Just curious as to who watched the TNT miniseries about my old friend Gaius Julius Ceasar. I was TERRIBLY disappointed in the movie, aside from screwing the pooch on several important historical facts the series failed to capture the sense of the man that history gives, the same being true of Pompey, Brutus, Casius, and where the heck was Crasus? He was only like the wealthy man in Rome, an invaluable asset to Ceasar's rise to power, and part of the First Triumvirate, which was so important in the history of Rome and it's transition from Republic to Empire.
Some facts missed,
Sulla devested Ceasar of a particular roman priesthood that if he had remained the flamen dialis would have prevented him from ever having a military career. Sulla did this to dishonor Marius, but it turned out to be a favor to Ceasar.
Sulla had resigned the dictatorship after two years, and was not in power when he died.
Sulla never thought Ceasar was killed by Pompey.
Ceasar actually spent several weeks with the pirates, and they treated him quite well, inspite of his captivity. He immediately came back to their stronghold with a local militia and captured the pirates having all of them crucified on crosses they had to fashion themselves. As a sentiment to their kind treatment of him while in captivity, he had their throats slit before they were crucified.
Ceasar's military career began shortly after this, first as a tribune, then as a Legate in Spain, he was not the untried military man the movie makes him out to be when he goes to Gaul.
Most of the walls built around Alysia were earthworks not wooden forts.
Ceasar never made it to his curiale chair in the Senate Chambers before he was killed, though he did indeed die under the statue of Pompey.
The Curiale chairs used by the consuls of Rome, as well as the senetorial chairs, had no back, they definately weren't the throne like structure protrayed in the movie. Regardless of which consul held the fasces both consuls would have been present on the dias with the notable exception of Ceasar's first consulship, Bibulus, his co-consul, refused to serve with Ceasar because of an old insult. Years in Ancient Rome were called by the names of the Consuls for that year, such as "In the year of the Consulship of Pompey and Crassus. Jokingly that of Ceasars was called In the year of the consulship of Julius and Ceasar due to Bubulus not taking part.
Ceasar's first wife's name was Cinnilla, they were wed when they were both children under the orders of Gaius Marius thought the wedding wasn't consumated until they were older.
OK, I'm done rambling, I was just disappointed. Ohhh, and the Togas SUCKED. The Toga was drapped over the left arm in such a way that it was almost impossible to use the left hand at all or the Toga would slide off.