Tuesday, July 26, 2005

It was just inevitable...

It's been quite a distressing past couple of days. For the first time in weeks, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, dear readers, on The Empire. It slipped my mind this afternoon before work that today is Tuesday. Thus, I did not tape it. I'm cringing at the thought that I might have to throw some form of money at these people just to claw my eyes out with the last episode.

I do, however, have a couple articles from the Classics-L list for your edification:

Ancient Rome Puzzle Yield Clue
Roman Legion Founded Chinese City

And for those of you looking for a little light summer reading, I highly recommend Jasper Fforde's new book, The Big Over Easy: A Nursury Crime. I'm a little more partial to his Thursday Next series, but Fforde always writes wonderful books. This one I mention, however, because Prometheus plays a decent-sized role in here. It's fun. It's fiction. Go read it!

6 Comments:

Blogger Scott Oden said...

It was a travesty. I really wish it had escaped my mind, too. but, no. I wasted an hour of my life . . . an hour I could have spent writing or even watching fireflies mate.

Octavius, after finding the remnant of the 'legendary Third Legion' lurking in the woods not far from Cicero's house, proceeded to win them over by pouting and repeating "I'm Caesar!" over and over. Oh, their leader was a fellow named Maximus. Backed by said legion, our stalwart hero goes up against Antony, who musters (I think they said) six legions. A fight ensues at a place called Mucina (sp). As things start looking grim, Tyrannus, who is serving in Antony's legions, changes sides; his men switch with him and the day is saved. Antony is humiliated but spared and every one lives happily ever after (except the Vestal, who loves Octavius but is made keeper of the flame of Vesta).

I write historical fiction and even I was insulted by the way the show's creator/writer raped and pillaged this well-documented era in Roman history. I can only imagine how maddening it was for scholars.

12:05 AM  
Blogger Glaukôpis said...

Re: Scott Oden

Waitaminute. Why was Tyrannus on Antony's side??

Just the PLOT HOLES in this show make my head spin. ::sigh::

12:08 AM  
Blogger Scott Oden said...

He thought Octavius was dead and Antony was Caesar's man, soooo . . .

I wonder if the man responsible for this, one Thomas Wheeler, ever actually picked up a history book?

1:00 AM  
Blogger Glaukôpis said...

And Antony trusted him not to defect once he found out about Octavius? This is dumb.

The really stupid thing is he didn't even need to pick up a damn history book! If he'd just *googled* for just a few minutes, he would have had more factual information than used in this series!

And that's saying a lot, considering my opinion of random google searches. :-P

1:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks for the thumbs up on the new Jasper Fforde. I wish it were a Thursday Next, but I'm glad at least it's good.

BTW, I couldn't bring myself to watch Empire. Do you know anything about the upcoming HBO "Rome?"

11:56 AM  
Blogger Glaukôpis said...

Re: doppleganglander

Jasper Fforde is a wonderful author, and I miss Thursday, but Jack is fun too.

I haven't heard any details about HBO's "Rome," but HBO usually does quality work. Everyone I know, including one of my profs, is fairly certain it will at *least* be decent.

2:56 PM  

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