Classicist Reacts: Those About to Die

[@nathanaelfra]

I actually really liked the show despite all the bad reviews I read before and after watching all 10 eps. I watched the show through a different lens, focusing on the characters who were trying to make their way and climb the ladder toward either freedom or success-like Cala and her family, Tenax, Domitian, Titus, the Spanish brothers, and the Judean Queen. On the other hand, there were those trying to hold on to their success and power, such as the patrician couple of the blue faction, Vespasian, and Scorpius. The show also offered moral lessons, such as the consequences of taking revenge into your own hands (e.g., Elia’s revenge on Scorpius). It also did a lot of cause and effect for one’s actions past or present and very interestingly and wisely made the viewer understand how within every episode there is always a character who is always about to die. I loved Elia’s acting and thought Tenax was crucial to the show; without him, the show would have been lost. Domitian was an interesting character, portrayed somewhat as a villain, although I understand your sentiment of questioning why the villain often has to be the pansexual or queer character, while the hero is always straight and moral. It seems like the writers might think we as the audience aren’t intellectually capable of understanding nuances, so they simplify things into black-and-white storylines, where the villain is given fringe, extreme tastes, while the hero has common, relatable ones. They also didn’t step into the easy commonly used (David and Goliat trope) of making Kwame defeating the Huge Gladiator in the first scene. They made a build up and also made the earthquake and poisoning help as realistically in a fair fight, he’d be no match. As for the Nubian characters, there were moments where it felt like the show was touching on our modern social Western issues, which I usually dislike, but it would usually quickly backed away from that. If anyone complains about that, I don’t think the show is excessively cringeworthy or “woke.” I didn’t see it much of a problem. Some people complained about “girl boss” scenes, but I found these portrayals of ancient characters to be reasonable. For instance, when one of the Nubian sisters killed a guard, someone in the comments under another video review or this one cried “girl boss,” but the guard was drunk, and she stabbed him in the back-so it made sense. Also most of the aristocratic women were actually smart and cunning. Nubians were historically good at fighting, and the skilled street fighters and boxers can indeed outdo soldiers who usually play by the rules (e.g., Tenax vs. the Praetorian Guard). Some slaves fought back even though it would be to their detriment in the long run. I’d be excited for a season 2 and hope it happens. I want to see how far Tenax can climb the ladder and how his relationship with Cala develops. Also, now that Domitian has gotten what he wants, he will likely try to undermine the people who helped him and put them in harm’s way, which Tenax is aware of. Overall, it’s a pretty good show if you focus on the storyline and the relationships between the characters. Yes, the CGI is kind of bad in some areas, and yes, there were some clunky lines that wouldn’t be said in ancient times. And I f you compare this show to Game of Thrones, then of course, you’ll be disappointed. But if you watch it as its own show and not just another Game of Thrones wannabe, and focus on the characters and story development, you’ll see some beauty and elegance to it.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you for weighing in! I especially appreciate your thoughts on Elia and Kwame. I wanted to focus on the emperors to keep this video shorter, but personally thought the Spanish brothers and Cala's family had the most engaging storylines, in part because the actors brought a grounded humanity to the roles. I also appreciated, as you said, how the show subverted expectations by not having Kwame defeat Flamma (the big gladiator) outright. Thanks again for your comment!

[@jordinagel1184]

I would like those things as well… if the people in the show didn’t act like complete idiots half the time. I swear, so much in this show could’ve been prevented if the characters had just used an ounce of brain power (such as Xenon threatening Scorpus with information… while alone with him… and incapacitated… or the animal handler in the last episode who opened the lion’s cage for literally no discernible reason, leading to a completely superfluous segment that looks like it’s about to pay off the sister’s unprompted and nonsensical desire to become a gladiator only for her to be completely useless)

[@nathanaelfra]

@@jordinagel1184 right?! I especially hated the sister’s character arc so much. It was pointless, just as you well pointed out. However even with these minor faults and annoyances, I’d be very curious to see what they do with these characters in the next season (if it gets renewed).

[@gailgriffith6227]

I enjoyed it as well

[@cassiofficial]

I wish hbo gave another chance for the Rome series.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you for your comment! What would you have liked to see in a continuation?

[@cassiofficial]

​@@MixcixClassics I wish they could tell all the stories told by Historia Civillis channel on Julius Caesar and the second triumvirate. The Rome series have skipped lots of events.

[@bigshyrobot]

That was my showwwww

[@greatunwashed1]

I tried to buy the Rome Blu-ray off of Temu, instead I got this show.

[@KidCharlemagne47]

I really liked it. With the expectation of drama. The historical accuracy is loose, but I think that's okay for the most part. I wanted to disagree with this video, but it is well put together and informative. I agree with all you have to say. If your criticisms were addressed, it could be pretty close to perfect.

[@MixcixClassics]

I really appreciate you weighing in! Despite my criticisms, I didn't want to ruin anyone's good time with the series. It was clear that a lot of work and care went into it, and it had some really engaging characters. With a little more work, as you said, it could be quite excellent. Thank you again for such a thoughtful comment!

[@kaisersadvisor3970]

„Talking under four eyes“ is a common expression in German. Maybe that is just Emmerichs influence

[@MixcixClassics]

Perhaps! Thank you for this comment!

[@Sxilder1k]

@@MixcixClassics It’s also a common french expression. « Parler entre quat’z-yeux » (including the deliberate wrong liaison). I was surprised to discover it was also a word for word english expression. Now you tell me it is not ;)

[@MixcixClassics]

@@Sxilder1k Emphatically not! But thank you for your comment.

[@dimitriradoux]

Indeed same in Dutch

[@johnappleseed8146]

​@@MixcixClassicsso much for "nobody says that"

[@fenixdown22]

Good stuff! Definitely raised my eyebrows when you pointed out how they switched up the Flavian boys sexual preferences.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you so much for your kind words! It shocked me too.

[@mendesjosr4438]

And I thought the Hermes death storyline not properly developed. Here is a kid that knows a dagger (or an arrow)is always over his head but gets a bit horny, in the palace where anyone can see him and rat on him, gets unavoidably caught and killed. It would have made more sense for the preatorian to be a pawn of either Titus or the praetorian captain to try and get Hermes (a lonely, fearfull, unloved young man) to spy or betray Domitian with promises of love, freedom and safety. His death is also a bit of "death porn" They could have at least made him one of the first christian martyres, st Sebastian style.

[@lucyevergreen6469]

If you view it as fiction, it is really good, I think. The characters are all fleshed out well and are interesting to watch.

[@lucyevergreen6469]

ok, yes. But the portrayal of queerness was bad, i agree

[@MixcixClassics]

I'm genuinely happy you enjoyed it! If you liked this show, I also recommend Spartacus (2010-2013). Thank you for weighing in!

[@anabanana6890]

@@MixcixClassics Spartacus was a much better show imo, despite the tragic death of the lead actor between the 2 seasons - that was heartbreaking.

[@MixcixClassics]

@@anabanana6890 I definitely agree! I was excited to hear that a spinoff recently got the green light. I remember chatting with one of the historical consultants working on the original show and heard good things.

[@noelle4luv]

Super interesting context to have going into watching the show. I figured it was gonna be historically inaccurate but it's fascinating to learn the specific political and social inaccuracies as well.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you so much for your comment, and I'm so glad to hear you found the video helpful!

[@mendesjosr4438]

But Domitian aldo had a relationship with an Eunuch, whom he freed Earinus right? And as far as we know Earinus was devoted to Domitian.

[@MixcixClassics]

Oh, thank you for this wonderful comment! I was hoping someone would address this. I originally had a section on it in the video but wound up cutting it to streamline things. My frustration with Domitian's characterization is not about showing him in a queer relationship--we have the reference to Earinus--but rather the decision to have that relationship be part of what makes him a terrible person. It's the difference between a queer villain and a villain whose queerness is proof of his villainy. I hope this clarifies things, and thank you again for your comment!

[@Rogneda100]

A wonderful show that explores in an entertaining way the entertainment industry of the Roman Empire during the time of the Flavians and their Colosseum.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you so much for your comment!

[@MrCvjalexander]

I enjoyed the show, but I found that I could play on my phone and look up at key points without missing the plot. I was not drawn in and compelled to attend the way I was with say Spartacus. The only show that commanded my attention was the last one, until the lion got loose. Then it was ho hum for me again.

[@OwlZurth]

Why can’t anybody pronounce the directors name correctly 😅 anyway great review. Roland Emmerich, visually isn’t a bad choice to direct but I can’t stop thinking about his other projects while watching this show. I 100% agree with Roland Emmerich not utilising what he is known for. Some scenes ooze excellence and then other scenes look like a low budget show (the show “Plebs” comes to mind) I felt like these sub par scenes are re-shoots. The weak link for me in the show was the writers - I understand adaptation for a different source of media but it baffles my brain on the execution. (No pun intended) Overall it’s alright. It’s also not amazing either but at the same time not boring. You can be invested from the first episode to continue watching the entire show which other shows fail to do. The show “Ozark” comes to mind. “Ozark” took me 4 episodes to finally care about the characters. “Those About To Die had me intrigued from the first episode which is an achievement even if it was jumping to what felt like 500 locations. Why are they location titles anyway. We can visually see from exterior establishing shots that we are in a new environment but fails to be actuate with real historical events? Why be so accurate with naming places when the events at these places are inaccurate???? It’s like if I was to do an establishing shot of Paris France and I showed the Eiffel Tower then have a title text saying “The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France” and then they introduce Gustave Eiffel as the designer in the show but the real history is that it was actually Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier to me that is stupid. Smart shows make you familiar with locations with characters so you know that they are related to those places. Or it’s in the dialogue for example “I’m going to go see Hank” and the next shot is the character knocking on the door and saying “hello Hank” I don’t need text saying “HOUSE OF SCORPUS Esquiline Hill” when Tenax is about to see Scorpus, I find it so insulting to the audience watching the show. I hope you see my point when it comes to pandering to the audience who aren’t familiar with the source material. I understand taking an artist creative outlook to serve a story for a different media but if your going to be actuate then be actuate, if your are going to do a artistic representation then stick to that philosophy. This is why the writers didn’t do the due diligence for this show. Anyway my rant is over 😂 loved the video I hope to see more! 🎉

[@kayleenspeaks5531]

Everything you said, 100%! If you're going spoon feed your audience on ROME THIS and ROME THAT try to make the economics and politics accurate?? Loved the OP's take on setting up a scene to show us Nero's downfall (even though thats what we're apparently getting next season which I'm excited? for)

[@tubekulose]

1:57 "Emmeritsch"? 😂 No, the German "ch" is pronounced like the Spanish "x" as, for instance, in "Mexico". This was a really good video, and I agree: Seeing the Domus Aurea being (partially) demolished would have been quite spectacular. 🙂 P.S.: The phrase „talking under four eyes“ is actually not that uncommon; at least not in the few languages that I speak.

[@DavidGreen34]

I think this is a very fair take, and there's probably a lot more material from history that could have made for better plot development After all, the thing that really made Game of Thrones so entrancing was the references to historical events, and when the writers were on their own - without GRRM's source material - they floundered plot wise due to that lack of insight mixed with intense delivery deadlines. I also feel like that most of the portrayals of the queer characters were just present for shock value, as well as making the character motives too shallow (Titus = Good, Domitian = Bad) With all that said, I do have to disagree that the show was terrible. It had some clunky moments and curious plot choices but overall it was enjoyable.

[@ancorgarciaalvarez]

I'm sorry, but why is no one comenting on the point that all fights are made on the horse races track, where half the people can't even see it. Was this historical, did they regularly had fights in the chariot tracks?

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you for this wonderful comment! This is a great question. We do actually have descriptions of the Circus Maximus being used for events typically associated with an amphitheater, like animal hunts (venationes), and large-scale gladiatorial combats (such as the one described in Suetonius's biography of Julius Caesar at 39.3), but it might have been an unusual pick for smaller events like the ones we see onscreen, for the exact reasons you mentioned. Before the Colosseum, fights were regularly held in the amphitheaters of Statilius Taurus and Nero, but the amphitheater of Statilius Taurus was only opened in 29 BC. Before that, fights were held in temporary arenas built in places like the forum or the Forum Boarium. So, in a sense, the Circus Maximus isn't the worst site for the show's creators to have chosen, but as you've pointed out, they did it pretty thoughtlessly. To the extent they thought about it at all, I suspect they wanted to save the money it would cost to create/render a totally new location.

[@ancorgarciaalvarez]

@@MixcixClassics thank you so much for the explanation, I've being rabbing for days watching the gladiatorial fights BC they didn't make any sense to me. Now I see that there's some historical backround to It, despite the futility of how they're shown on the show.

[@cliffedward]

Just be thankful Ridley Scott didn't make it. Gladiator 2 . . . .?

[@melissak8419]

It's really a Roman soap opera. I watched it because I saw Iwan Rheon/ Ramsey Bolton, from GoT in it, one of the best villains of all time. I agree with some of the others and give it about 3 1/2 stars. It's not the best factually, but it entertained, with some of the historical liberties taken

[@MixcixClassics]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thank you for your comment!

[@chilljay126]

this was really good!

[@bigshyrobot]

This show is really good.

[@kayleenspeaks5531]

I LOVED this show, but you are not wrong. You pointed out discrepancies I didn't notice on my first watch, and I'm particularly disturbed by the writers' choice to ignore Titus' and Domitian's historical "partners" in favor of painting a morally upright seemingly straight character (Titus) and a scheming, privately violent queer character whose only redeeming? quality is his ambition (Domitian). Like you said, there's nothing WRONG with having a queer villain, like, it's 2024, c'mon. But if a showrunner is going for historical accuracy, it's an extremely odd choice to change antique people's sexualities for seemingly no apparent reason. YOU'RE SO RIGHT ABOUT THAT. On a less scandalous note, I was shocked when you revealed that the economics and politics of the show were so backwards! I totally ate up the idea that each faction head were in it to make money verus SPENDING money for appearance and entertainment sake. And AGAIN you're right, it's so SILLY. All that aside though, I loved TATD because of the acting if I'm being 100% honest. I got sucked into it because I'm a huge fan of Iwan Rheon and desperately wanted to see him in another series because every character he plays is phenomenal, regardless if the show he's in is hit or miss (and LORD there's been some misses). And Tenax did NOT disappoint. But Iwan wasn't the only actor I was captivated by. Sara Martins as Cala was incredible and she's the teeth that racked across my skin throughout the entire series in a extremely good way because of her grit and mama bear ferocity. This is the first time I've been introduced to Jojo Macari as well and I was shell-shocked at how delightful it was watching him storm across the screen, even if I have a major contention with his character now. I also loved the chariot races, hair and makeup, the costumes, the aerial shots, the opening music, the list goes on and on. It's just such a shame that major accuracies aren't there. It's heartbreaking really. I'm so bummed, even as I wait with bated breath for the next season.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you for this lovely comment!

[@anabanana6890]

I subscribed to your channel! I loved your review because it was from the POV of a historian, not someone who watched a TV show just for fun. I hope people watching your video and making comments realize the difference.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you so much for your subscription! I really appreciate your support and comments.

[@solomonayalew7947]

what ever u say. i like the way it move can you tell me when S2 start?

[@ancorgarciaalvarez]

dude, why did you click the video is you didn't want a historical critic of the serie?

[@solomonayalew7947]

@@ancorgarciaalvarez girl that is ur business not mine. If it entertain me i'll sit and watch all series

[@MixcixClassics]

A second season hasn't been confirmed yet. Thanks for weighing in!

[@moe5020]

I means it's certainly not HBO but honestly it wasn't too bad. It's like if Spartacus and Peaky Blinders had a baby and i'll take it over anything on Disney Plus or Rings of Power.

[@rhob2422]

Titus is basically Robert Baratheon

[@moe5020]

idk Titus is more stannis. Robert was a drunkard.

[@anabanana6890]

I’m looking forward to Gladiator II. I realize that Gladiator took lots of liberties (i.e. an emperor fighting a gladiator!!! Like that would have ever happened!), but it was still a great movie imo. The writing, acting, directing were all very good. So I will definitely watch the sequel. Anyone else?

[@MixcixClassics]

I'm excited to see what they come up with for Gladiator II, and will definitely be doing a video about it. I'd love to hear your thoughts then as well!

[@Sxilder1k]

@@MixcixClassics I’ve seen the Metatron critics of (just) the two trailers of G2, and I must admit I expect absolutely nothing from that movie. And since the huge mess (massive understatement) Scott made with Napoleon, I expect absolutely nothing from him from now on.

[@oberon888]

after watching the show i do now see them loving the bury your gay trope, if they every make season 2 im sure they will kill Aura or her gf tragically.

[@MixcixClassics]

It would not surprise me, and thank you for your comment!

[@mcdirtybatata4748]

thx your opinion they fucked history im amazigh from numidia i fell so bad

[@anabanana6890]

I absolutely hated this show. And for the producers to compare it to GOT is almost blasphemous (unless, of course, they refer to the last season of GOT but that’s for a different discussion). I agree with everything you said - they got so many things wrong I can’t even go there. The acting was bad, the writing was bad, honestly, the only actor who did a decent job was the guy who played Domitian. They only used Anthony Hopkins to give it some star gravitas. To me, this show was directed towards an audience who wants sex in togas. For a much better rendition of Ancient Rome, I would strongly recommend HBO’s “Rome.” I loved that show until it got to the season about Cleopatra when it suddenly took a nose dive imo. Anyway, great review!

[@MixcixClassics]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was frustrated by how poorly this show was done from start to finish. In reading its reviews, however, I learned that the tactic of using someone like Hopkins to lure in audiences is called a "geezer teaser," which made me laugh. Your comment also reminds me that I'd love to do a whole video on how Cleopatra is depicted onscreen, so I hope you'll stay tuned. Thank you so much for your comment and kind words!

[@nataleywolfrom3110]

Personally I kinda feel like Titus liked Hermes in the show because if you look carefully Titus is always looking at Hermes subjectively when he is looking at him and Hermes was a slave in the show but I really wish they would have shown how Hermes and domtiton became like that and shown how Hermes became domtitons slave but love your opinion

[@nataleywolfrom3110]

I also wished they shown how Hermes came from Greek to Roman

[@mendesjosr4438]

Usually these boys were sold very young. Noted for being handsome, more often than not castrated (sorry Hermes) and educated in the classics -Hermes reads and is even shown drawing...which would match. We know (badly) the story of some of the Imperial pueri. They either get noticed in the palace or in someone's important household who passes them on to the Emperor. An important thing; they were really young. Alessandro Bedetti is 22 but could pass as a little younger. Yet, not young enough. 13/14 would be old...therefor the castration as it prevents puberty so these boys would not grow beards, the voice would remain a childs voice etc I am glad they did not go that way in the show...it would be too upsetting. And as a nonus we got the splendid performance by Alessandro. A character that could have its own series / film.

[@ancorgarciaalvarez]

I was watching the series and I got shocked by the amount of people wearing weapons openly in public. O might be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that weapons were forbidden inside the City of Rome. Is that another mistake of the show, or am I in the wrong?

[@MixcixClassics]

Weapons were indeed restricted inside the city, with the exception of those carried by the Praetorian Guard. Good spot, and thank you for your comment!

[@ancorgarciaalvarez]

@@MixcixClassics but didn't Flavius dismantled the praetorians when he got control of the City? Also, the weapons thing then means that no one should be wearing daggers or anything like that right? BC they don't even try to hide them on the show, they wear them openly and everywhere, even in important parts of the city and infront of guards and such

[@maricallo6143]

It's EmmeriH. He's German. Just as a heads up.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you! I maintain it was a silly line to include in this context, especially since it was written by an American, but have appreciated learning about the languages the phrase appears in!

[@louisanna30]

I enjoyed the show.... So tired of negative comments and opinions from people who can't do any better.

[@JuliusCamoza]

🤡

[@mclovin3725]

Most dont have 140m to spend on a mediocre show

[@amandamiyahira3106]

This was super interesting!!

[@MixcixClassics]

I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment!

[@matt05_]

no seriously i don’t understand the switch of sexual preferences between Tito and Domiziano, and also the guy who interprets Hermes is genuinely identical to Antinoo

[@MixcixClassics]

It was frustrating! And I hadn't noticed but Bedetti does look a bit similar to Antinous, doesn't he? Thank you for your comment!

[@mcdirtybatata4748]

amazigh people was not black and we didnt speak the language in the tv series im so offenced can you make a video about the situation they fucked my identy

[@ssa6227]

😂😂😂 They switched sexuality. I hated Domition made out to be evil. I hate black and white plus historically he was a good ruler who ruled for 15 years didn't kill his brother. Only rumours of him poisoning him. So history screwed. But I love use of real history as opposed to GoT non sense. As story they did very well if only they had kept 'modern sensibilities ' out and less black and white characters. Not much complaint though. Enjoyable show non the less.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you for your comment! Domitian was, to be fair, one of the most hated emperors in Roman history by the time he was assassinated, but the show definitely flattened him.

[@ssa6227]

@@MixcixClassics As were all who by the time got assassinated. 😂 But he did some good work so to show him ruthless and incompetent a complete villian is plain biased. I am sure you agree.

[@str.77]

Domitian didn't kill his brother but he wasn't a good ruler either. Don't know about who Domition is supposed to be.

[@ssa6227]

@@str.77 He was by standards of his time specially his brother

[@iluvfrankmorethanyall]

I love Hermes 😭✋

[@tubekulose]

Do you mean Mercurius?

[@iluvfrankmorethanyall]

@@tubekulose ? Sorry I don't get it I'm slow

[@tubekulose]

@@iluvfrankmorethanyall I have to admit that I don't know what you meant either. 😁 I just read "Hermes" and thought for a series about Rome it might be more appropriate to use the god's Roman name. 😉

[@iluvfrankmorethanyall]

@@tubekulose oh Hermes is a Greek sl4ve in the show n he dead soo

[@tubekulose]

@@iluvfrankmorethanyall Oh, I see. Thank you! I have only watched a few episodes.

[@jxiro2]

Yes I would

[@BajoranEarcuff]

Emmerich is openly gay so I don't for the life of me understand why he keeps making gay characters evil or goofy.

[@realBatman-89]

I liked the show.

[@Hølløwguy-f7q]

Bro! I love this show. Also, i hate scorpus ngl

[@MixcixClassics]

He's a character people either love or hate, I think. Thank you for your comment!

[@kallistene40]

I have mixed feelings concerning this show : it's entertaining to some extent, but flawed. Domitian is your farcically bad would be emperor, Tanax is the guy ready to do a lot of bad stuff but happens to be mr nice in fact, Vespasian is the old wise emperor, Titus is a hunk of an emperor who doesn't really understand politics and pay the price for it. Cala is almost a stereotypical mary-sue who is good at nearly everything and can speak : berber, probably greek latin and happens to understand some germanic language and all of this while helping Tanax with his shady business and trying to save her children. And I really hate what they did with Hermes underexloited as a character who died rather stupidly and cruelly : being caught doing naughty stuff in your boss bed with one of his guard, and then being mutilated and thrown to the crocs while your sociopath bastard of bf yours relishing it... Well Alessandro Bedetti is gorgeous : pretty much like Hadrian's Antinous (or Nero's Sporus if you want to be mean), so there's that, I guess (and don't care what others think : I will die on that hill...).

[@WyntersFrost]

i will not be watching season 2 if there is a season 2

[@MixcixClassics]

I don't blame you! Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[@myRoxas]

I liked the show apart from Cala... She spoilt the show big time, the plot armor is so thick on her that it just ruins everything! Why can she just do everything and get away with everything? Was so unbelievable that someone from a different people group can come into Rome and just get help whenever and whatever.

[@odnycbx3765]

You a history 🤓 nerd 😅but I like your insight 😂 I love the movie 🍿 crazy gay Caesar 😉💕 I believe we tired of superheroes win we want villain to win 🤷🏽‍♂️ like the joker 🃏 movie 🃏🤷🏽‍♂️

[@13thcentury]

I went in dry, no rubber. Thankfully im not a classicist so the "gist" seemed pretty okay 😅 I missed all the details that would have irritated you guys. Vespasian seemed pretty cool. Liked Diocletian. Can imagine him getting emperor next season. Plot itself? Quite enjoyed it. Not too cheesy. Better than vikings... better than King Nappy.

[@shanejones8634]

This show is 1 of the best shows I've seen. Your review is harsh and I absolutely disagree with it.

[@MixcixClassics]

I appreciate you weighing in! What made it one of the best you've seen?

[@Nilliss]

:') you have so many to watch then

[@Sxilder1k]

@@MixcixClassics good question, I wonder too…

[@moe5020]

I mean it's okay but it's nowhere near House of the Dragon or Shogun

[@shanejones8634]

@MixcixClassics I think it's because it's the closest show to spartacus I've seen in a while and I was really drawn to the tenax character, and his struggle to hide his true nature, as he clearly pretends to be mean but is actually good, but as no problem doing what's necessary. I also liked how it was different to GOT in regards to the story being fast and lose and not so detailed and slow burned like GOT. Don't get me wrong GOT is a far superior show but I think with HOD and the other GOT spin offs on the horizon then thos needed to be different enough and I found that really refreshing, this show also made me thirsty for more to see how things turn out for the family and for tanax and his political shenanigans

[@roguetrooper5288]

The show was 💩, there's no other way.to say it. It could have been soooo good! It had the wrong director behind it, and was badly cast in most places. The only thing I liked was the reveal of the Coliseum in episode 9, that's it.

[@jakel.1724]

how high are our expectations. everything that comes out sucks. with the rise of critiquing platforms like these KZbin videos I also see the decline in our satisfaction and movies. Maybe we should just sit down and watch the damn thing and that’s it.

[@blessedcedric8312]

Thank you

[@restitvtororbis5330]

I think you're being overly critical of Vespasian. While he was the man who 'won' the year of the 4 emperors, I don't believe he participated in a single battle in the whole Civil War. For most of the year he and Titus were still dealing with the Jewish revolt and trying to figure out who was actually going to end up as emperor. At one point I believe he even sent Titus to meet with Galba to make sure Vespasian was going to have his command stripped, only for Titus to get halfway and learn that Galba was already dead. After Titus returned I think was when Vespasian actually started considering throwing his hat into the race, but he still had to stabilize Judea and prepare his forces, and that took a while. Most of the battles and atrocities done in Vespasian's name (Cremona being the most notorious) weren't even done by armies that Vespasian commanded, much less endorsed. Unless I'm mistaken, ALL the battles and associated brutality done making Vespasian emperor were done by governors and generals who decided to throw in their lot with Vespasian and act on their own to make it happen. Some of them were defecting from vitellius, some of them were former supporters of otho, some had just stayed neutral until they thought Vespasian was the best option, but all the fighting was done long before Vespasian even made it onto the Italian peninsula, and given how fast most of these events occurred it seems very unlikely that Vespasian was issuing commands for these actions. The fact that Vespasian wasn't directly involved in the fighting actually became one of the biggest reasons the population accepted his rule quite positively. They had just been through a horrific year of war preceeded by years of complete mismanagement by Nero, and Vespasian was a very sound administrator that could honestly claim that he hadn't taken part in the violence. As for how his reign went, he was significantly less brutal than you make him seem. Tacitus moans about people being banished, but people being banished aren't dead. You need to remember that the overwhelming majority of our sources for this period are senetorial elites, and senetorial elites HATE getting their revenues cut because the emperor is trying to repair an empire that has had its economy wrecked by Neros reign and a year of civil war. A lot of the hate for Vespasian comes from people complaining about him introducing new taxes, most famously the 'urine tax' (too complicated to get into) but he was now in charge of an empire with mass economic hardship and an empty treasury, and Vespasian's frugality and 'creative' economic policies were the reason that some 20 years after his death the '5 good emperors' were able to rule Rome through its golden age. Even massive projects like the Flavian Amphitheater ( Colosseum) were equal parts grandiose functional revenue generating architecture, and massive public works projects that employed thousands of urban poor in the city of Rome for several years. The taxes he created fortified the treasury and the treasury stimulated the economy by funding works that employed people and boosted the economy over the long term. Vespasian always wanted to portray himself as a (relatively) common man who only wanted to repair the empire and help his people. However genuine his portrayal might be is up for debate, but he was the first emperor since Augustus that died of old without controversy over whether he was assassinated, and that should count for something.

[@MixcixClassics]

Thank you for your opinion!