stewart gets beady mouse-eyes too. I think it’s kinda cute.
In the case of Brutus, it’s actually something about his teeth/mouth area that makes me see a rat.
I agree about Patrick Stewart. Yowza! Cutie pie.
I don’t like Brutus. I don’t trust him. He betrays himself by cowering to people he despises. To me, that means he will be more than willing to betray others. I don’t know any of the history beyond Shakespeare, and I reckon that’s not very accurate. But I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a lot of people died to make Brutus’s assassination possible. And I bet that that itself was a sneak attack from the back.
I watched this episode again, and damn if Posca isn’t a distinctly Rovian figure. Watching him tutor Vorenus and advise him on the election process is downright creepy!
The amount of influence and relative privilege (and let’s face it, outright power) he enjoys as a slave is fascinating. Even Atia & Servilia as free noblewomen, bound to power by birth, don’t have the authority & influence this guy’s got. If this show had balls, I’d say he must be Caesar’s lover.
Slaves could be pretty powerful and inflential, able to dominate and influence their masters. On the other hand, they could also be completely powerless and abused,
Did Roman senators actually represent districts as the show implies? Or did they just take a bunch of guys in Rome and let them “govern”?