Rome, the world's shortest thought

[lesbiassparrow]

One of the things I like about Rome is that is the way that it comments on its own improbable narrative. Lucius and Pullo are like Forrest Gump, they're always there at key moments in history: they recapture stolen eagles, save Antony in front of the Curia, find the treasure, meet Pompey, etc., all in about 6 episodes. But last week they had Caesar at least talk acknowledge this. I thought it was clever because as an audience member I am beginning to raise my eyes when our heroes happen in upon yet Another Important Event In The Fall of the Republic. I liked the idea of working in their incredible good fortune (if that's what it is) into the generally superstitious nature of the Romans, while acknowledging that it is a wee bit improbable.

Sadly the battle of Pharsalus was terribly cheap - it looked like one of the documentaries that I own that has fat middle-aged academics trying to pretend to be gladiators. They do a lot of blurring but it doesn't obliterate the sheer awfulness of the idea.

And if this show continues down to battle of Actium you know it will end with our two plebian representatives on different sides. I call Pullo for Antony and Lucius for Octavian.

Comments

OT: BSG backgrounds

[deborah-judge.livejournal.com]

(I am a pathetic, pathetic academic for asking this...)

Do you know of any good websites with reliable and accurate information on Greek and Roman deities, for use in writing BSG fanfic?

Re: OT: BSG backgrounds

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

As I am currently trying to distract myself from grading papers I can sympathise.

This is quite good for the Olympians:
http://web.uvic.ca/grs/bowman/myth/

This has a few more:

http://www.pantheon.org/

YOu might just be better going to your library though and getting Barry Powell's Classical Mythology or one of those type books. I think they're easier to use than the web as there is a lot of batty myth sites out there.

Any particular question you have?

Re: OT: BSG backgrounds

[deborah-judge.livejournal.com]

a lot of batty myth sites out there.

Hell, I know. That's why I didn't want to go looking for this stuff on the net without consulting someone reliable first.

Any particular question you have?

I'm working on a fic in which a certain being is going to appear in the form of (one of more of) the Lords of Kobol, and I wanted to be able to base my description of them on something. (Although the Lord of Kobol aren't exactly the Greek and Roman gods, so I think I can play with things a bit.) If I have more specific questions as the fic gets written, I will certainly be back to ask, thank you!

[meret.livejournal.com]

I call Pullo for Antony and Lucius for Octavian.

I think it will be the opposite. Lucius swore to serve Antony, and Pullo has already established a relationship with Octavian.

[meret.livejournal.com]

ITA about the battle scene though!

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

You see in the end, I believe Lucius will be one of those who think he ultimately swore to serve Caesar as Antony's boss and he'll side with Octavian as his heir. Pullo's personality seems to fit so well with the historical Antony's that I can see them having him go over to him. Or maybe they'll all run off to the Parthians or become pirates with Pompey's son.

[fable.livejournal.com]

Having Caesar say that was a rather good stroke on the writer's part, and it amuses me to no end that in this show now, deus ex machina can be defined literally and figuratively. Goes with the territory, I suppose. And, I agree with Meret, and call Pullo for Octavian and Lucius for Antony.


(And, heyyy. Added your journal because you seem to like a lot of shows I'm getting into, and I enjoy your fic and meta. I hope you don't mind.)

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I know, I think they're really clever to use the period's beliefs to justify having the dynamic duo turn up at pivotal moments. I posted above why I think that Lucius would side with Octavian, but hopefully the series will run long enough that we will see.

No worries about the friending. I haven't been posting much lately due to real life, though. Hope you don't mind if I friend you back.