As a counterpoint to this swords and smelly sandals aspect of the story, there is also the deadly rivalry between Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker) and Servilia of the Junii (Lindsey Duncan), whose preferred weapons are sex and the barbed remark rather than the sword, and the destruction and death that they bring about is not less than that of the men.
It is the great achievement of Rome that fictional characters such as these manage to establish themselves as integral parts of the story, and while liberties have been taken with history, the historical characters and events are still recognizable, embellished and realized in ways that do not grate against the grain of accepted knowledge.
It is tempting to say that Rome would make an invaluable introduction to this period of history for school children, but given its explicit nature and late time slot, parental discretion is advised. It is worth noting that the version aired on HBO Asia is that approved for Singapore and is likely to have some of the more raunchy scenes of the original removed.
Information on the series can be found on HBO's Web site (www.hbo.com/rome/).
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