The Ram has Touched the Wall

Rome episode
title= The Ram Has Touched the Wall

_
caption=Pompey mulls his options after truce is refused
season=1 (2005)
episode=5 (HBO; see BBC editing)
air_date=September 25, 2005 (HBO)
November 23, 2005 (BBC)
writer=Bruno Heller
director=Allen Coulter
setting=Rome and Italia
time_frame=Between Jan 10th - Feb 30th, 49 BC
link= [http://www.hbo.com/rome/episode/season1/episode05.html HBO episode summary]
prev=Stealing from Saturn
next=Egeria

"The Ram Has Touched the Wall" is the fifth episode of the first season of the television series "Rome".

"Pompey must stall for time, and his supporters urge for peace with Caesar. Caesar and Antony must balance that which is expedient with how their actions will appear to the people. Atia's jealousy of Servilia will lead to actions that spell humiliation for Caesar, and despair for Servilia. A sudden reversal of fortune forced Vorenus to choose whether it is to the Legions or the underworld of Rome that he will sell his integrity. Servilia's rage turns her into dark paths of revenge. Niobe faces the possibility of having to lose her son, and has her secret fall into the hands of those who do not know what to do with it. Pullo is retained to educate Octavian, but it is questionable as to who will teach and who will learn."

Plot summary

Historical/Cultural background

* The title of the episode is a phrase used by Mark Antony advocating "no mercy" toward Pompey and the Optimates. The phrase is English translation of the Latin "Murum aries attigit" (see "De Bello Gallico", [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Caes.+Gal.+2.32 Book II, Chapter XXXII] ). It refers to the policy of not allowing any mercy or surrender to the occupants of a fortification once the battering ram begins the assault on the gates. This policy was to act as a deterrent against resistance to those about to be besieged. It was an incentive for anyone who was not "absolutely sure" that they could withstand the assault to surrender immediately, rather than face the possibility of total destruction.
* Posca mentions that Caesar "cannot" allow his wife to divorce him - her family's influence is critical. Calpurnia was "Calpurnia Pisonis", daughter of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus. That would make her father an ex-consul of Rome, as well as an ex-proconsul of Macedonia - clearly a man of political experience and influence. It is also interesting to note that Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus was instrumental in having Marcus Tullius Cicero exiled from Rome for a period in 58 BC and 57 BC. This fact may explain part of the animosity Marcus Tullius Cicero bears towards Caesar and his family.
*A displeased Mark Antony reduces Lucius Vorenus's signing bonus to 9,000 sestertii - or 2,250 denarii when Vorenus returns to him. The value of the Denarius is discussed in "How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic", but 2,250 denarii would be roughly equal to USD $225,000.
*Towards the end of the episode, Lucius Vorenus re-enlists with the 13th Legion, and is inducted into the ranks of the evocati, who were "career" soldiers who re-enlisted in the legions after their original "term of service" was up - usually at the request of their commander. The evocati tended to occupy the higher ranking position within the Legion, were released from some of the more menial duties, and were awarded a certain level of respect.
*Mark Antony promotes Lucius Vorenus to the rank of "Prefect, of the first grade". It is not clear what rank is being awarded here. The rank of Prefect within the legion was roughly that of a Lieutenant Colonel - they occupied positions of authority over a particular aspect of the entire Legion ("Praefectus castrorum" = camp commandant, "Praefectus fabrum" = officer in charge of engineers and artisans, "Praefectus legionis" = equestrian legionary commander, etc.). Regardless of his specific area of responsibility upon re-enlisting in the 13th, Vorenus's new rank is a "three grade" promotion.
*As part of his induction into the "evocati", Vorenus - in full dress armor - sits a vigil in the temple of Mars, Roman god of War.

Inaccuracies and errors

* Pompey did not leave for Greece from some beach on the east coast of Italy. He sailed with his troops and the senators from Brindisium (Brindisi), while hard pressed by Caesar and his legions in a skilful withdrawal, while Caesar's forces besieged Brindisium. After Pompey went to Greece, Caesar returned to Rome.
* Cicero, unhappy with Pompey, left Rome after Caesar crossed the Rubicon and went to his estate at Tusculum, because he could not choose. Only some months after Pompey went to Greece did Cicero make his choice and go to Pompey.
* 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, as it pointed at his not being born a patrician.

Character notes

Though Pullo states he had reservations about bringing the boy to witness actual torture, Octavian displays his ability to be cold and calculating, despite his more compassionate thoughts expressed earlier. During the encounter with Flavius in the city sewers, it is Pullo who finds himself hesitant and unsure as how to commit the acts of torture, confessing to Octavian that he has never actually tortured a man. Octavian, visibly frustrated with Pullo, gives him guidance and does not flinch when Pullo slices off Flavius' fingers. We see the first flashes of the Octavian of Season 2; there is something dark and ruthless lurking in this child.

Plot notes

Episode characters

"possibly incomplete"
See also: Character appearances in Rome

Main cast

* Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd)
* Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson)
* Gaius Julius Caesar (Ciarán Hinds)
* Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Kenneth Cranham)
* Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker)
* Marcus Antonius (James Purefoy)
* Marcus Junius Brutus (Tobias Menzies)
* Servilia Caepionis (Lindsay Duncan)
* Niobe (Indira Varma)
* Gaius Octavian (Max Pirkis)
* Octavia of the Julii (Kerry Condon)
* Quintus Pompeius (Rick Warden)
* Marcus Porcius Cato (Karl Johnson)
* Marcus Tullius Cicero (David Bamber)
* Timon (Lee Boardman)
* Eirene (Chiara Mastalli)

Guest stars

External links

*imdb episode|episode=The Ram Has Touched the Wall|id=0688356
* [http://www.hbo.com/rome/episode/season1/episode05.html Plot Summary] at [http://www.hbo.com HBO]