An Owl in a Thornbush

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An Owl in a Thornbush
T. Pullo and L. Vorenus in the Forum
Season	1 (2005)
Episode	3 (HBO; see BBC editing)
Air date(s)	September 11, 2005 (HBO) November 9, 2005 (BBC)
Writer(s)	Bruno Heller
Director	Michael Apted
Setting	Rome and Italia
Time frame	Jan. 10 – Feb. 30, 49 BC See also: Chronology of Rome
Link	HBO episode summary
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"An Owl in a Thornbush" is the third episode of the first season of the television series Rome.

With honor and duty warring within him, and the problems of his family weighing on his mind, Vorenus leads Pullo and his scouts south towards Rome with a message for the Senate. Alarmed at the speed with which the rebel forces approach the city, and with nothing but a few untried and untrustworthy Legions, Pompey and the Optimates opt to flee the city. The great families of Rome are forced to choose: flee with Pompey in hopes of raising forces to recapture the city, or align themselves with the rebellion. It is a choice that will divide allies, and split families asunder. In the confusion of a city tearing itself apart, the treasures of Rome will fall into unsuspecting hands.

Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Historical/Cultural background 3 Inaccuracies and errors 4 Character notes 5 Plot notes 6 Episode characters 6.1 Main cast 6.2 Guest stars 7 External links

[edit] Plot summary

Thirty miles (50 km) outside Rome, Caesar sends Vorenus, Pullo and some Ubian soldiers on a scouting mission to size up Pompey's defenses, with strict instructions to advance only until they meet resistance. "There will be no raping, pillage, or burning," he adds, handing Vorenus a proclamation to deliver to the civilians of the city.

When Mark Antony explains that Vorenus is a "stone wall Catonian" who believes they are committing a sacrilege, Caesar concedes that he may be right. But as Antony sees it, "If we lose, it's a crime. If we win, it isn't." As if to prepare for what's ahead, Caesar responds, "I seek no tyranny. I am merely pursuing my rights."

Inside the darkened city, a man clad in a butcher's apron enters Vorenus's home, startling Niobe. "I had to see my son," he declares, staring at infant Lucius in his cradle. Niobe yells at him to stay away, but surrenders for a moment when he kisses her. "I never loved you," she tells him as tears come. "I thought Vorenus was dead...you took advantage." When the man refuses to go, she picks up a knife to threaten him. "If you will not accept my love, then kill me," he tells her. Just as she gives in to him again, her daughter interrupts them, and the man finally flees. Vorena the Elder urges her mother to tell her father the truth. "You thought he was dead. Papa will understand," she pleads, until Niobe sets her straight: "He will kill every one of us! Never speak a word!"

Across town, Atia and her family take cover in their villa with Brutus and Servilia, as an angry mob of Pompeians throw rocks and flames at their door. A frantic Atia can only curse her cousin. "If Caesar were here, I would stab him in the neck. He has ruined us. ...Our closest friends have abandoned us."

Inching closer to the city, Vorenus, Pullo and their cavalry come upon a troop of Pompey's new recruits, blocking the road to Rome. Ignoring orders, Pullo charges ahead with drawn sword and a band of shrieking Ubians follow him. Panic spreads among Pompey's young soldiers as they turn and flee. When a courier later informs Pompey of the incident ("Horrible hairy fiends on black horses, with wicked long swords like scythes"), he is caught off guard, shocked that Caesar's men could have advanced with such speed.

Convinced Caesar will attack Rome directly, Pompey tells Cicero and Cato that he will not have the forces necessary to defend the city in time, and they must make a quick "tactical retreat" to the south. "I can rally my legions there....once they are all gathered in good order, we can simply retake the city." With this a contemptuous Cato unfurls his rage at the general. "You have lost Rome without unsheathing your sword!"

With looters and rioters wreaking havoc, Pompey issues a command to the citizens of Rome: all noblemen and knights must leave the city and those who stay, as well as any plebs and proles offering material aid or comfort to the traitors, will be considered enemies of Rome.

The order forces the patrician families to choose sides. Brutus chooses to flee. "Caesar is my dearest friend, but what he is doing...The Republic is more important than any friendship..." he reasons. And when his mother, Servilia, decides to wait for Caesar's return, her son admonishes her. "You are blinded by untapped lust. Get you a good big Cryrenian at the market, and be done with this nonsense."

After seeing her family's fortunes fall and rise in the course of a few hours, Atia enlists her mercenary, Timon, to ensure her family's security. And when Octavia sneaks out to see her husband one last time before the exodus, Atia has him killed.

As they prepare to depart the city, it is Pompey's new wife who must remind him to tend to the treasury, the gold he will need to feed and pay for his legions. A distracted Pompey dispatches Durio, his top aide, to take care of the gold, loading his vault onto an ox-drawn wagon. En route out of the city, Durio is stabbed by one of his underlings, Appius, who redirects the wagon procession's course.

Just outside the city walls, Appius and his fellow footmen come face to face with Pullo and Vorenus who are suspicious of the man's soldier's sandals. A bloody battle ensues as the Ubians manage to kill and scatter the wagon guards, but not before Appius escapes on horseback into the woods.

Committed to finishing their mission, Caesar's men leave the wagon and continue on into Rome. Vorenus is baffled to see the city abandoned and undefended. "Soldiers of the Republic don't run so....it must be a strategem, a trick." True to his orders, he unfurls Caesar's proclamation, reads it aloud and pins it to the doors of the Senate: "Citizens, I have returned to Italy with the sole intention of claiming my legal and moral rights. I have no desire for unlawful powers...."

Unfazed by the words, Vorenus sheds his soldier's kit and announces to Pullo that he is quitting Caesar's army. "I have sinned enough." Pullo fails to convince him to stay on and the two part ways. Heading home through the empty streets, Vorenus stops at a shrine to Venus and prays that his wife will love him. When he finally returns to her, he begs her forgiveness, offering to leave without protest if she wishes. Streamed in tears, Niobe begins to confess but loses her composure. Vorenus takes her in his arms. "The past is gone. We start again?"

Pullo sees his uncanny good fortune continue when he returns to the cargo wagon his unit intercepted on the city's outskirts - only to discover it is full of Pompey's gold. Attached to the wagon is young slave girl, Eirene. He cuts her loose, cloaks himself in farmer's hood, and rides off with the wagon and the girl, just as Caesar and his 13th legion approach, anxiously preparing for their descent into the shuttered city.

http://www.hbo.com/rome/episode/season1/episode03.html

[edit] Historical/Cultural background

• In this episode, Atia is seen to be "holding court"; obviously wealthy - but presumably plebeian - people coming to her, as Caesar's Legion approaches. This was a custom of the Roman nobility known as clientela. It seems likely that wealthy plebs would seek the "protection" of the Julii clan as clientes (sg. cliens) with Atia as their Patrona (masc. Patronus), and thus protect themselves from the "ravages of the Legions" should Caesar actually sack Rome. Of course, this wouldn't happen, but they could not know this. It's quite clear that Atia is not above extorting people for her dubious "protection", demanding 5,000 denarii ( approx USD $500,000 - see an earlier discussion on the relative value of the Denarius) from one of her "friends" for her "protection".

[edit] Inaccuracies and errors

• Cornelia, Pompey's wife, uses the Greek name Odysseus in reference to the hero of Homer's Odyssey, rather than the Roman transliteration, Ulixes. (It is difficult to tell how much of a mistake this is, as high-born Romans of the time were consummate Hellenists and might have used the original name themselves; Caesar's last words are quoted by Suetonius as having been said in Greek) .
• After crossing the Rubicon, Caesar did not march to Rome. He followed the east coast to the south of Italy. Pompey and the senate feared though that Caesar would attack Rome and went south. Because of the speed of Caesar's advance, and a bad mistake of Pompey's ally Ahenobarbus, Pompey could not assemble enough experienced soldiers.
• The name Octavian is incorrect, and should be Gaius Octavius instead. In Latin the suffix '-ianus' indicates the original family name after an adoption, as a result of which the adoptive son received the full name of the adoptive father. Accordingly, C. Octavius changed his name to C. Iulius Caesar Octavianus after being adopted and made sole heir in his grand uncle's will (44 BC). As a matter of fact, the future emperor did not like and never himself used the epithet Octavianus pointing at his not being born a patrician.

[edit] Character notes

[edit] Plot notes

[edit] Episode characters

See also: character appearances in Rome

[edit] Main cast

Lucius Vorenus	Titus Pullo	Atia of the Julii
Pompey Magnus	Porcius Cato	Gaius Octavian

[edit] Guest stars

Appius played by Andrea Bruschi	Cesare Cremonini played by Arena Hackler	Daughter of Pompey played by Eliza Darby
Clarissa played by Anna Francolini	Appius played by Andrew Greenough	Gaius Julius Caesar played by Ciarán Hinds
Eirene played by Chiara Mastalli	Durio played by Matt Patresi	Cornelia played by Anna Patrick
Mark Antony played by James Purefoy	Glabius played by Roberto Purvis	Legionary #1 played by Gabriele Ragusa
Numa played by Stu Rosen	Iolanthe played by Alessandra Stordy	Ubian #1 played by Massimiliano Ubaldi
Quintus Pompey played by Rick Warden

[edit] External links

• "An Owl in a Thornbush" at the Internet Movie Database
• Plot Summary at HBO
• Trailer in RealPlayer format
• Trailer in QuickTime format