HBO and the BBC’s Rome debuted in 2005 with aspirations to be one of the most accurate depictions of the Roman Republic’s turbulent transition into an Empire. With its sprawling narrative, the series masterfully intertwined the lives of both the powerful and the ordinary.
Created by William J. MacDonald, Bruno Heller, and Hollywood heavyweight John Milius (Apocalypse Now, Conan the Barbarian), it was focused on the magnetic portrayal of Gaius Julius Caesar by Ciarán Hinds in Season 1. His performance captured both the mythic grandeur and human vulnerabilities of one of history’s most iconic figures through his rise and fall.
Rome also followed the ascent of Gaius Octavian, aka Augustus (portrayed by Max Pirkis and later by Simon Woods) and the journeys of two soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), whose fates were intricately tied to the events reshaping their world.
The series arrived on August 28, 2005 at a pivotal moment in HBO’s history, between the landscape-changing successes of The Sopranos and Game of Thrones. Filmed primarily at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios, it stood out for its meticulous attention to detail and lavish production design.
Though initially planned for five seasons, Rome was cut short after Season 2, in part because its production costs were so high relative to its ratings.
Two decades after the show’s debut, we spoke with Hinds about the challenges of embodying one of history’s most iconic figures, the series’ enduring legacy, and striking parallels between then and now.
Ciarán Hinds on Playing Julius Caesar in Rome
When Ciarán Hinds was first offered the role of Julius Caesar on Rome, his immediate reaction, he says, was “Oh, s—, how the f— do you do this?”
Caesar wasn’t just one of history’s key figures, but also one who had been played by countless actors throughout Shakespearean and Hollywood history.Hinds, a seasoned actor with a deep respect for the craft, knew that to play Caesar, he would have to strip away the myths and find his core personality.
Hinds immersed himself in historical texts, including Tom Holland’s 2003 book Rubicon, which offered vivid detail about life in ancient Rome.
“It’s not a dramatic reconstruction,” says Hinds. “It’s based on fact, but it’s very lively and the characters of other people were very well drawn.”
The series depicted Caesar as a man who, despite his immense power, was not invincible. In one pivotal scene, Caesar suffers a seizure, a moment that underscores his vulnerability. “It wasn’t just about showing him as a great leader,” Hinds explains. “He’s human like anyone else, but he has to hide it for fear of it being used against him.”
The seizure scene was a technical challenge as well as a dramatic one. Hinds worked closely with Nicholas Woodeson, who played Caesar’s loyal slave Posca, to ensure the moment felt authentic. “I had to let go completely, but Nick was there to guide me, to make sure the camera caught everything,” Hinds recalls. “It was a delicate balance, but it worked.”
The Kalends of February
Caesar’s assassination is one of the most famous events in history, and Rome approached it with a mix of historical accuracy and dramatic flair. The series deviated from tradition by setting Caesar’s death on the Kalends of February rather than the Ides of March, a decision that puzzled some viewers but allowed the show to subvert expectations.
“We all know what’s coming,” Hinds says. “By changing the date, the writers kept us on our toes.”
Hinds recalls the moment Caesar realizes what’s happening: “He’s a military man, so when the first dagger comes out, he grabs the knife by the blade. There’s disbelief, a sense of ‘This can’t be happening, because I’m a deity.’”
The death reflected Caesar’s hubris: He had grown so powerful that he could no longer see the threats around him.
Hinds returned for the first episode of Second 2 to play Caesar’s corpse — “some of my finest work,” he jokes.
“Because of the effect that Caesar had on Rome, you had to present his dead body to the people,” Hinds adds. “I was just needed for two days to film other characters’ reactions and feelings.”
Even in death, Caesar loomed large over the second season, shaping the actions of Rome’s surviving characters like Mark Antony (James Purefoy), who came to power after Caesar.
Consolidating Power
When cancellation became imminent, some of the show’s remaining plots were consolidated into the final episodes. Rome aired before the time when intense social media fandom could help a show’s chances of survival.
“By the time people discovered it, it was too late,” Hinds says. “But it paved the way for shows like Game of Thrones, as one of Rome’s producers, Frank Doelger, set up that show as well.”
In the end, Hinds’ says Caesar’s line to Mark Antony in Season 1 sums up the series: “If we lose, it’s a crime. If we win, it isn’t.”
Reminiscing about Rome, Hinds makes parallels between Caesar’s story and Donald Trump’s second presidential term, noting that both men used populism and legal maneuvering to consolidate power.
“It’s a complicated time for America. The parallels of using bribery and the Senate’s own laws against it surfaces from time to time, and that’s happened here. I can see that,” he says.
He recalls the English historian Lord Acton’s observation that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
“As far as I know, the American Constitution has set up a resolution so there’s checks and barriers and therefore it will never turn into an autocracy or a monarchy again,” says Hinds. “But it doesn’t seem that way right now.”
Rome is streaming on Max.