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Heroes of the Republic (episode 17)


Primus Pilus

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The Augusta: Yeah, Antonius seems to be a bachelor since there's no Fulvia in site. Too bad.

 

I guess the betrothal with Servilius Isaricus's daughter is out too.

 

As for Julia--yeah, I know. I was speculating more as to a future season or two, if we get that far...

 

Even Julia was a good girl when she was 8

 

It's my stated opinion that Julia was always a good girl! A friend of mine and I are collaborating on a bit of historical fiction that's intended to vindicate her. Of course, the historical record doesn't agree with us, but I'm sure it was all just a set up or cover for some political nonsense. I blame the Claudians. :wine:

 

The point remains, though, that with this show's record, Julia will be positively angelic.

 

PP: Oh, you meant Octavia. Okay, then, I understand what you mean. You had originally written Octavian/Agrippa, which perplexed me.

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Since I'm being paged... I'll first put a second on much of what others have said. Like PP, the show rekindled my waning interest, though (like Nephele) my TiVo managed to miss the preview for next week, so my expectations might not be as high as others'. I was also a bit miffed to see Atia yet breathing: the wicked witch of the Julii should be writhing in Tartarus rather than gloating over her ability to reunite the enemies of the republic. I'm becoming utterly convinced that Atia is meant as a combination of every female reprobate to be found in Rome (or at least a combination of Fulvia and Clodia--which is much the same).

 

On a slightly more historical note, I thought I'd link to the correspondence between Cicero and Brutus, which was featured in this episode. Unfortunately, I can't find all the letters yet, but the show was correct about their timing: the first letter from Cicero to Brutus apparently came after Antony's defeat at Mutina. The important content of the letters was that Cicero not-so-obliquely chides Brutus for leaving Antony alive while expressing genuine hope and self-delusion (yes, I mean, genuine self-delusion) about Octavian.

 

More generally, I'd like to compile a list of sources for this episode. The key events concern: the union of Lepidus and Antony, Octavian managing to get himself appointed suffect consul (with a relative, fwiw), his formation of a junta with Antony and Lepidus, passage of the lex Pedia that formed a court to try the Liberators in absentia, and Cicero's correspondence with Brutus.

 

These being the events of 43--one of the most important years in the history of the republic--there's much to cover, and I can't help but wish they had shown much more of what was going on with the Liberators. Trebonius's tale, for example, is far more fascinating than this snoozer of a story about Timon. Trebonius--you might recall--was the legate of Caesar who had at one time conspired with Antony against Caesar, and later it was Trebonius who had kept Antony talking outside the Senate as Caesar was put away. Then, Trebonius went to his proconsulship in Asia, where he was killed by the mercurial Dolabella, who was in turn condemned by the senate (with much gloating from Cicero,who had been Dolabella's father-in-law). As the senate deliberated about whom to lead the army against Dolabella, Cicero sent word to Cassius to use his fledgling army to defeat Dolabella, which Cassius promptly did. Or--the writers might have told about how Brutus had gone to his province in Macedonia and taken Antony's brother hostage. That would have been a good story too. Instead, we got the nonsense about Duro. Ugh.

 

Anyway, enough about the episode we didn't get.

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Like PP, the show rekindled my waning interest, though (like Nephele) my TiVo managed to miss the preview for next week, so my expectations might not be as high as others'

 

Actually, I was the one that missed the preview.

 

I did manage to see the encore tonight and get the preview, and it looks very tantalizing. There was only one little bit about some war that Vorenus has to deal with, but the rest of the entire preview deals with the leadup to and the battle of Phillippi. This might be the best episode yet of the entire second season.

 

I agree about Trebonius and Dollabella, but I can understand why they didn't include that story. It would have been a little difficult to show it without much summarizing.

 

As for Atia--since she seems to have taken up Fulvia's role, we might see her putting the pin on Cicero's tongue after his death.

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Much better episode! I was actually starting to lose interest in my favourite show after the weak 3rd episode and the not much better 4th.

 

Simon woods is growing into his Octavian quite well, and we look set for a excellent Battle of Phililpi.

 

The eejit who wrote episode 3 (scott buck) has also written episode 7 by the way... Depending on how it turns out, I may yet call off my assassins... :rolleyes:

Edited by Kieronus
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