While folks are still rolling on the floor in paroxysms of laughter/disgust/whatever over ABC's Empire series, we read an announcement of HBO's Rome series;

HBO has set a premiere date of VIII/XXVIII, MMV for its series "Rome."

The launch - that's Aug. 28 for those of you who left Roman numerals back in fourth-grade math - will precede most of the broadcast networks' fall premieres by several weeks, giving HBO some time to try to build an audience for the 12-episode series. The pay-cable network also plans to give viewers numerous chances to see the show each week.

"Our goal is to put 'Rome' in front of every demo and every audience segment by appearing every day of the week and in all the appropriate timeslots, from 8 p.m. to late night," says David Baldwin, head of program planning at HBO. "This saturation sampling phase will be supported by HBO's legendary on-channel and off-channel promotion and awareness efforts."

Following the premiere, episodes will be scheduled every night of the week on HBO and sister channels HBO2 and HBO Signature. HBO also will repeat the previous week's episode prior to the debut of new installments. The first two episodes will run during a preview weekend in early September, which will also include the debut of the third episode on HBO On Demand on Sept. 5 - before it first airs in regular rotation on HBO.

"Rome," which HBO co-produced with the BBC, tells the story of the rise of the Roman Empire through the eyes of two soldiers who become caught up in Rome's history. The cast includes Ciaran Hinds ("Road to Perdition"), Kevin McKidd ("Kingdom of Heaven"), Ray Stevenson ("King Arthur"), Polly Walker ("State of Play"), Lindsay Duncan ("Under the Tuscan Sun") and James Purefoy ("Resident Evil").

John Milius ("Conan the Barbarian," "Clear and Present Danger"), William Macdonald and Bruno Heller (USA's "Touching Evil") co-created the series. Michael Apted ("Coal Miner's Daughter") directed the first three episodes.

Somehow I would have been a bit more confident if they had announced the date as a.d. v kalendas septembres with an a.u.c. date, but I suspect they figured everyone would think it was on September 5.