In this British costume drama, the turbulent transition from Roman republic to autocratic empire, which changed world history through civil war and wars of conquest, is sketched both from the aristocratic viewpoint of Julius Caesar, his family, his adopted successor Octavian Augustus, and their political allies and adversaries, and from the politically naive viewpoint of a few ordinary Romans, notably the soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo and their families.

Rome's five acres of outdoor "period" sets comprise the largest standing set in the world, to date.

[to Octavius]


Atia of the Julii:
You fucked your sister! You little pervert!

Errors in geography: During several episodes captive birds are shown. There are Macaws and Amazon parrots from America, and cockatoos from Australia. Since the continents these birds came from were unknown to the Romans, who would not have been able to travel there and bring these animals back to Rome with them.