Utica (Rome) - Historical and Cultural Background

Historical and Cultural Background

• The Battle of Thapsus, which occurs just prior to the opening of this episode, was the end of the Optimates' influence in Africa. The resistance to Caesar was not yet broken: Gnaeus Pompeius and Sextus Pompeius would rally the Optimates' cause in Hispania, where the Optimates would challenge Caesar for the last time at the Battle of Munda.
• In this episode Caesar appoints Octavian a Pontiff. Whether this actually occurred is unclear, but what is clear is that Caesar made Octavian his adopted heir in 46 BC. This would have far-reaching consequences after Caesar's death, as Octavian's legitimacy would lead to the Second Triumvirate, and eventually to the Principate, with Octavian becoming Augustus. The adoption is not mentioned in the first season of the series.
• Caesar makes the comment that he has the authority to appoint whomever he chooses to the College of Pontiffs. This is because Caesar had been elected Pontifex Maximus for life. While this might seem a historical footnote given all the other offices and powers Caesar acquired, the religious orders determined the calendar. Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar, which would stand until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII adjusted it to make the Gregorian Calendar in common use today.
• The poem Octavian reads to Octavia of the Julii is Carmen 2, written by Gaius Valerius Catullus (84–54 BC). The sparrow (Latin passer), which is the subject of the poem, is often taken to be symbolic of the poet's penis. It is sometimes even stated that passer was an actual slang word for the male member, although if this is so, it is not attested elsewhere.