by Hadis Tsai
Half a century before the dawn of Christianity, Rome had become the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people and an epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any single man from absolute power. This was a society where soldiers could rise up from ordinary lads to become national heroes, even leaders of the Republic. This is where the TV series Rome begins. But eventually the ruling class becomes extravagantly wealthy and the old foundations crumble, eaten away by corruption and excess. The old values of Republic discipline and social unity have given way, as a result of a great chasm between social classes. After eight years of war, Gaius Julius Caesar has completed his bloody conquest of Gaul. In Rome, Caesar’s old friend Pompey Magnus is warned by the Senate that Caesar’s popularity will rattle the status quo along with their wealth and power. Backed by the ruling class, Pompey therefore starts to prepare an ultimatum that would strip Caesar of his power and at the same time censure him for trying to destroy the Republic’s founding charters. Soon, rumors of a military coup send shock waves throughout the country, and Caesar and Pompey officially begin to jostle for political power and the trust of the Romans. Eventually Caesar outshines all his rivals and accedes to the throne. Before long, however, he is assassinated because people think his deeds have gone against the founding principles of the Republic. In the wake of Caesar’s murder, everything in the empire is up for grabs. A convoluted power play for the control of Rome is just beginning. Alliances are shifting, the stakes are high, and nobody is safe. Based on these historical facts, the TV show has gained great popularity in recent years. I think after watching episodes of Rome, what is most intriguing is not its sensational scenes or its bloody violence, but its in-depth portrayal of different human natures. In the show, we can see how egotistic a person can become in order to gain political control, and how merciless human beings can be when they try to survive in a battle. With its complex plots and complicated relationships among characters, we see the concealed, innermost nature of a person come into shape when faced with great adversity. Unlike other popular shows that involve sex and brutality, Rome features a genuine presentation of the wickedness and wretchedness of human beings. The show offers us a thorough look at history and the building of an empire. It narrates a drama interwoven with love and betrayal, masters and slaves, husbands and wives, and chronicles a heroic time during the Roman Empire. “Human nature never changes,” says scriptwriter Bruno Heller. It’s true when we’re watching the show; we still see the same problems today: crime, unemployment, disease, and the struggle for social mobility and the pressure to preserve one’s place at a precarious time. Rome sets the stage for modern politics: infighting, corruption, partisanship, and the struggle to define a collective concept of values. It reflects the dark side of human beings and at the same time gives us much food for thought about our own situation. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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