This week's stream of consciousness summary:
Open at Vorenus' house, where one of the daughters is playing hide and seek with the slave boy who survived ... Vorenus wants to go to Baiae with Niobe; she doesn't want to leave because her brother-in-law/lover is missing and her sister's distraught ...
Pullo and Vorenus are off to MA ... MA receiving petitions from long-winded orators (amongst his slaves is a nanos!); decides to make an ex-Pompeian consul (I missed his name; the wife is Poppaea); he's to be consul with Caesar ... also some job creation legislation is to be proposed (1/3 of all labourers must be free or freed); wants the senate to do it
Vorenus' daughter's wedding plans have changed, apparently ... it's not proper for a prefect's daughter to marry a drover ... Meanwhile, Pullo and Vorenus have gone for a drink; Vorenus whines about Niobe not sleeping with him while her sister's fretting about her missing hubby ... eventually they're hammered, of course ... Pullo advises him to leave her ... "I'd rather die than leave her"; Pullo carries him home
Senate meeting ... legislation semi proposed; the employment motion carries unanimously (very few in the senate ... I'd still like to know who the old guy presiding is)
Back at Vorenus' ... Pullo tells Niobe's sister that her hubby disappeared due to 'gambling debts' ... he's 'dead, most likely' ... after Pullo leaves, Niobe and her sister have a big spat, culminating in the sister cursing Niobe and telling her to never speak to her again
Octavius is still learning the manly arts from Pullo (as Octavia and Atia look on); a little staged fight that Octavius wins ... Atia suggests Octavius join Caesar in Greece; Octavia suggests there's more to manhood than swordplay, so Atia reminds Pullo to 'take care of that'
Strange scene of Niobe praying before a large ochre-covered woman in front of a shrine (people giving her donations) ... what's up with that?
Niobe dolling herself up for her hubby; she's sent the kids off ... they have an evening alone! She's made dinner, but he's already eaten ... "but I can have some more"; interesting awkwardness to both of them. He asks her to sit down with him ... they share bread and wine, etc. ... "The calendar's correct ... if you'd like to have me tonight" ... "I'd like that" ... Finally, Vorenus is with his wife! (you can tell the director is different for this episode than the first few)
Letter from Caesar to MA ... he's chasing him all over Greece but now Caesar finds himself outnumbered and he's the one being pursued. He asks for the XIIIth to be brought there as soon as possible. MA wants to 'think on it'.
Atia and Octavia are buying jewellery; haggles via the slave woman; Pullo arrives but Octavius doesn't want to go because Atia's forcing Octavius to 'penetrate someone' ... he takes him to a brothel of some sort; there follows a scene which reminds me of some movie set in 1800s New Orleans as the various prostitutes are offered; the price is 1000 (denarii, presumably)
Pompey sends an ambassador to MA trying to get him to switch sides; sez he'll let him know tomorrow .. Vorenus silently watching
Back with Octavius ... the prostitute doesn't know where she's from but has a Russianesque accent; Octavius gets down to business ... outside, Pullo's talking to the madam "Nice place this ... clean".
Meanwhile, MA is being entertained by a pair of nude gladiatrices (unwilling ones); gets reminded he has a dinner date with Atia ... Atia is freaking out; he finally shows up and she hastily makes herself look like she had gone to bed ...
Octavius is finished ... looks kind of ashamed; prostitute says he was "Like bull" when Pullo asks ...
Vorenus p.o.'ed that MA isn't going to go to Greece; Niobe happy he doesn't have to go to Greece. Vorenus says 'there's a moral principle involved' (i.e. MA had given his word; Vorenus had given his word to a man with no honour) ... "What an idiot you are" sez Niobe.
Atia's busy trying to get MA to think about being 'first man in Rome'; MA's thinking about other things ... after their 'act', they drink water from a blue glass ... Atia suggests she and MA get married; thinks it could be strategic ... Atia will need protection from the Pompeians; Atia points out that MA could benefit from the financial things she could bring if he remained in Rome [wow ... is Atia ever a scheming bitch!] "I never realized until now what a wicked old harpy you are" She slaps him ... he slaps her; slave woman draws a knife and Atia kicks him out.
Meanwhile Vorenus and Niobe are just like a couple of newlyweds ... MA sends his dwarf after Vorenus; it appears MA is going to Greece after all.
Atia's arranging gifts for Servilia ... including a very well-endowed slave; Atia's clearly given up on Caesar (Octavia is supposed to take the gifts); she's sending Octavius off to Mediolanum
Servilia's reaction "Your mother's too kind". Servilia doesn't seem to be buying it, but she does like Octavia. She does know that Octavia is being manipulated ...
Pullo and Vorenus are saying their goodbyes to their women ...
Octavius being escorted by Atia's horse dealing friend; he's obviously upset/sick ...
Army on the march ... another calendar changing scene
Herald announcing to an empty forum that a fleet has set sail for Greece ... with an ad from the folks providing this month's public bread "True Roman bread for true Romans" ...
Pullo and Vorenus are in a storm at sea ... seems to be a shipwreck/cliffhanger episode
Open at Vorenus' house, where one of the daughters is playing hide and seek with the slave boy who survived ... Vorenus wants to go to Baiae with Niobe; she doesn't want to leave because her brother-in-law/lover is missing and her sister's distraught ...
Pullo and Vorenus are off to MA ... MA receiving petitions from long-winded orators (amongst his slaves is a nanos!); decides to make an ex-Pompeian consul (I missed his name; the wife is Poppaea); he's to be consul with Caesar ... also some job creation legislation is to be proposed (1/3 of all labourers must be free or freed); wants the senate to do it
Vorenus' daughter's wedding plans have changed, apparently ... it's not proper for a prefect's daughter to marry a drover ... Meanwhile, Pullo and Vorenus have gone for a drink; Vorenus whines about Niobe not sleeping with him while her sister's fretting about her missing hubby ... eventually they're hammered, of course ... Pullo advises him to leave her ... "I'd rather die than leave her"; Pullo carries him home
Senate meeting ... legislation semi proposed; the employment motion carries unanimously (very few in the senate ... I'd still like to know who the old guy presiding is)
Back at Vorenus' ... Pullo tells Niobe's sister that her hubby disappeared due to 'gambling debts' ... he's 'dead, most likely' ... after Pullo leaves, Niobe and her sister have a big spat, culminating in the sister cursing Niobe and telling her to never speak to her again
Octavius is still learning the manly arts from Pullo (as Octavia and Atia look on); a little staged fight that Octavius wins ... Atia suggests Octavius join Caesar in Greece; Octavia suggests there's more to manhood than swordplay, so Atia reminds Pullo to 'take care of that'
Strange scene of Niobe praying before a large ochre-covered woman in front of a shrine (people giving her donations) ... what's up with that?
Niobe dolling herself up for her hubby; she's sent the kids off ... they have an evening alone! She's made dinner, but he's already eaten ... "but I can have some more"; interesting awkwardness to both of them. He asks her to sit down with him ... they share bread and wine, etc. ... "The calendar's correct ... if you'd like to have me tonight" ... "I'd like that" ... Finally, Vorenus is with his wife! (you can tell the director is different for this episode than the first few)
Letter from Caesar to MA ... he's chasing him all over Greece but now Caesar finds himself outnumbered and he's the one being pursued. He asks for the XIIIth to be brought there as soon as possible. MA wants to 'think on it'.
Atia and Octavia are buying jewellery; haggles via the slave woman; Pullo arrives but Octavius doesn't want to go because Atia's forcing Octavius to 'penetrate someone' ... he takes him to a brothel of some sort; there follows a scene which reminds me of some movie set in 1800s New Orleans as the various prostitutes are offered; the price is 1000 (denarii, presumably)
Pompey sends an ambassador to MA trying to get him to switch sides; sez he'll let him know tomorrow .. Vorenus silently watching
Back with Octavius ... the prostitute doesn't know where she's from but has a Russianesque accent; Octavius gets down to business ... outside, Pullo's talking to the madam "Nice place this ... clean".
Meanwhile, MA is being entertained by a pair of nude gladiatrices (unwilling ones); gets reminded he has a dinner date with Atia ... Atia is freaking out; he finally shows up and she hastily makes herself look like she had gone to bed ...
Octavius is finished ... looks kind of ashamed; prostitute says he was "Like bull" when Pullo asks ...
Vorenus p.o.'ed that MA isn't going to go to Greece; Niobe happy he doesn't have to go to Greece. Vorenus says 'there's a moral principle involved' (i.e. MA had given his word; Vorenus had given his word to a man with no honour) ... "What an idiot you are" sez Niobe.
Atia's busy trying to get MA to think about being 'first man in Rome'; MA's thinking about other things ... after their 'act', they drink water from a blue glass ... Atia suggests she and MA get married; thinks it could be strategic ... Atia will need protection from the Pompeians; Atia points out that MA could benefit from the financial things she could bring if he remained in Rome [wow ... is Atia ever a scheming bitch!] "I never realized until now what a wicked old harpy you are" She slaps him ... he slaps her; slave woman draws a knife and Atia kicks him out.
Meanwhile Vorenus and Niobe are just like a couple of newlyweds ... MA sends his dwarf after Vorenus; it appears MA is going to Greece after all.
Atia's arranging gifts for Servilia ... including a very well-endowed slave; Atia's clearly given up on Caesar (Octavia is supposed to take the gifts); she's sending Octavius off to Mediolanum
Servilia's reaction "Your mother's too kind". Servilia doesn't seem to be buying it, but she does like Octavia. She does know that Octavia is being manipulated ...
Pullo and Vorenus are saying their goodbyes to their women ...
Octavius being escorted by Atia's horse dealing friend; he's obviously upset/sick ...
Army on the march ... another calendar changing scene
Herald announcing to an empty forum that a fleet has set sail for Greece ... with an ad from the folks providing this month's public bread "True Roman bread for true Romans" ...
Pullo and Vorenus are in a storm at sea ... seems to be a shipwreck/cliffhanger episode