Rome, 79 AD. Emperor Vespasian nears death’s door. Rome is a huge city, not always well supplied, and despite all his efforts, the people are hungry. They must be appeased with circus games: chariot races and gladiatorial combat. The Roman army supplies slaves and fighters. Two young girls and their brother, captured in Numidia, arrive to be sold. Their mother managed to follow them to Rome and remain free. Clever and resourceful, she’ll do anything to free them. She soon realizes that everything comes down to the organization of the shows and the huge bets that revolve around them. In the bowels of the Circus Maximus, an unscrupulous man, Tenax, manipulates many destinies. Perhaps even that of the future emperor…
Why this series was a good surprise.
As I like History, I said “ok, let’s see”, but I was doubtful. An American production and History? The result is often nonsense. And surprisingly, not at all ! The facts are accurate. Better still, the political background is well explained. A general who had won his share of glory, Vespasian faced hostility from nobles and senators. He came from a working-class background. Worse still, he wanted to share the wealth of Rome’s economy with the people, building the Colyseum on on land confiscated by the nobles, to return it to the people. Unacceptable to the patricians who shared the profits of the previous Circus, a fortune! A real fortune. Charioteers such as Scorpus were stars winning much more than nowadays sportives. My only regret : of the three disasters that marked Titus’ reign, only the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is shown. The burning of Rome and the plague epidemic, both decisive events, are omitted from the script.
The story is gripping, with a good balance between action and relationships. The plot is full of murder and betrayal, but the violence never descends into voyeurism, as might have been feared. Love, friendship, Shakespearian family dramas: the full range of emotions is on display. The relationship that develops between Tenax and Cala, never fully assumed, is less classic than that usually found in series.
And Roland Emmerich knows how to make a big show, that is certain. The circus games play a major role in the scenario, and are a real eye-catcher. The Colosseum underwater – impressive! Beyond that, from the plains of Numidia to the port of Ostia and the districts of Rome, everything is a pretext for beautiful images and action.
The cast is uneven, but not lacking in good actors. Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Sara Martins and Jojo Macari (Sex education), among others. The sheer number of characters may confuse some viewers. It bothered me a little at first, but less so as soon as the story arcs came together. Overall, watching this series, I wasn’t expecting anything, and I really liked it! Let’s see is season 2 will confirm it.
1 season, ongoing, 10 episodes (50 mn), 2024, on Amazon Prime Video
WITH :
- The Flavian emperors : Anthony Hopkins as Vespasian, Tom Hugues as Titus, Jojo Macari as Domitius. And their consorts : Lara Wolf as Berenice, Alessandro Bedetti as Hermes
- Show people : Iwan Rheon as Tenax, Sara Martins as Cala, Moe Hashim as Kwame, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Viggo, Dimitri Leonidas as Scorpus, David Wurawa as Gavros, Gonçalo Almeida as Elia, Martyn Ford as Flamma…
- The nobles : Gabriella Pession as Antonia Servillia, Rupert Penry-Jones as Marsus Servillius, Angeliqa Devi as Caltonia, Romana Maggiora Vergano as Salena, Vincent Riotta as Leto