# Rome: 9/25 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2005, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456 "2005-09-26T06:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [September 30, 2005, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/41 "2005-09-30T17:33:14Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Cato is wearing a black toga (and is naked underneath it and barefoot) Speaking of naked underneath it, did anybody else notice during the scene between Vorenus and his wife in their house the split second where she was strongly backlit in front of the door? Rrowr. So, no ideas on “show you the onions,” eh? ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/42 "2005-09-30T18:03:26Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Speaking of naked underneath it, did anybody else notice during the scene between Vorenus and his wife in their house the split second where she was strongly backlit in front of the door? Rrowr. Oh, I noticed, and my wife noticed and knew that I’d notice. Rrowr is right. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/43 "2005-09-30T19:39:54Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > What was Atia’s motivation in making Servilia and Caesar’s affair public? > > Was she getting back at him for refusing her dinner invitations? Did she want to break them up to give her daughter a shot at him? Did she realize that it was his lust for Servilia that was keeping him from pursuing Pompey? > > Was it personal or political? I’m thinking it’s definetly personal. She doesn’t want to see Servilla getting closer to Caesar because she wants to be at his ear. She wants the power and no one else. I also like the way they are treating the slave issue. It really gets me when shows or movies set in a historical period overlook the nasty parts. One that confronts them head on gets very big thumbs up from me! ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/44 "2005-09-30T20:00:16Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > What was Atia’s motivation in making Servilia and Caesar’s affair public? > > Was she getting back at him for refusing her dinner invitations? Did she want to break them up to give her daughter a shot at him? Did she realize that it was his lust for Servilia that was keeping him from pursuing Pompey? > > Was it personal or political? I’m thinking it’s definetly personal. She doesn’t want to see Servilla getting closer to Caesar because she wants to be at his ear. She wants the power and no one else. I also like the way they are treating the slave issue. It really gets me when shows or movies set in a historical period overlook the nasty parts. One that confronts them head on gets very big thumbs up from me! ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/45 "2005-09-30T20:17:15Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > What was Atia’s motivation in making Servilia and Caesar’s affair public? > > Was she getting back at him for refusing her dinner invitations? Did she want to break them up to give her daughter a shot at him? Did she realize that it was his lust for Servilia that was keeping him from pursuing Pompey? > > Was it personal or political? I’m thinking it’s definetly personal. She doesn’t want to see Servilla getting closer to Caesar because she wants to be at his ear. She wants the power and no one else. I also like the way they are treating the slave issue. It really gets me when shows or movies set in a historical period overlook the nasty parts. One that confronts them head on gets very big thumbs up from me! ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/46 "2005-10-01T06:03:31Z")
The two soldiers and related characters are fictional, which other characters are fictional? And how fine-grained is the actual history? To take an example, during the dinner at Atia’s, Caesar has an understanding with the chief Augur (whose wife is Cecilia). Is this fiction? I don’t mean the particular scene, but the general factuality. Which book/site deals nicely with this period? No mood & time to check out Gibbon. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/47 "2005-10-01T15:45:05Z")
> [@II Gyan II](#): > > Which book/site deals nicely with this period? No mood & time to check out Gibbon. Check out the books “Rubicon” , by Tom Holland, and “Swords against the Senate” by Hildinger. They’re both entertaining and light reading. Of course, if you want an autobiographical work, there’s always Caesar’s “The Civil War”. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/48 "2005-10-01T15:46:19Z")
> [@II Gyan II](#): > > The two soldiers and related characters are fictional, which other characters are fictional? I read somewhere that Titus Pullo and Virenus are based on real people. Anyone know for sure? ---
**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:** [October 1, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/49 "2005-10-01T20:59:24Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I read somewhere that Titus Pullo and Virenus are based on real people. > > Anyone know for sure? Gallic Wars, Book V, Chapter 44 > [@](#): > > In that legion there were two very brave men, centurions, who were now approaching the first ranks, T. Pulfio, and L. Varenus. These used to have continual disputes between them which of them should be preferred, and every year used to contend for promotion with the utmost animosity. . . Basically, if you read the chapter, there are two centurions, Pullio and Vorenus. They both claim to be braver than the other. So, when the Gaul’s are beseiging Caesar’s camp, Pullio challenges Vorenus and charges the enemy. Vorenus runs after him onto the battlefield. The Gauls then surround Pullio and wound him. Vorenus then attacks the Gauls to save Pullio, and the Gauls, thinking Pullio is dead, fight him. He drives them back, but then he’s surrounded by the Gauls. Pullio saves him and they both retreat back behind the walls, to the cheers of the Roman socliers who are watching from behind the fortification. Therefore, since they both saved the other, and there was no way to tell who killed more enemies, they stop their rivalry and become friends. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/50 "2005-10-02T05:09:17Z")
AMAZING! Even the characters who most of us think are entirely fictional are based on actual people. What research! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/51 "2005-10-02T07:50:40Z")
I don’t have HBO so I’ve only seen two episodes, but damn I wish I did… I wonder if the Cæsar/Octavius plotline is at all inspired by Sandman? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rome-9-25/323456/52 "2005-10-02T15:36:07Z")
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