Ancient Roman Newsreader: Real Or Not?

[@EasternRomanHistory]

I know there is a Byzantine example where the crier lost his voice because of the number of honorary titles Nikephoros III handed out at the start of his reign.

[@Pan_Z]

Nikephoros III debased the value of honourary titles nearly as much as he did the Roman currency.

[@B3RyL]

"You get a title, and you get a title, and you get a title! Titles, titles, titles for all, come get your own before they're all gone! Freemen and slaves, knights and knaves, young and old, hairy and bald, kind and mean, dirty and clean, big and small, it's titles for all! So come, come, come get your titles before I lose all my f***ing marbles!" - Nikephoros III's town crier, probably

[@JesusRocksTryPrayin]

That's funny! The Byzantines are, mayhaps MORE INTERESTING than Rome.. It's harder to find info on them, even though their empire lasted LONGER . . but we know, the Papacy helped Rome stay valid.. and "Mystery Babylon" took over Catholicism and was simply a huge influence to the Byzantines.. and now we're seeing MB rear it's head worldwide! fun

[@Nefylym]

@@B3RyL Cholera ale wspaniale bracie! Is this a quote or a personal moment of poetic brilliance?

[@B3RyL]

@@Nefylym Not a quote, just words pouring out onto the keyboard. And a couple of google searches for rhyming words, so I guess it's neither ;)

[@JuliusCheemsar]

Let it be known that Caesar’s son has sold away all his own property to honor his father’s wishes. May such piety bring blessings up on him!

[@augustuscaesar8287]

Thank you.

[@kumisz2]

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

[@ultrakongzilla332]

"YOU GAVE THE PLEBS THEIR MONEY?!?!?!?!"

[@BBC-dq3ki]

Symbolically adopted son**

[@Gersemi_Trader]

well he had no power, what would he do? retire? he had trouble even getting his inheritance from Antony. Vengance for his «father» and rivaling Antony both seems like good reasons, he knew that he needed funds to field armies and thuss get power

[@airborngrmp1]

The small traits of these characters really brought the marble to life. I particularly liked the 'crier' sometimes reading his own messages with interest as he was getting the news too (like Brutus being pardoned), or not really caring because its raining in a city under martial law, and there's no one there to listen, or he's reading the paid ad for the guild of millers, "true Roman bread...for true Romans..." Small details like that made the ancient city spring to life, just like the graffiti on the walls suddenly becoming animated. I really liked the show, and wish it had lasted longer. Maybe HBO should bring it back.

[@DonnaBarrHerself]

And then the pallet drop - like a mic drop.

[@melelconquistador]

Or when he reads the law forbidding gathering larger than two men and its three of them, so he proceeds to get out of there.

[@Inbraneinthememsane]

If they bring it back now it’s CGi only with black gay romance emperors

[@あっとまーく猫さん-h5k]

何はともあれHBOは、カルタゴの滅亡から始まり、スッラの死を知りローマに帰還する若き日のカエサルの姿、までのドラマを作るべきである

[@michaelheliotis5279]

The Romans tended to view unexplained blindness as the result of a retributive curse, so the _praeco_ is likely using the apotropaic "horn" gesture when mentioning the blind virgin in order to protect himself from whatever entity caused the curse, lest he anger it or catch its attention by referring to her. The Roman fear of "catching" curses and the resulting need to protect yourself is well documented, and I give the show enough credit to believe this was deliberate.

[@lorddashdonalddappington2653]

Pretty sure it was *pliant* virgins though. It's supposed to be a selling point for the slave.

[@ledues3336]

I didn’t know the horn sign was that ancient! In Italy we still use it!

[@NACLGames]

Assuming it wasn't a mistake, which I think is much more likely, the warding sign may be intended to emphasize the fact they were still pure and therefore not touched by evil. The Romans of the period prized virginity in a moral and religious sense...though in practice, prostitution, adultery, and casual sex was not only common, it was somewhat edified and carried little shame. As a result, slave virgins was actually pretty rare. If the warding sign was not just a simple mistake and meant to be another gesture, then it's still sort of a mistake. Even though you could conflate the idea of a virgin with religious values (there even existed an order of priestesses called the Vesta Virgins who were expected to remain chaste on pain of death), there's no spirit to ward off and the sign wouldn't have been used this way.

[@averongodoffire8098]

@@ledues3336 Lmao Gotta dodge them demons somehow

[@legateelizabeth]

I wonder if the idea of the crier having exaggerated motions comes from modern stage work. When you’re on stage and performing for an audience, you exaggerate your motions far more than you would in real life so that everyone can see you. A little silly for those in the front rows, but it means those in the back rows can always see what you’re doing in a way that would be lost if you were performing gestures and stage directions ‘properly’. As the crier is performing for a crowd, he exaggerates these gestures so that those from afar can see them, just like a modern stage actor.

[@espio87]

It makes sense. Otherwise the message might get mixed up like in "The Life of Brian" where the people at the back row thought Jesus said "Blessed be the cheesemakers" 🤣

[@kiri101]

This may be called 'telegraphing' in various pursuits: making your intentions or expressions visually obvious.

[@blkgardner]

Public speaking before modern TV cameras often involved more exaggerated motions.

[@barkingmonkee]

I had exactly the same thought. Stage actors will talk about 'playing to the back of the hall' - and they are only trying to get their performance to an attentive audience thats far away - the job of a crier having to work against not only distance but also a cacophony of background noise and visual distractions must have required an even more exaggerated display.

[@clarkstartrek]

Yes

[@isaiasabades1166]

The ancient office of the praecones survived up until very recently in Spain and I imagine Italy as well, in Spain we have the noun "Pregonero" which is the name for the the town crier and the announcer of news in small towns, which sounds remarcably similar to "Praecon" Excellent video as always! Ave!

[@Nugget_prime]

The same thing pregoneros did here in Chile during the colonial times and after, besides shouting the time and the weather in the night.

[@TheGoldenFluzzleBuff]

So fun fact. Over the past 8 years, since I first watched HBO Rome, I have probably asked a dozen times on r/AskHistorians if the news readers were real guys who actually existed. I do not believe anyone ever answered me, and I've legitimately been wondering if they were real, or comic relief for the longest time. Thank you for answering that. I don't know what compelled you to make this video, but from probably the only person on the face of the Earth who cares an odd amount about this exact question - thank you.

[@achka]

What did you expect from reddit?

[@RwandaBob]

it’s bc that subreddit really sucks dick the requirements to even respond to a post their are so absurdly strenuous that only 2-: responses ever even get posted on busy posts.

[@RichWoods23]

@@achka Abuse.

[@TheGoldenFluzzleBuff]

@@achka When I first asked years ago? An answer. If I were to ask today? A joke plus thousands of downvotes.

[@raffriff42]

You should have invoked Cunningham's Law (the best way to get the RIGHT answer on the internet is to post the WRONG answer)

[@skuul666]

Still a crime against humanity they only made two seasons instead of the planned 5. Season 2 feels so rushed because of that. Love the towncrier!

[@RomabooRamblings]

Hot take: I actually really liked how they handled the ending and thought that the main plotlines were concluded perfectly.

[@skuul666]

@@RomabooRamblings yeah thats true, it could've been a lot worse *looks at GOT season 7 and 8*

[@alejandrobetancourt8123]

Yeah I agree. The amount of history stuffed into season 2/the amount left out due to it being only 2 seasons was disappointing. But hbo learned a lot from Rome though

[@Xerxes2005]

@@RomabooRamblings History suffered in the second season, but the story was still great and its ending satisfactory indeed.

[@TastyTardis]

Wasn't it because part of the Rome Set burned down and it was to expensive to replace?

[@MatthewChenault]

Don’t be afraid to admit it. We all know we mimicked the way he said “Gaius Julius Caesar.”

[@Wayoutthere]

GAIUS!....JULIUS!....CAESAAAAAH!

[@dylanchouinard6141]

*weird digging motion*

[@S4von]

@@dylanchouinard6141 yeah whats up with that?

[@emperorclaudius5499]

Hand gestures like these actually serve a neurological purpose, they help keep your confidence and concentration while speaking

[@GoogleUserOne]

GAIUS - JULIUS - CAESAR

[@bigfatchubbybritboy9445]

Don't forget to hula dance as you say it

[@LyssLiLi]

*For a former slave, that town crier looks extremely well fed.*

[@iDeathMaximuMII]

Hey man. He used all the money he gets from talking to feed himself

[@domthedonkey69420]

dude gets free bread from the guild a millers

[@CSSVirginia]

@@domthedonkey69420 I hear they use only the finest grain.

[@natearedubia8563]

@@CSSVirginia True Roman bread for true Romans.

[@rogerrussell5155]

Part time pie taster

[@LehySnek]

I think it's amazing that those hand gestures have the same meaning in modern Italian, we still use all of them.

[@StoutProper]

I was once in the office of an Italian manager while he was on the phone, it was brilliant because he didn’t stop gesticulating with his hands the entire conversation in an every animated way, even though the caller couldn’t see him. I understood how ingrained it was as part of the culture then. He used to keep his hands in his heart when giving presentations to European audiences, and I was told by my Italian friend that it was to prevent him using his hands as it was understood that Northern Europeans don’t understand them!

[@jonbarosa8692]

Got to appreciate how impressive the acting of whoever played cicero was, it is glorious in that show. You have only brought me more insight on how brilliant it is.

[@Ripulintuoja]

David Bamber.

[@shaggycan]

Ha I always thought he was the least well written character. He should have been more of a Stephen Fry type. He had everything in his skillset except the skills of war. In every other way he was the equal or better than Caesar. Bamber always played him as very submissive. A strange choice for a man who was considered a saviour of the country.

[@jackukridge5381]

I recommend Robert Harris' Cicero Trilogy. Fantastic series.

[@StoutProper]

@@shaggycan I thought he was very similar to Stephen fry

[@StoutProper]

@@xergiok2322 the real Cicero was gay and this character came across that way too without making it obvious, I thought he played him really well. He wasn’t comfortable with violence, and that was apparent

[@RomabooRamblings]

Newsreader's best line:

[@sodadrinker89]

True Roman bread for true Romans!

[@zacharybowles4740]

All mockeries of the jews and their one God must be kept to an appropriate minimum!

[@RomabooRamblings]

@@zacharybowles4740 ah, the classic

[@bigfatchubbybritboy9445]

THE GUILD OF MILLERS USES ONLY THE FINEST GRAIN. TRUE ROMAN BREAD, FOR TRUE ROMANS!

[@deathtoraiden2080]

@@zacharybowles4740 this

[@dansiegel333]

Wonderful and enlightening! I too loved HBO’s Rome. Hope you consider making other videos drawing from it. For example, I’ve always been fascinated by the cursing tablet Atia used against Servilia. In fact the show portrays a lot of religious practices that would make for a good video. Thanks again for your work!

[@RomabooRamblings]

Thanks for the idea. Another show based suggestion I got was from a friend who started watching it after my recommendation. He asked about the state of medicine in general and trepanations in particular.

[@mitch8072]

is is based on a real one.

[@VladTepesVEVO]

To add to the religious practices, I always loved how they cursed on the show! "Juno's cunt!", "Dis!" One of my favorite parts is when Augustus is ready to go back to Rome, and his soldiers shout: "Mars! EXULTE!" "Mars! EXULTE!" "Mars! EXULTE!"

[@peterknutsen3070]

@@RomabooRamblings Don’t forget that medicine and surgery were entirely separate professions. I’m not sure we ever see anyone practicing medicine in the show, if you ignore laywoman’s humour-based goat testicle “folk medicine”.

[@anneboyd7811]

A few years ago, I saw an exhibit at the Penn Museum (archaeology museum at the University of Pennsylvania) called Magic in the Ancient World. One of the objects was an ancient Roman lead curse tablet. I started telling the person I was with about the scene in Rome where Atia inscribes the curse tablet, then turned, and saw that they had a video screen on the wall playing that very scene!

[@Simplicius95]

In Spain it was a real work when my grandpa was young, the worker is called "Pregonero" watching this video now I know from where that word came..

[@TheIndogamer]

Grandfather? Which part and era of Spain did he live through as a town crier?

[@Simplicius95]

@TheIndogamer Andalusian village around 1940 I guess

[@worldcomicsreview354]

The office of Town Crier lasted until the beginning of the 20th century in the UK, and has been revived, since, but for more occasional and ceremonial events, not to read out all of the news multiple times a day. There were also the shouting market traders who only went quiet within my lifetime, the "barkers" at fairgrounds, newspaper boys etc. It's surprisingly recently that "being able to yell really loud" was dropped as a requirement for a lot of working-class life.

[@alfienade6738]

@@archkull pand a pand, 2 bowl of oranges a pand, ave a look! ave a look

[@StoutProper]

Instead we’re inundated with adverts from every angle. Working class women still seem to shout very loud but it’s rarely offering you something you’d want. Mind you, Middle class Karen’s are even worse

[@Noblebird02]

Think of shouty man in horrible histories

[@LCTesla]

1:44 this is hilarious in light of that statement of his about actors, prostitutes and unclean tradesmen not being allowed to attend Gaius Julius Ceasar's funeral service ... he conveniently omitted his own profession!

[@yochaiwyss3843]

Well, he wanted to get in!

[@paulklee5790]

There was probably snacks afterwards...

[@pepperspray7386]

If there was a market for the purchase of "t-shirt cannon" type prizes at the coliseum, it seems legit that even private enterprises might want to advertise games.

[@worldgroundnews4539]

This is extremely insightful and I have to say the most impressive analyzation of any movie/show scene I’ve ever come across! Absolutely amazing work and I’m so glad I found this channel. This is brilliant.

[@zephlodwick1009]

As someone who reads sports results for school announcements, I feel a special kinship with this character.

[@OtherDAS]

The TV series ended years ago... and I still remember this guy's performance. He was waesome.

[@atariboy9084]

Me too

[@doublep1980]

Ian McNeice was also also amazing as Baron Harkonnen in the Sci-Fi Channel mini-series.

[@StoutProper]

@@doublep1980 in dune?

[@swiftmatic]

Ian McNiece

[@TheAzureNightmare]

Wagonmaster General Runciman, in Sharpe's Siege.

[@TheAurelianProject]

Damn, I knew this show was historically accurate but I didn’t think it was THIS historically accurate. That’s crazy.

[@dansiegel333]

Thanks!

[@Pan_Z]

The mentality of Roman nobility is comical, today. Only Agriculture was seen as an admirable profession. In practice, this meant owning massive farming estates manned by slaves. But manually working as something like a lawyer, doctor, or mercantile trader? Shameful. However, freeing your slave, ordering him to work such a profession, all while receiving a cut of his revenues, was completely fine. I'm not such sure what the veneer of being a farmer was meant to accomplish, but practicality surely wasn't it.

[@rafaelglopezroman1110]

Well I kind of understand why so much praise for farming. For the longest time in human history food is the product that people expended most of their income in, only through the green revolution in the 20th century do we see commoners been able to casually afford food. Most of the Roman Empire economy was agriculture, and all the major political debates around slaves, land reforms and post military service land grants were all heavily tied to that industry. The ancient farming industry was huge, with the closest modern comparisson been the oil industry. Is kind of like how oil economies disregard developing a diverse economy, because of oil income.

[@faundlord87]

I think it may have something to do with distinguishing their status as patricians. Being from a family that could trace it's roots to the beginnings of Rome, when it was famous for it's traits of an agricultural society of citizen-soldiers. So, agriculture was the trade of the first founder romans, versus the mercantile trades with less patriotic connotations and associated to the plebes and foreigners

[@phetproductions5818]

I think its rooted in their ancient (even for their time) picture of the citizen-soldier. The ideal Roman would fight for Rome in times of war and tend to their fields in times of peace.

[@tykjpelk]

Even today, the rich and powerful make their money from real estate, owning businesses where other people work, or management.

[@outrageddeer2101]

@@tykjpelk may be but also farming is now seen as a job for hicks and looked down apon by urban and suburban elites same with manufacturing and service jobs.

[@Blaklyon0]

Real or not, that actor was inspiring to hear and see.

[@darylwilliams7883]

One of the great things about Rome the series is that the more you learn about it, the more you see how much effort was put into incorporating real history. Vorenus and Pullo aside, of course.

[@darylwilliams7883]

@@Jaded_Jester Way better and more realistic than Spartacus, where the legions broke up into individual fights with the gladiators, which is total nonsense.

[@peg202xo7]

Having watched the Rome series a dozen or so times I'm seeing scenes in this video that were omitted from the final cut. Noooooo! I couldn't get enough of the street scenes in both seasons. So chaotic yet so colorful and filled with life they made you feel you'd jumped in a time machine. Only Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series of books have taken me back so vividly and unforgettably to that turbulent time in history.

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

THANK YOU! I've asked several youtubers questions about the newsreaders hand movements before and got little to no info about it. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

[@Xerxes2005]

Great video! I actually learned something new today and have an even greater respect for this show.

[@TetsuShima]

Normal people after the second season of Rome: "Sniff. What a great show. Shame they didn't make more episodes after this..." 😢 Me, an intellectual, after the second season of Rome: "Well, let's play now the next season, then..." *Proceed to pick the first DVD of "I, Claudius"*

[@tomz5704]

An intellectual you say?

[@barret-xiii]

"IS THERE ANYONE IN ROME WHO HAS NOT SLEPT WITH MY DAUGHTER?!"

[@RafaLeblanc]

@@barret-xiii 🙋🏻‍♂️

[@DarrenMalin]

the town cryer is one of my favorite people in the show. The actor is also a great chap I have seem him in many a show

[@Blake_Stone]

This is a great example of going just a little beyond what the sources tell us to create some details that seem to fit - this is what ancient Rome MIGHT have been like. Like maybe praecones had a kind of common man's equivalent of the snooty upper class oratory that came off like an auctioneer or bingo caller with its own idiosyncratic "dialect" of gestures. A whole system of its own that the historical record wouldn't preserve because people like Cicero would turn their noses up at it, emphasising animated gestures and eye-catching displays for the crowded forum.

[@BaseDeltaZero1972]

Ian McNiece was absolute perfection in this role.

[@PhilThurston64]

I continue to be amazed at the sheer amount of research that the producers of some shows are willing to go in the search for accuracy. But as Rome so superbly demonstrates, these efforts are rewarded with a show that invites total immersion as it breathes life into a Rome reborn.

[@gr8aussief--kup]

This is genuinely fascinating great video mate

[@jaybrodell1959]

A pretty good case could be made that the Acta Diurna, the daily news event sheet issued since at least the time of Caesar, was read in public, although we know for sure it was tacked up along with daily postings in other formats. I suspect this because the bulk of the population could not read, at least Latin. We also can speculate that criers practiced their profession in all quarters of Rome and every other town in the empire. Humans seem to have a natural need for news. As a side note, criers existed in the U.S. until at least the 19th century. I worked in a newspaper that has a history of people with megaphones shouting the election results from the second floor of the building to the crowd below in times past. The New York Times Building in New York City introduced an electronic version of the crier in 1928. That's the famous news ticker.

[@elustran]

Subbed and time to rewatch Rome

[@SnoopReddogg]

I can't vouch for his historic accuracy, but hardly an event happens where I don't add ""Entrance of Prostitutes, Actors or unclean tradesmen will not be allowed" to the reply all email at work.

[@crhu319]

Based.

[@Thesiouxempirepodcast]

It’s so amazing that they put that much detail in that show. Absolutely love that series

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

Newsreader Man was probably my favourite character, he's so fun :D

[@GarfieldRex]

I couldn't imagine such deep video about something I just enjoyed but didn't pay much attention to . Greatly done 👌 that profession was totally an art

[@barkingmonkee]

This is my first exposure to this youtubers channel - what an excellent and informative video! The one thing I could have used more of is some idea of the origin of the profession or the earliest surviving reference to it. (The inclusion of modern Italian's use of gesture in communication made me laugh out loud.)

[@RomabooRamblings]

thanks! Thing is, the Romans were more "adapters" than "inventors", so we'd have to go way back in history to trace the origins of professions. But they did come up with a lot of "upgrades", so that me a topic you'd enjoy.

[@davidasher8718]

This is a great video and answers a lot of questions I had always wondered about

[@Brusselpicker]

I would also add that the gestures may be exaggerated so as to be noticeable from a distance.

[@RomabooRamblings]

yeah, that sounds reasonable

[@Zikar]

One thing to always remember is that people aren't machines and even in the ancient times there would likely have been plenty of room for personal flair. Each individual would their own ways of doing things, little variations, differing stiffness and softness, as well as changes to these depending on how riled up they were by a particular thing. So, even if a character doesn't follow something "according to the textbooks" there's a very good chance that the people of the time didn't either, since the people of now don't.

[@RomabooRamblings]

Yep, the sources say a lot about different poultices that should be applied on the wound. But the surgeon goes straight to the cranioplasty.

[@GBart]

The casting for this show was absolutely perfect

[@raminagrobis6112]

If TV series now received a fraction of the dedication for authenticity 'Rome' received, I would definitely find at least one that would match the quality of that incredibly compelling HBO series. Your video reminded me how much I wish there's be a continuation, prequel, etc. of 'Rome'. So much ground yet to cover but... too little money? Considering the subsequent success of GoT or HoD, and how lavishly produced those 2 have been, money wasn't the issue. Viewership?

[@RomabooRamblings]

I think so, yeah. "Rome" did cost more than the first GoT season, but it wasn't as successful.

[@raminagrobis6112]

@@RomabooRamblings Indeed, I think viewership was the main issue. It's always an issue. Honestly, though, one may ask: was it well promoted? It was a very thoroughly documented series. There were aspects of it that were perhaps too are to follow, storywise for viewers unfamiliar with the Roman Republic 's history (e.g. Civil Wars). Example: an episode of the first season began with showing the outcome of the Battle of Pharsalus without showing anything of it. The previous episode ended with Pompey et al. walking on the road to Pharsalus. So, if the viewer didn't know the Republic's history at this point, it was truly hard to make sense of the events spanning the battle of Pharsalus and how unexpected Pompey's defeat had been. The show only hinted at this issue. For "history-challenged" viewers, it was hard to get into the show. Not showing such a decisive, history-shattering battle at all here was a mistake, IMHO. It must have been incredibly frustrating for its producers to see the connections dwindling despite such a stellar series in the first half of the season.

[@WendyDaCanuck]

I miss that show so much. It must be one of the best tv shows ever made.

[@ianinkster2261]

He is basically the Whitehouse Press Officer of his day, but his utterances are verbal press releases rather than recorded Q & As.

[@JesusRocksTryPrayin]

That guy was one of the best bits of the show... It's cool to see he was historical :D

[@ISawABear]

Man even getting the hand gestures in there. That is some fantastic detail. Thanks for making this video, i'd have never know what to look into or which sources to reference.

[@andreraymond6860]

I loved this video. Thanks for answering one of the big questions I had about the show.

[@TattoosAndGin]

Excellent video. The exaggerated hand motions would have carried meaning and been a visual aid for those watching from further back, where it would have been harder to hear, in a crowded and loud marketplace.

[@NorthForkFisherman]

kind of like having the close captioning on a TV when you're sitting at a crowded bar, watching the game?

[@OrneryPotato]

Oh damn. He played the Baron Harkonnen in the syfy Dune miniseries.

[@crhu319]

In which he was also brilliant.

[@shuukenji6585]

But the REAL question is does the Millers Guild's Bread uses the finest grain and baking pans? and is it considered the TRUE ROMAN BREAD?

[@melbaker9495]

On visiting the Forum in Rome a tour guide showed us the place beneath the Temple of Saturn where those wooden placks shown in the show were attached to the wall. The bolts that would have held them in place can still be seen. If the crier is the equal to a modern TV announcer then that wall was the first newspaper, with news stories, advertising and the latest laws passed by the Senate.

[@Multifire]

I am glad you found evidence of his existence and you didn't break my heart.

[@thewormemperor]

This is now my favorite channel.

[@packtray6569]

Thank you very much for the references at the end.

[@orthicon9]

At 04:00 - It was hilarious the way does a "mic drop" with the tablet after the "True Roman bread" advert.

[@danrichdrivingandmore5348]

Thank you! A question I always wanted answered but didn't know who to ask.

[@_typical307]

Why do they depict old and wealthy upper class Romans as usually fat? Is it something about fat = rich? I remember something similar in ancient China about fat means wealth and status and some thinks it is beautiful. Can you also make a video talking about Roman helmets? Especially the fur on top of helmets, there are different colors and face different sides, and I really want to know difference between a General's, a legate's and a centurion's helmet. (Also maybe something about crowns of Emperors of later periods?)

[@thumper8684]

The town crier was not high status. He had a professional status and a regular job. He may well have had some job security if his patron looked after his interests.

[@piratekingomega3292]

the idea is that, at least in western theater, someone who is fat is also implied to be lazy and self indulgent (regardless of accuracy). so if you want to make audiences assume a character is rich and hedonistic, you give them some extra weight

[@davidjacobs8558]

well, unlike modern times, in the ancient past, only rich people could afford to be fat. most people had to work real hard all day, and did not get to eat meat much.

[@patrickclark6540]

I loved this series too and wondered about this topic while watching the series. You got a subscribe from me.

[@davidjacobs8558]

if you want to see how properly trained gestures make huge difference in performance, watch and compare Diana Damrau as Queen of the Night in Opera Magic Flute. one in Black Dress, and the other in Green Dress.

[@pappy374]

"This month's public bread is provided by the Capitoline Brotherhood of Millers. The Brotherhood uses only the finest flour: true Roman bread for true Romans"

[@TrueFork]

Where did you learn about our true Roman bread for true Romans? A. news reader B. public execution announcer C. gladiator fight promotional flyer D. other

[@Woldemar94]

such a great video a topic i didnt really even thought about. thanks.

[@michaelpandolfo7362]

Excellent presentation.

[@Strauss-]

holy hell this video was VERY good!

[@ggttjjnn]

he was a highlight in the show and im so glad others also love him

[@marcuscorder]

Excellent video!

[@CallMeRito]

Most charismatic dude in the series.

[@TheShootist]

♫I have a structured settlement and I need cash now!♫

[@carloshenriquezimmer7543]

A version of this profession had endured all the way to the 20th century, mostly in underdeveloped regions, where most of the population were iliterate. Priests, nuns, teachers, postmen, or anyone that could read for that matter, went to public gaterings, like taverns, marketplaces or churches, and read out loud the news and the ads. In the northeast region of Brazil, the last known person that had this profession died few years ago. He used to read those news as short silly poems and comedic verses, to entertain the public. Btw, the profession was called "Proclamador" (proclaymer).

[@r-saint]

When you don't have TV, they essentialy did the job of TV news and News hosts. Entertain+inform.

[@ariesmp]

These public announcers were active in Albania until the eve of WW2. They would come out at the market and call the attention of the people by saying: "Oh, millet (people)! Listen and understand!". They were called "tellall" which looks like English "tell all" but it's probably Arabic.

[@dnaseb9214]

Baron Harkonen is great in this film.

[@clarkstartrek]

Italians carry on this tradition of hand gesturing during speeches, from common citizens to the Italian Senate in Rome! Hand Gesturing is still quite common among the Italian People.

[@thespokenword6456]

Very well done- this is a good video. I agree. I think it highly probably that an orator in a busy market place would use exaggerated gestures to gain and hold attention.

[@epluribusunum1460]

I wish that someone who knows Roman culture and loved the HBO series “Rome” would make a video breaking down the opening credits, what do the symbols mean, what stories and myths are depicted, etc. I recognize some of the images but not most and I want someone to tell me what they all mean.

[@loopernoodling]

In the 1970s, I was picking grapes in France, and on Saturday mornings, some guy would turn up in his van and start reading the news through his megaphone. And in 2008, I was in a tiny Japanese fishing village, and at 6am every morning, the loudspeakers all around would announce the weather (for the fishermen), and the day's news. That's all - carry on.

[@chardtomp]

It's the hand gestures that really sell his presentation.

[@ingold1470]

2:00- I suppose there is a difference between being paid to read out a script vs. inventing the arguments yourself.

[@TheDaas100]

Real chunky boi.

[@randomguy6152]

he ate true roman bread for true romans

[@nicholasfernandes1890]

dude's hand-talking game is top notch

[@johndane9754]

Italians were always an expressive people.

[@riverwildcat1]

Fascinating. Fun. The production of HBOs Rome can really be savored here.

[@michaeljames4904]

But surely though Cicero might have accepted gifts i.e. good old Roman bribes he was wealthy chiefly as a result of being a landlord owning much residential property in central Rome?

[@Т1000-м1и]

We are all used to epic marching of ancient legions, but seeing civil life play out made me rethink a lot of things

[@seronymus]

Imagine a HBO Rome spiritual successor series set in the 500s AD, in like Ostrogothic Italy or the Burgundians, or Constantinople... Ok it would probably be pretty sad if it showed the Gothic Wars, Plague of Justinian and other disasters. There were a ton of Saints though!

[@sdhflkjshdfskdhfskljdhf582]

Another interesting, cogent, and well-presented video. Re: the horns and the 'pliant virgins' - wasn't this later a well-known (medieval?) European symbol for a cuckold, or cuckoldry? Could've made its way into the show anachronistically. Maybe those pliant virgins weren't so virginal

[@RomabooRamblings]

Good point. "Protection" and "cuckoldry" gestures have small differences, like the hand motion and pointing direction. I think that the "cuckoldry version" should be specifically pointed at someone. But imagining the the newsreader had already "encountered" those supposed virgins and is just subtly dissing all of the public is an interesting interpretation.

[@DIEGhostfish]

@@RomabooRamblings Alterbatively if not insulting them he could be invoking protection on their behalf. Or at least trying tonseem like he is doing so.

[@algoraxmago1527]

Such depth: why did they cancel this?!?😭

[@MrGabilonia]

too expensive to film for the time. but industry learned. without Rome there would not be Game of thrones

[@soddinnutter5633]

@@MrGabilonia In a painful ironic twist, they fudged the accounting. They failed to add DVD/Blu-Ray sales to their revenue figures. Had they done so, the numbers would've looked much better.

[@StoutProper]

@@soddinnutter5633 probably on purpose so they could cancel it. Ironically if it had gone to 5 seasons or more the dvd and streaming revenue would have been a lot now

[@mikeboix3315]

Do more hbo's Rome historical accuracy videos please! This is so good.

[@RomabooRamblings]

I have couple of such topics in mind, so expect at least 1 of them in the following weeks.

[@petergreenwald9639]

Thank you for the analysis. I really enjoyed that show and thought the acting was marvelous. What a shame it didn't have more seasons.

[@lwaldron9745]

@ 1:56... what is the plural of "cervix"?

[@jefftaylor1186]

Well. I didn’t know how to read in Ancient Rome. I doubt most knew either

[@causantinthescot]

Can you revaluate Horrible Histories potrayal of Nero? I think it is heavily biased.

[@RomabooRamblings]

Hey, man. In the near future I'll do a video assessing Julio-Claudians. Hope it will get covered there. Haven't seen the one you are referring to, but check it out.