Rome - The Complete First Season (DVD, 2006, 6-Disc Set)

Whereas "I, Claudius," spanned 60 years and the lives of Rome's first four emperors, HBO's "Rome" deals with the struggle for control of the empire between Julius Caesar and Pompey, so the scope is much narrower given a time span of less than 10 years. And this is a good thing because it permits a more detailed observation of the characters and the various plots they contrive or by which they are affected. "I, Claudius" begins with Augustus having recently taken control of the empire; in "Rome" Octavian (who will later become Augustus) begins as a boy and grows to young manhood, under the control of wicked Atia, his mother and Julius' neice. The machinations between Atia and Julius's mistress, Sevilia, who is the mother of Brutus, largely control the history of the series. Julius is magnanimous, to a fault, to his enemies. Mark Antony is somewhat sinister and as Julius' right-hand man, the perfect counterpoint to Caesar's generosity. But where "Rome" excels is its portrayal of the Roman everyman, reflected in the lives of its main characters, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, veterans of the 13th Legion and the Gallic Wars. Through them the series not only conveys the major historical plot the Roman aristocracy experienced but also shows how difficult (and dangerous) the day-to-day life of the city's citizens was. I don't know that there will be a second season of "Rome" from HBO, but I sincerely hope there will be. I would love to see a more detailed series that deals with the rise and reign of each of the Caesars in just the way that series one dealt with Julius and Pompey's conflict. In the meantime, "I, Claudius," and "Rome," are magnificent bookends of a largely forgotten era in the rise of western civilization.