Tribe.net. Local Connections $item.owner.firstName http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#8132826b-1f60-49ff-bb6c-97940aa9c26f 2007-05-19T01:35:29Z 2007-05-19T01:35:29Z

Enjoy.

$item.owner.firstName 2007-05-19T01:35:29Z Achbar http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#0a51dae4-dba2-4a05-92f9-81d74005a7b2 2007-05-19T00:43:44Z 2007-05-19T00:43:44Z

Mon, May 14, 2007 - 6:37 PM Re: HBO's Rome I tryed watching the first season could not do it. Then a friend of mine watched the second season. He was telling me about Octavian. So I said, you do know that Octavian is Julius Caesar's adopted son and he then becomes Augustas. He said that was not in the show and I was like that show sucks.. I see, I will get the DVD set when it comes out. I love this series Achbar

Achbar 2007-05-19T00:43:44Z $item.owner.firstName http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#9b339d15-216b-4dbf-8476-45f2978e4d23 2007-05-15T01:37:47Z 2007-05-15T01:37:47Z

I tryed watching the first season could not do it. Then a friend of mine watched the second season. He was telling me about Octavian. So I said, you do know that Octavian is Julius Caesar's adopted son and he then becomes Augustas. He said that was not in the show and I was like that show sucks..

$item.owner.firstName 2007-05-15T01:37:47Z $item.owner.firstName http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#6f4203b3-26c3-45a2-9913-686d997291dd 2007-04-29T03:37:52Z 2007-04-29T03:37:52Z

As far as accuracy, I'm sure the series isn't a faithful depiction of Rome at the time...but as far as entertainment, it's an excellent series. It's ultimately meant as entertainment, and it succeeds at that (in my opinion). The colors stand out, and I'd think that they chose them for the visual appeal. It may be a fictitious, over the top, anachronistic mess...but it's an entertaining one at that. If a series like this spurs further interest in ancient Rome and Roman history, that's even better. Peace, Bo

$item.owner.firstName 2007-04-29T03:37:52Z Xaviar http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#83502ee2-268b-414c-b4a0-30ee68cb34f1 2005-10-31T04:24:48Z 2005-10-31T04:24:48Z

I was watching this series until I moved and dont get hbo in my new house... got it free in my last one... I found it a very thought out view of what went on and could have gone on behind the scenes... one counter comment..,. (forbidden colors) I dont belive I ever read anything about that sort of thing until the high middle ages. In Rome you wore what you could afford which included silks... Cotton's i dont think were availble but im not much in to fabrics, but it is possible the Romans had goods that once it fell werent available again in Europe until the 17 century. X

Xaviar 2005-10-31T04:24:48Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#5965d99a-a0e7-4652-aeef-c9b084f8e25f 2005-10-16T17:08:50Z 2005-10-16T17:08:50Z

"The only bad thing about the program is that viewer only gets actually 9-12 minutes of new program each week." Huh?

francesca 2005-10-16T17:08:50Z geta http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#b246322f-5f8b-449e-95b7-f3f3125cdad4 2005-10-16T16:59:26Z 2005-10-16T16:59:26Z

Definately a SEE! I was able to visit Rome to study art and history in1997. The only bad thing about the program is that viewer only gets actually 9-12 minutes of new program each week. A lot of accuracy in the depiction of roman society, and history.

geta 2005-10-16T16:59:26Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#9481122d-db55-49e8-9c5a-3a81625db869 2005-10-14T16:42:29Z 2005-10-14T16:42:29Z

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/14/DDGEOF7FSK1.DTL

Spidra 2005-10-14T16:42:29Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#a19767d8-28fb-4a59-94bf-62053ce8db71 2005-08-31T14:26:55Z 2005-08-31T14:26:55Z

Well, we do seem to have arrived at a consensus on the colors maybe being too, well, colorful! I reckon that that is something fairly allowable if we want to have an actual, watchable TV program. Who wants to watch a bunch of people walking around in drab grey and brown?! But I know that many of these colors aren't too crazy, for Augustus (Octavian) had an anti-luxury decree passed in which some colors were forbidden to be worn. So that would indicate that the rainbow of garments had maybe gotten a little out of control at his time. About the bikinis, yes, the mosaics from Piazza Armerina show women wearing bottoms and bandeau tops. But those mosaics are four centuries after this show. Not much is known about ancient undergarments in general, but we do know about things like women binding their breasts with fabric, undies called "perizoma," and men wearing loincloth-type things under their tunics. So I don't think some of this stuff is too far-fetched. Thanks for posting this. I've used that VRoma site before; it's great.

francesca 2005-08-31T14:26:55Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#455f623a-e818-4956-8f22-241f31660e93 2005-08-31T06:50:47Z 2005-08-31T06:50:47Z

Here's a little more convo from The Costumer's Manifesto list on the accuracies/inaccuracies of the costumes: "I was 'shocked' (I guess thats what I was) to see so many bright colors, especially purples and reds on people in the street which would have been expensive (maybe even forbidden?) for common folke. Also, I'm not sure about the bikini underwear on one of the ladies: they have no fear of nudity on this series, full frontal is not a problem---but a kind of primitive bikini tied at the sides? Anyway, its a huge costume series, something we rarely see, so it'll be fun." "Are they trying to do something like the bathing outfits, but modern? http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/baths.html " "There are pots and mosaics (don't remember if they were Greek or Roman though) of women in bikini style bottoms like you describe, tied at either hip, and iirc, an extant leather one... silly me... a search for "ancient leather bikini" turned up this: http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/clothing_sources.html "

Spidra 2005-08-31T06:50:47Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#a3d0607f-c006-4a99-908f-37630e14d793 2005-08-30T14:54:53Z 2005-08-30T14:54:53Z

Thanks for that answer. The more I thought about it, I figured it could be one of those two options: mourning or wanting to appear somewhat stoic and "old school," in a way that would have made his great-grandfather proud!

francesca 2005-08-30T14:54:53Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#3117a0cc-ded7-4ab0-88dd-d0fe0c3510d3 2005-08-30T14:23:11Z 2005-08-30T14:23:11Z

Francesca, I asked your question on The Costumer's Manifesto list and received a reply: My husband is getting his masters in classics and so I asked him what he thought. This was his response: The black toga was worn during periods of mourning or crisis, from what I hear. Here's an excerpt from Plutarch about Cato's dress: "And in general Cato esteemed the customs and manners of men at that time so corrupt, and a reformation in them so necessary, that he thought it requisite, in many things, to go contrary to the ordinary way of the world. Seeing the lightest and gayest purple was then most in fashion, he would always wear that which was nearest black; and he would often go out of doors, after his morning meal, without either shoes or tunic; not that he sought vainglory from such novelties, but he would accustom himself to be ashamed only of what deserves shame, and to despise all other sorts of disgrace."

Spidra 2005-08-30T14:23:11Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#6ea11078-7cd1-4ad8-8174-8b557c2d7cb3 2005-08-29T15:32:37Z 2005-08-29T15:32:37Z

I just posted a photo in the tribe album that comes from the HBO website. It's a shot of Caesar in his tent with a portrait bust in the background. I can't tell for sure who it's supposed to be (although it looks a little like Nerva!), but for sure the bust form is an anachronism--busts like that weren't used until the 2nd century.

francesca 2005-08-29T15:32:37Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#b8913a69-0939-41be-9471-9e41afba138a 2005-08-29T15:03:11Z 2005-08-29T15:03:11Z

Hmmm, interesting. That Wiki article is the first I'd read about the possibility of cotton in the Greco-Roman world. I guess I'd forgotten the Herodotos passage. There's been a theory that the "Golden Fleece" the Argonauts were searching for could have been some sort of cotton. Since I'm somewhat wary of Wikipedia, I just looked up cotton in the OCD and read the short entry there. It confirms that cotton was grown in India and came to grow in Ethiopia and Nubia in the Hellenistic period. But it still seems that it was not widely-enough grown or traded to have really penetrated the Roman market. That info comes from Barber, who's a really important and respected scholar on ancient textiles. My husband asked me a good question about the episode that I couldn't answer--also related to textiles and clothing. Why was Cato the only one wearing a black (purple) toga in the Senate?

francesca 2005-08-29T15:03:11Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#4763c9e7-21c7-44c1-8066-26c1d840f92b 2005-08-29T14:54:08Z 2005-08-29T14:54:08Z

I noticed the colors of the costumes, too. I suspected that really electric royal blue would just *not* have been available. I didn't know cotton wasn't available, though. The Romans didn't pick it up from the Egyptians? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton_Fabric

Spidra 2005-08-29T14:54:08Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#acacfeae-7771-41e3-b9c9-ca3b3978c0d3 2005-08-29T14:47:44Z 2005-08-29T14:47:44Z

No, it's not at all. My husband was a little bored and I can see how the show may not be interesting if you don't know that much about that period of history. But for me, it was fun to see all the foreshadowing (Brutus saying that it would be better if the Senate solved disputes with swords and daggers) and in-jokes (Julia's last words to Pompey: "Your hair!"). Visually, it was beautiful, without being over-the-top and full of anachronisms. There were a few things I would question, like the wall paintings in Atia's house and the costumes probably being more colorful than in reality. Also, in the pre-show show, the costume designer was proud to say that she only used fabrics that were available to the Romans: silk, wool, linen, and cotton. Uh, lady, cotton is a "New World" fabric.

francesca 2005-08-29T14:47:44Z Melissa, Duchess of Pie, Beer Goddess http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#a960f698-970f-4b5b-8e46-ac804d80c3fe 2005-08-29T05:40:38Z 2005-08-29T05:40:38Z

I watched it tonight, and it isn't half bad. Really.

Melissa, Duchess of Pie, Beer Goddess 2005-08-29T05:40:38Z Ðarter http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#bcb35d89-e8ff-46d0-a190-5d28befdd756 2005-08-28T20:20:17Z 2005-08-28T20:20:17Z

I'm thinking of ording HBO just so I can see this... hmmmm

Ðarter 2005-08-28T20:20:17Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#84b7cd55-fc11-46a1-a5c9-3b9cd806e412 2005-08-28T18:44:52Z 2005-08-28T18:44:52Z

What about the article (I assume you mean the SF Gate one) says "slaughtering of history" to you?

francesca 2005-08-28T18:44:52Z dark http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#ff733575-d915-4a78-8d87-55e9df49a405 2005-08-28T18:29:31Z 2005-08-28T18:29:31Z

maybe it's just me, but i get shudders just from reading the article....sounds like another hollywood slaughtering of history.... dark

dark 2005-08-28T18:29:31Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#d7edd97b-24ba-40dd-aef3-bbc4e64dc18b 2005-08-27T01:30:20Z 2005-08-27T01:30:20Z

Ooh, please share tidbits with us. I don't even have cable so I don't know when/if I'll be able to see this.

Spidra 2005-08-27T01:30:20Z francesca http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#804410c8-22a8-4678-ab92-89b531658991 2005-08-27T01:02:06Z 2005-08-27T01:02:06Z

I watched 'the making of' special that they showed on HBO and I found it incredibly accurate--at least what they showed in the clips. There were a few anachronisms, like wall paintings from a few decades later showing up in the period of Caesar. I'm going to be recording the episodes and probably taking notes on them for my course this semester, and for later semesters.

francesca 2005-08-27T01:02:06Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#188d5f17-4df5-4049-820c-e884f4e6cbb1 2005-08-27T00:58:57Z 2005-08-27T00:58:57Z

Whoops. "who's"

Spidra 2005-08-27T00:58:57Z Spidra http://greecerome.tribe.net/thread/c4a33fa1-e5ac-40c0-8090-7879742119ad#5a514e72-4336-4c5f-9f1a-4c362e890621 2005-08-27T00:58:37Z 2005-08-27T00:58:37Z

So whose going to give us the blow-by-blow accuracies and inaccuracies of this?: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/08/26/DDGU3EA8DR26.DTL http://www.hbo.com/rome

Spidra 2005-08-27T00:58:37Z