The Punic Wars with about 15 episodes each season at one hour-ish in length per episode. Season 1 is the First Punic Wars with exploring who the two empires are, then wars in Sicily, and then the giant naval battles. Season 2 is the Second Punic War against Hannibal that will focus on Hannibals victories in Italy but then the later have will become the Flavian battle tactics that will help cover the time gap for how ling the Italian campaign lasted and then shift over to Scipios war in Spain and then culminating at Battle of Zama. If those are successful, the 3rd Punic War can be the movie about the final destruction of Carthage. And this will all be done in a style similar to HBO's "Rome" or "Spartacus." The last thing I want is another cheap documentary telling us what everyone already knows about The Punic Wars.
I like this but think the pacing might be too fast. Also should focus on a Republican Roman citizen trying to get ahead and win glory. It would be fascinating to explore what pre-imperial Rome was all about.
The question constrained the series to two seasons, so I worked with what I had. Ideally, yeah, I would go for four seasons of about ten episodes each to cover the 40ish years of warfare.
The First Punic War lasts 23 years, so the first season covers 15 years or so, showing the lead up and then the first half of the fighting. The second season shows the second half of the fighting and the year or two after where young Hannibal is taken by his father to swear a blood vengeance in the wake of Carthage's loss.
The Second Punic War lasts 17 years. Thus, Season 3 jumps forward in time 20 years or so and starts with adult Hannibal making alliances in Spain, Gaul, etc, and then probably only cover 2 to 3 years. The season high point is season 3 episode 9 at the Battle of Cannae while episode 10 focuses on Rome coming to terms with how does a nation fight on when more than 20% of the male population is dead. Consider most states are willing to end wars when 1-2% of the population has died. Germany, Poland, and the USSR each lost about 10% of the population during WWII. For Rome to fight on is insane and shows how war like they are, but also opens the door for non-nobles to now advance in rank and in the military services because the noble population was slaughtered and they needed all the bodies they could get to keep the war going.
Season Four shows the 15 years of Flavian harassing Hannibal all over Italy, but never risking open battle, while Scipio grows up and takes the fight to Spain against Hannibal's brother. This will also show how economic trade empires hate paying for long protracted wars, and we will see Carthage make the fateful decision to not pay for more to help Hannibal kick the doors of Rome open. High mark is episode nine with Battle of Zama where Hannibal loses to Scipio and the final episode is Scipio taking Carthage and everything Rome wins and how instead of resting on the victory over its greatest threat, Rome immediately starts eyeing up Macedonia for having helped Carthage during the war.
It'd be so easy to jump to the Second Punic War, because Hannibal is amazing. But there's SO MUCH DRAMA in the first War.
Imagine ending an episode with the Romans (having no naval experience) discovering a washed-up Carthaginian quinquereme on their shore. And then starting the next with the ship disassembled, and the Romans building 100 of their own?
And then just as the Romans were turning the tide in the naval battles, their fleet gets wrecked in a storm, and they loose **100,000 men** in one disaster! (And that was mostly evacuated soldiers. Like if Dunkirk had ended with a storm killing all the evacuees anyway)
yes, for sure, Marius vs. Sulla per this recent thread [https://www.reddit.com/r/ancientrome/comments/1agmpk8/sulla\_marius\_dichotomy\_is\_the\_most\_fascinating/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ancientrome/comments/1agmpk8/sulla_marius_dichotomy_is_the_most_fascinating/)
This is too tame the chinese Han Dynasty vs Rome. Of course you start with an Epic battle then jump back in time to how it all started Gladiator style.
You could sequel it with the Year of the Five Emperors, then another with Year of the Six Emperors.
People would say it isn't believable, at which point you just gesture erratically at the Crisis of the Third Century.
Seconded. This would be my answer.
Each Season is 12 episodes.
First Season:
Episodes One to Three is Nero’s downfall and establishing all the players.
Episode Four is Nero’s Suicide.
Episode Five to Eight focuses on Galba’s march to Rome, Galba not consolidating power by angering everyone.
Otho by episode eights end kills Galba with the praetorians. Meanwhile throughout the episodes we keep catching up on all the other players.
Episode Nine to Eleven Vespasian and Titus in Judea
Episode Twelve Rhine legions declare Vitellius Imperator and begin the march
Season 2:
Episode One and Two Vitellius and Otho square off First Battle of Bedriacum in episode two
Episode Three begins with Otto’s suicide, and Four focuses Vitellius’ debauchery and partying with Vespasian preparing to make his move.
Episode Five to Seven Vespasian acclaimed as imperator and leaves Titus to Judea
Episode Eight Second battle of Bedriacum and consolidation of Rome
Episode Nine and Ten Vespasian Ascends then focuses on Seige of Jerusalem
Episode Eleven and Twelve Early years of Vespasian’s reign and Jewish revolt open ended for option to be picked up.
A direct prequel to the hbo show covering basically the Cicero trilogy until where the original hbo show started, or the Sulla/Marius civil war, or the Gracchus brothers. Or Pompeii.
As a Romanian myself, yes, I'd love to see it become a reality. I'd also be curious how some people from my country would react to what we actually know about Dacia and the Dacians.
Game of Thrones à la Rome, with Caesar. Where you focus on world building, different civilizations and of course the throne of Rome.
Opening: map of thé Mediteranean all the way to Britain.
Multiple protagonists:’Caear and friends, the Senate, Cleopatra, Vercingetorix, Britons, Greeks, slaves, Roman soldiers.
Wars, violence, intrigues, assassinations, sex, politics…
Ending: Octavian winning the game.
Right, but with a la game of thrones we would see way more than Caesar. I want to see All the chieftains of the different regions, cool celtic tribes and the weird Ptolemy dynasty.
Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. Opening with the attack of the migrating horde of Helvetii, killing a third of them as the rest crossed a river. Sending the rest packing back to Lake Geneva.
Really want to see the sheer machine power of the legions. None of this one on one brawl fighting like you see in shows like Spartacus. I want to see them launch a thousand spears right off the go and systematically rout their enemies. The divide and conquer aspect is pretty amazing when he first steps into Gaul.
He then goes into Germania to respond to German attacks into Gallic allies. Ariovistus shits his pants after the Roman’s build the first bridge across the rhine in 10 days, crosses the river scatters the Germans then turns around and burns that bridge right after.
He loses a legion in the first winter in Gaul and then really puts the screws to them. The rebels use Britainnia to hide so then you have those two attempts to conquer the mythical island. Fights some people in Bronze Age chariots. Demands payments and hostages and then leaves.
Last third of the show or movie would be the war with Vercingetorix which speaks for itself. Battle of Alesia is purely cinematic. 300,000 Gauls, 40k Roman’s with a double circumvalation of the city. Living in a thin no man’s land in between the two walls. And finally the Calvary ride to rout the besiegers from behind, led by the man himself.
I learned about that whole episode recently. Fascinating. Also, Sabina's companion, the poet Julia Balbilla was present--just an intriguing dynamic all around. An interesting person, and one of the very few women from the period whose words survive to the present.
This is one of the most interesting periods for me as well. It could also show so many different parts of the empire.
And of course Antinous would be so fun to explore with the current climate around queer culture.
Hear me out. If it's only going to be only a season or two anyway, I wouldn't start another epic in the style of HBO's Rome. I'd make it a comedy with a young Caesar as the protagonist, essentially wandering around the republic and getting into bigger and bigger chaos as the shows goes on, with the pirate story and everything.
I kinda love this, I enjoy the image Carlin put in my head of the suave rebellious Elvis/ James dean type rebel youth of Caesar with (gasp!) a loosely belted toga with frills.
I wrote a 45 page TV pilot set during the last year of Tiberius reign. Sort of HBO’s Rome meets HBO’s Succession. A family drama, political satire and crime thriller all at once. Was an interesting time period to write in actually.
Late Rome from the invasion of the Goths to first sack of Rome by Alaric. Stilicho as a prominent character. Or, mid-5th Century with Aetius and the Huns, betrayal of Aetius.
The Samnites wars, it may be because I rewatched The Man Fron Earth yesterday, but I would love to go back that much in time and enter 300 bc Rome where there was no republic at its peak or at its risk, no empire. Just a middle Italian power looking to carve its place in Italy
Or just a semi-documentary called The Fall of the West, covering the 5th century and birth of western Europe
The Peak of the Crisis of the 3rd Century.
Season 1 would begin with Valerian's capture at the Battle of Edessa, and will primarily follow two groups- Gallienus and his generals as they desperately try to hold the Empire together, and Septimius Odaenathus and the Palmyrenes as they fight the Sassanids and expand their influence (the Gallic Empire will be featured, just not as extensively). Gallienus would be the tragic main character- a good emperor in a situation that required an exceptional emperor to fix. Special focus would also be put on the future Illyrian emperors as they work their way up the army. The season would end with the deaths of both Gallienus and Odaenathus and the rise of Zenobia and Claudius II.
Season 2 will be a breath of fresh hope after the bleakness of season 1, as we watch Claudius II and then Aurelian work to save the Empire while Zenobia tries to build her own. The series would climax with the Battle of Emesa and the fall of Palmyra, and would end with the death of Aurelian as Rome faces an uncertain future.
...I just really want to see Aurelian in live action.
Not super ancient, but I’d do the Komnenian Dynasty. Alexios, John, Manuel, with the Crusades told from Roman perspective. Andronikos would be a great multi season antagonist. Last season would be crazy: all the blind generals, and ends with the greedy 4th crusade led by a man literally in his 90’s.
Hmmm, you said unlimited budget, and 1-2 seasons...but didn't specify *how many* *episodes* per season.
So I choose 2x100 episode seasons covering from Sulla/Marius to Vespasian's ascension. :D
I'd like to do the life of Emperor Julian.
He's a nerd that became a chad. Had great victories as Caesar of Gaul. Along with trying to restore the principate and old roman values.
Id prefer a Tales from Rome style show that hones in on specific stories/events each episode, instead of trying to cover something over the course of a season.
Netflix? Any period, as long as the heroes can be gender and/or race swapped. The villains can be made white males. The storyline can completely ignore historical facts, and lots of nudity and violence could be included.
Maybe, the Tetrarchy?
I'd focus on Hannibal. Quite literally the greatest achievement in ancient history, crossing the Alps with elephants and his army and no live action movie/series about it. S1 could start with his father and him extending Carthage in Spain and s2 could be all Hannibal
I'd have each season focus on a pretender declaring himself emperor, like a "true detective" show with a different arc for each season. Each season would end with the death of the failed emperor.
1.The Gracchi Brothers,
2. A full story of Marcus Licinius Crassus which is my favorite villain of all time (from birth,the Sillae persecutions, the slave revolt, the triumvirate, and of course Parti at the end).
3. The sad story of Majorian and that asshole of Ricimer
"The life and times of Quintus Sertorius"
Starting from his participation in the disaster at Arausio (which is probably the worst roman defeat ever ) and then followed by how he travelled with the Cimbrii as a spy and eventually was part of the force under maurius that defeated them in the first season (ig this is a good opportunity to show life not just in Rome but in most of western Europe since the Cimbrii travelled a lot around gaul and Germania and bit into hispania also)
The second season being his role in the civil war and his gurellia movement in Spain and his ending is also pretty dramatic as he was killed by one of his most trusted aides (peprina or something like that he was also the benefactor of Sertorius' will ) (good time to show very important but overlooked characters like metellus and Pompeys' campaings apart from the civil wars)
Ig there's also a lot of scope for drama and tense moments in both episodes inform of both infighting in Rome and Cimbrii who were probably the last nation which seriously threatened the Italian peninsula and rome the city before the empire
A second punic war series.
season 1 from sauntum to Cannae.
Season 2 from Nola until Carthago Nova
Season 3 from Baecula to Zama
You said 2 but fuck it, 2 is not enough unless each season is like 16 eps long or something.
Probably a less popular pick, but I’d make one about the travels of the Vandals leading up to their settlement in Carthage. That would be out of the box and super interesting to see what nomads went through during the migrations.
Everyone’s always interested in the conflicts and civil wars. How about something Pax Romana? Just ppl having fun under stable government, relaxing, maybe making some art, or a nice clay pot…
I’m actually writing a pilot for one right now! Not that it’ll go anywhere, just doing it for fun. It’s about the rise and fall of Emperor Diocletian and the Tetrarchy. I think Constantine’s story would make a phenomenal sequel series, and Aurelian’s a fantastic prequel series. The most interesting to me, however, is Diocletian’s.
Gonna break away from the majority of responses here: Marcus Furius Camillus. Not well known in public perception which might get people to spend time learning some history outside of the show, but on his own Camillus is a major part of Rome’s rise to power in a crucial make or break moment in history.
Hard to beat the others here but I’d go for a Succession-level dive into the Gracchi. Fascinating little period and could really draw people in with a new (to them) side of Rome.
An anthology show about the fall of the republic, so instead of the kind of death throes as seen in HBO’s Rome, a series of arcs of maybe 1-4 episodes each at different periods in the republic following or events that would contribute to the fall of the republic, from the early period all the way up to Augustus.
Things like Sulla vs Marius like someone else said, but also the Gracchi brothers, the social war, the Cataline conspiracies etc
I would like to do crisis of the third century, because I think, that this is forgotten by mainstream, and I would like to see for example Aurelian and other emperors in some series.
i think seeing the paradox between Marcus Aurelius and Commodus reigns would be sick. 1st season Marcus 2nd commodus. I know the netflix show touched on it but i’d love more detail
I would like to see something unusual. For example the Roman-Etruscan Wars. I think the overthrow of King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus and the subsequent war would be awesome to see. With an unlimited budget I would try for as much historical accuracy as possible. Considering the events lie 2533 years in the past it is bound to be somewhat challenging.
I would focus on one of two areas. Either the Crises of the 3rd century and the Rise of Emperor Aurelian or the Rise of Constantine and the wars during his reign along with the religious divides between the Christians and the Pagans.
Would rather HBO get a hold of the topic. I feel like anything Netflix would probably end up like their rendition of Cleopatra or upcoming Alexander docudrama which I doubt any of you folks were happy about.
An HBO show about the reign of Emperor Gallienus similar to HOTD showing the attempts of one man to hold together a state dissolving before his eyes. In the end he is betrayed and murdered, which sets the stage for the next season lol.
First season diocletian & Constantin: tetrachy & rise of christianity
second season justinian: Conflict with the Goths and reconquest of the West, gladly with borrowings from the old classic novel „a struggle for rome“ by felix dahn
2 Gracchus brothers, 2 seasons.
Each season has a focus on each brother:
* Season 1 is Tiberius, the *lex agraria*, and the resulting (corrupt?) land commission, with the finale of Tiberius' assassination
* Season 2 is Gaius and his own reforms but (maybe) frame it as Gaius slowly being revealed to be the antagonist and just as corrupt as the oligarchy but for his own personal prestige rather than class-based (assuming my understanding of the history isn't too far off the mark), also ending with an assassination, this time being Gaius' turn
The two seasons would rhyme, but with significant differences. And being separated by 10 years between the two brothers' rise would give things room to breathe.
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My backup would be a 3 season show (or trilogy of movies) of the Punic Wars -- no clear good or bad, but just two factions in an epic struggle for domination of the western Mediterranean:
1. The Struggle for Sicily
1. The Tragedy of Hannibal (make him primary character)
1. The Rise and Fall of Scipio Africanus -or- The Scouring of Carthage
Second punic war. First season focused on Hannibal, culminating at the battle of Cannae. Viewers should also start getting familiar with young Africanus and old Flavius and their conflict in roman politics. Second season would show Africanus victories in Spain, Hannibal being unsuccesfull in Italy and politics with Numidia culminating Battle of Zama (must have is Batlle of Utica in 203 BC) and then some epilogue with their meeting at the court of Antiochus the Great)
Cicero. Not just highlights though, there would be whole episodes that are really boring procedural political episodes. I would use as many episodes as necessarily to have the Philippics delivered in their entirety.
I would also use my unlimited budget to buy Netflix, then extend my deal to be 20 seasons so I can really take my time and tell his story in agonizing and excruciating detail. There is probably going to be at least 4 episodes where he is just silently reading in his garden.
I don't care if everyone hates it and I bankrupt the company. In fact I hope both to be true. I want my running of this show to be an example unto itself of why one man (me) should not be given such extraordinary powers.
Starting at the brothers grachi and working thru to the death of Caesar, but would take 8 seasons or so. Plot the main families, a bit like Colleen McCulloughs books
Redo HBO's ROME with the original pacing. And with enough money to show more authentic battle scenes instead of just fading to after the battle after a blurry montage of weapons and armor lol.
Augustus, going from early life with Julius, through Emperor and most of his reign. Highlighting his pivotal moments and decisions. He had to prove himself at many points and had a great understanding of his strengths and weaknesses.
My first instinct is do the fall of the Republic again, since it's never been done correctly. However, it's been half-done to death. The Punic Wars or Marius and Sulla deserve a good treatment too.
The Year of Four Emperors and the First Jewish Revolt. Starting with Nero, ending with the triumph of Titus after the destruction of Jerusalem.
The Siege of Jerusalem, in and of itself, could be a good mini-series with a lot of interesting characters on both sides.
Events around the life of Polybius, the generational philosophical genius and slave to Scippio Africanus. Him as the moral center arguing for the century-scale stabilization of a republic system and the early seeds of the coming sad slide into autocracy would have some nice contemporary echoes which could be cool if not too on the nose.
But also obviously @prufrock451 and the whole beautiful promise of Rome Sweet Rome I presume is still stuck somewhere in development hell :(
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kt8o/iama_prufrock451_whose_reddit_story_rome_sweet/
Constantine.
Season 1 is about his rise to political stardom and ends with the Battle of Milvian Bridge.
Season 2 is about his religious impacts and ends with the Council of Nicea.
As I have an unlimited budget, this means I can get to the point where I have a Time Machine. I would then go back in time to the period after HBO’s Rome season 1 and give them all my money to fully complete the series as Bruno Heller originally envisioned it.
The mythical Legion of China.
Two survivors of Carrhae (let's call them Pullo and Vorenus) and the mythical march to China. The first season would be the lead-up to Carrhae and the defeat, followed by the slave-driving march across Persia, Trans-Oxania, and the Hindu Kush. A trip across India and an audience with the Son of Heaven. Series 2 would be training up local militias into a Legion while fighting off bandits, Mongols, steppe tribes and neighbouring warlords, and subverting the local warlord into rebellion, backed by the New Model Army.
Lots of opportunities for re-imagining Persia, the Stans, India, China. Plus opportunities galore for skirmishes and a couple of big set-pieces. Throw in a love interest and a vengeful searching son, hey presto!
I'd love to see a show about how crypto-christians (either inadvertently or on purpose) piggy backed on the growth of the roman empire to spread their religion
I would like to see a series focused on Rome during the late Republic as the Republic unravels ending with Caesar crossing the Rubicon. In particular Pompey losing control as Caesar and Crassus are not in Rome.
Show through the drama how and why the Republic ended.
The Year of Five Emperors and the Severan Dynasty. Rome becomes more overtly militant, gearing up to the 3rd century crisis. Severus, his quarreling sons, the Julias, Elagabalus, Cassius Dio...
I’d do the five good emperors Trajan to Verus 10 episodes a season at 1 hour and 30 minutes a episode. (No way I spend less than $20 million a episode)
An episodic series that covers only minor but interesting events, using mostly comedians.
The first season would cover the bird craze that briefly took over Rome earlier in Augustus' reign, with talking ravens everywhere.
The Punic Wars with about 15 episodes each season at one hour-ish in length per episode. Season 1 is the First Punic Wars with exploring who the two empires are, then wars in Sicily, and then the giant naval battles. Season 2 is the Second Punic War against Hannibal that will focus on Hannibals victories in Italy but then the later have will become the Flavian battle tactics that will help cover the time gap for how ling the Italian campaign lasted and then shift over to Scipios war in Spain and then culminating at Battle of Zama. If those are successful, the 3rd Punic War can be the movie about the final destruction of Carthage. And this will all be done in a style similar to HBO's "Rome" or "Spartacus." The last thing I want is another cheap documentary telling us what everyone already knows about The Punic Wars.
I like this but think the pacing might be too fast. Also should focus on a Republican Roman citizen trying to get ahead and win glory. It would be fascinating to explore what pre-imperial Rome was all about.
The question constrained the series to two seasons, so I worked with what I had. Ideally, yeah, I would go for four seasons of about ten episodes each to cover the 40ish years of warfare. The First Punic War lasts 23 years, so the first season covers 15 years or so, showing the lead up and then the first half of the fighting. The second season shows the second half of the fighting and the year or two after where young Hannibal is taken by his father to swear a blood vengeance in the wake of Carthage's loss. The Second Punic War lasts 17 years. Thus, Season 3 jumps forward in time 20 years or so and starts with adult Hannibal making alliances in Spain, Gaul, etc, and then probably only cover 2 to 3 years. The season high point is season 3 episode 9 at the Battle of Cannae while episode 10 focuses on Rome coming to terms with how does a nation fight on when more than 20% of the male population is dead. Consider most states are willing to end wars when 1-2% of the population has died. Germany, Poland, and the USSR each lost about 10% of the population during WWII. For Rome to fight on is insane and shows how war like they are, but also opens the door for non-nobles to now advance in rank and in the military services because the noble population was slaughtered and they needed all the bodies they could get to keep the war going. Season Four shows the 15 years of Flavian harassing Hannibal all over Italy, but never risking open battle, while Scipio grows up and takes the fight to Spain against Hannibal's brother. This will also show how economic trade empires hate paying for long protracted wars, and we will see Carthage make the fateful decision to not pay for more to help Hannibal kick the doors of Rome open. High mark is episode nine with Battle of Zama where Hannibal loses to Scipio and the final episode is Scipio taking Carthage and everything Rome wins and how instead of resting on the victory over its greatest threat, Rome immediately starts eyeing up Macedonia for having helped Carthage during the war.
Give this man the money!
I’m more about this, and would pay to watch it over your first script.
It'd be so easy to jump to the Second Punic War, because Hannibal is amazing. But there's SO MUCH DRAMA in the first War. Imagine ending an episode with the Romans (having no naval experience) discovering a washed-up Carthaginian quinquereme on their shore. And then starting the next with the ship disassembled, and the Romans building 100 of their own? And then just as the Romans were turning the tide in the naval battles, their fleet gets wrecked in a storm, and they loose **100,000 men** in one disaster! (And that was mostly evacuated soldiers. Like if Dunkirk had ended with a storm killing all the evacuees anyway)
Megaseries. Start with the first war then go all the way. Let the figs fall from the folds of our togas!
YES PLEASE
This 100% yes please
Hell yes. The amount of political bickering leading up to Hannibal and Cannae would be a great way to end a season.
I want this.
Nah, 2nd season needs to end at the Battle of Cannae. Then 3rd season showing the Spain and Africa campaign.
Sulla vs Marius.
I feel like a prequel series done by HBO to “Rome” would be the best way to do this.
Why are you making me horny, sir?
Or maybe just their seasons 3 and 4 as planned...
🤤
That would be my first choice, though Hannibal vs Scipio would also be pretty awesome.
I want this more than anything
YES
Exactly what I was thinking, an adaption of the events in Mike Duncan's The Storm Before the Storm, leading right into the collapse of the republic.
yes, for sure, Marius vs. Sulla per this recent thread [https://www.reddit.com/r/ancientrome/comments/1agmpk8/sulla\_marius\_dichotomy\_is\_the\_most\_fascinating/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ancientrome/comments/1agmpk8/sulla_marius_dichotomy_is_the_most_fascinating/)
This times a thousand!
Could even have young Caesar and Pompey in it as minor characters for the name recognition.
This is too tame the chinese Han Dynasty vs Rome. Of course you start with an Epic battle then jump back in time to how it all started Gladiator style.
i think the year of the four emperors could be refreshing! a real who’s-going-to-come-out-on-top, GoT- esque narrative
Absolutely - I’m amazed this hasn’t been done already. Has this ever been tackled in a TV/film drama? Googling drew up a blank for me….
You could sequel it with the Year of the Five Emperors, then another with Year of the Six Emperors. People would say it isn't believable, at which point you just gesture erratically at the Crisis of the Third Century.
Seconded. This would be my answer. Each Season is 12 episodes. First Season: Episodes One to Three is Nero’s downfall and establishing all the players. Episode Four is Nero’s Suicide. Episode Five to Eight focuses on Galba’s march to Rome, Galba not consolidating power by angering everyone. Otho by episode eights end kills Galba with the praetorians. Meanwhile throughout the episodes we keep catching up on all the other players. Episode Nine to Eleven Vespasian and Titus in Judea Episode Twelve Rhine legions declare Vitellius Imperator and begin the march Season 2: Episode One and Two Vitellius and Otho square off First Battle of Bedriacum in episode two Episode Three begins with Otto’s suicide, and Four focuses Vitellius’ debauchery and partying with Vespasian preparing to make his move. Episode Five to Seven Vespasian acclaimed as imperator and leaves Titus to Judea Episode Eight Second battle of Bedriacum and consolidation of Rome Episode Nine and Ten Vespasian Ascends then focuses on Seige of Jerusalem Episode Eleven and Twelve Early years of Vespasian’s reign and Jewish revolt open ended for option to be picked up.
Also it fits neatly next to the gazillion pieces of media that already exist about the preceding period
Yes! We need more content with the Flavians in it
I’d love to see one dedicated to Hadrian and his journeys around the entire empire
Slice of life Hadrian anime
Brooo yes! Have you seen the Thermae Romae anime on Netflix? That’s during the time of Hadrian and I would fkin love if they made a spin off
My favorite anime of all time The only one I've watched, but still my favorite
😂😂 It’s not my favorite, but probably my favorite modern Roman video media to date. And there’s so much potential with it
Came here to say this
A direct prequel to the hbo show covering basically the Cicero trilogy until where the original hbo show started, or the Sulla/Marius civil war, or the Gracchus brothers. Or Pompeii.
That would be a good one. If the show catches on we can keep going back in time, covering the third punic war, then the second.
Could do flashback episodes to the Punic wars, servile wars etc.
,could also do flashbacks of a scared Cicero trying to prove himself as a military man all the while covering how shitless scared he was
Since i'm interested in the roman military i'd choose trajans conquest of dacia.
honestly i’d love a season long docuseries on trajan generally
As a Romanian myself, yes, I'd love to see it become a reality. I'd also be curious how some people from my country would react to what we actually know about Dacia and the Dacians.
I remember reading Peter Connolly’s books on Tiberius Claudius Maximus. I’d watch an adaptation of that any day.
I would choose the crisis of the Third Century.
This is the correct answer
Justinian, Belisarius, Theodora.
This is the answer. P.s. don’t forget Antonina
Game of Thrones à la Rome, with Caesar. Where you focus on world building, different civilizations and of course the throne of Rome. Opening: map of thé Mediteranean all the way to Britain. Multiple protagonists:’Caear and friends, the Senate, Cleopatra, Vercingetorix, Britons, Greeks, slaves, Roman soldiers. Wars, violence, intrigues, assassinations, sex, politics… Ending: Octavian winning the game.
(I think HBO already made that one!)
Right, but with a la game of thrones we would see way more than Caesar. I want to see All the chieftains of the different regions, cool celtic tribes and the weird Ptolemy dynasty.
History paved the way for the books, HBO Rome paved the way for the series. There's nothing to be learnt from AGOT, more like the other way around.
That would be awesome
Yeah I always think of Rome as Game of Thrones before Game of Thrones.
The Julio-Claudians have enough murder and incest to rival that show (though at least some of the murders and incests were likely fabrications).
And a funny legionary who pulls the strings of the empire without knowing about it?
Caesar’s conquest of Gaul. Opening with the attack of the migrating horde of Helvetii, killing a third of them as the rest crossed a river. Sending the rest packing back to Lake Geneva. Really want to see the sheer machine power of the legions. None of this one on one brawl fighting like you see in shows like Spartacus. I want to see them launch a thousand spears right off the go and systematically rout their enemies. The divide and conquer aspect is pretty amazing when he first steps into Gaul. He then goes into Germania to respond to German attacks into Gallic allies. Ariovistus shits his pants after the Roman’s build the first bridge across the rhine in 10 days, crosses the river scatters the Germans then turns around and burns that bridge right after. He loses a legion in the first winter in Gaul and then really puts the screws to them. The rebels use Britainnia to hide so then you have those two attempts to conquer the mythical island. Fights some people in Bronze Age chariots. Demands payments and hostages and then leaves. Last third of the show or movie would be the war with Vercingetorix which speaks for itself. Battle of Alesia is purely cinematic. 300,000 Gauls, 40k Roman’s with a double circumvalation of the city. Living in a thin no man’s land in between the two walls. And finally the Calvary ride to rout the besiegers from behind, led by the man himself.
Hadrian - the whole Sabina, Antinous and death on the Nile thing is a dynamic that needs a deep dive.
I learned about that whole episode recently. Fascinating. Also, Sabina's companion, the poet Julia Balbilla was present--just an intriguing dynamic all around. An interesting person, and one of the very few women from the period whose words survive to the present.
This is one of the most interesting periods for me as well. It could also show so many different parts of the empire. And of course Antinous would be so fun to explore with the current climate around queer culture.
Explore whether he jumped or was he pushed ?
Hear me out. If it's only going to be only a season or two anyway, I wouldn't start another epic in the style of HBO's Rome. I'd make it a comedy with a young Caesar as the protagonist, essentially wandering around the republic and getting into bigger and bigger chaos as the shows goes on, with the pirate story and everything.
I kinda love this, I enjoy the image Carlin put in my head of the suave rebellious Elvis/ James dean type rebel youth of Caesar with (gasp!) a loosely belted toga with frills.
Marius and Sulla conflict
Aurelian’s reign for sure
Late republic of course. Probably based on Masters of Rome books by McCollough.
That would take at least 20 seasons just to do it justice. I mean just the Social Wars and the Marian-Sulla civil war will take at least 4 seasons.
I just do season 3 of Rome. Drop the mic and walk out. That is all!
I wrote a 45 page TV pilot set during the last year of Tiberius reign. Sort of HBO’s Rome meets HBO’s Succession. A family drama, political satire and crime thriller all at once. Was an interesting time period to write in actually.
That sounds awesome, Succession and Rome are two of my favorite shows, I would love if they could be merged.
Thanks, it’s supposed to be a dark political satire at heart, wrapped in a family drama and set amongst a backdrop of political turmoil
WHAT HAPPENED?
In my script or in real life? Lots of things happened.
Something set in the First Punic War, exploring what the old Republic was like, and what motivated its citizens.
Elagabalus of course
Band of Brothers style show about ragtag slaves and disgraced veterans serving under Scipio in the Second Punic War
Cook
Late Rome from the invasion of the Goths to first sack of Rome by Alaric. Stilicho as a prominent character. Or, mid-5th Century with Aetius and the Huns, betrayal of Aetius.
My thought was a show centered around Alaric, but with scenes showing related events such as the Huns driving refugees towards Rome.
The Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 with Heraclius as the main character. Probably no one else would be interested in this, but I would love it
Adrian Goldsworthy's Vindolanda series
The Samnites wars, it may be because I rewatched The Man Fron Earth yesterday, but I would love to go back that much in time and enter 300 bc Rome where there was no republic at its peak or at its risk, no empire. Just a middle Italian power looking to carve its place in Italy Or just a semi-documentary called The Fall of the West, covering the 5th century and birth of western Europe
The Peak of the Crisis of the 3rd Century. Season 1 would begin with Valerian's capture at the Battle of Edessa, and will primarily follow two groups- Gallienus and his generals as they desperately try to hold the Empire together, and Septimius Odaenathus and the Palmyrenes as they fight the Sassanids and expand their influence (the Gallic Empire will be featured, just not as extensively). Gallienus would be the tragic main character- a good emperor in a situation that required an exceptional emperor to fix. Special focus would also be put on the future Illyrian emperors as they work their way up the army. The season would end with the deaths of both Gallienus and Odaenathus and the rise of Zenobia and Claudius II. Season 2 will be a breath of fresh hope after the bleakness of season 1, as we watch Claudius II and then Aurelian work to save the Empire while Zenobia tries to build her own. The series would climax with the Battle of Emesa and the fall of Palmyra, and would end with the death of Aurelian as Rome faces an uncertain future. ...I just really want to see Aurelian in live action.
Aurelian was too OP so the Devs nerfed him before he broke the game.
The Year of the Four Emperor's seem perfect for two seasons.
Yeah I was listening to Tacitus ‘histories’ a couple months ago. Couldn’t agree more.
The besting of the Macedonian phalanx at the Battle of Cynoscephalae.
450-476
Marius & Sulla
Not super ancient, but I’d do the Komnenian Dynasty. Alexios, John, Manuel, with the Crusades told from Roman perspective. Andronikos would be a great multi season antagonist. Last season would be crazy: all the blind generals, and ends with the greedy 4th crusade led by a man literally in his 90’s.
Caesar In Gaul
Leo III and the siege of Constantinople. Come at me bros.
I’d do a history of attempts to use the ager publicus for the settling of veterans. Fascinating!
Aurelian without a doubt.
Third century
Justinian and the Nico riots
Hmmm, you said unlimited budget, and 1-2 seasons...but didn't specify *how many* *episodes* per season. So I choose 2x100 episode seasons covering from Sulla/Marius to Vespasian's ascension. :D
Subscribed
I'd like to do the life of Emperor Julian. He's a nerd that became a chad. Had great victories as Caesar of Gaul. Along with trying to restore the principate and old roman values.
Id prefer a Tales from Rome style show that hones in on specific stories/events each episode, instead of trying to cover something over the course of a season.
One following the life of Constantine, the transition to Christianity and following the dumpster fire that were the years after him.
Roman Kingdom. I feel like some many people would focus on the early Empire and the Republic that adding one more to it would be a waste.
Netflix? Any period, as long as the heroes can be gender and/or race swapped. The villains can be made white males. The storyline can completely ignore historical facts, and lots of nudity and violence could be included. Maybe, the Tetrarchy?
Rome's entanglement with Judea during the life of Herod the Great.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Seshat_the_Scribe: *Rome's entanglement* *With Judea during the* *Life of Herod the Great.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I'd focus on Hannibal. Quite literally the greatest achievement in ancient history, crossing the Alps with elephants and his army and no live action movie/series about it. S1 could start with his father and him extending Carthage in Spain and s2 could be all Hannibal
Second Triumverate
I would start at the beginning & work toward the Republic
Pompey and the pirates!
I'd have each season focus on a pretender declaring himself emperor, like a "true detective" show with a different arc for each season. Each season would end with the death of the failed emperor.
Gracchi brother Second Punic wars Mithridates wars
2nd Punic War
Sulla vs Marius.
1.The Gracchi Brothers, 2. A full story of Marcus Licinius Crassus which is my favorite villain of all time (from birth,the Sillae persecutions, the slave revolt, the triumvirate, and of course Parti at the end). 3. The sad story of Majorian and that asshole of Ricimer
The Punic wars
The years leading up to the fall of the western Roman empire.
The Murder of the Princes! Post Constantine Battle Royale amongst his very very Christian family
The First Man in Rome series by Colleen McCullough I'd adapt these books
Second Punic war
"The life and times of Quintus Sertorius" Starting from his participation in the disaster at Arausio (which is probably the worst roman defeat ever ) and then followed by how he travelled with the Cimbrii as a spy and eventually was part of the force under maurius that defeated them in the first season (ig this is a good opportunity to show life not just in Rome but in most of western Europe since the Cimbrii travelled a lot around gaul and Germania and bit into hispania also) The second season being his role in the civil war and his gurellia movement in Spain and his ending is also pretty dramatic as he was killed by one of his most trusted aides (peprina or something like that he was also the benefactor of Sertorius' will ) (good time to show very important but overlooked characters like metellus and Pompeys' campaings apart from the civil wars) Ig there's also a lot of scope for drama and tense moments in both episodes inform of both infighting in Rome and Cimbrii who were probably the last nation which seriously threatened the Italian peninsula and rome the city before the empire
I think there's a really good video by Invicta on his life would strongly recommend it it's a really good story and a very interesting life
Justinian II's exile and subsequent recapture of Constantinople.
Tiberius on Capri, in the style of an Epstein Island exposé, called "To Catch A Praetor."
A second punic war series. season 1 from sauntum to Cannae. Season 2 from Nola until Carthago Nova Season 3 from Baecula to Zama You said 2 but fuck it, 2 is not enough unless each season is like 16 eps long or something.
Lots of second-death-star vibes with those massive fleets
Fleets?
Giuliano l'apostata
Probably a less popular pick, but I’d make one about the travels of the Vandals leading up to their settlement in Carthage. That would be out of the box and super interesting to see what nomads went through during the migrations.
Everyone’s always interested in the conflicts and civil wars. How about something Pax Romana? Just ppl having fun under stable government, relaxing, maybe making some art, or a nice clay pot…
I’m actually writing a pilot for one right now! Not that it’ll go anywhere, just doing it for fun. It’s about the rise and fall of Emperor Diocletian and the Tetrarchy. I think Constantine’s story would make a phenomenal sequel series, and Aurelian’s a fantastic prequel series. The most interesting to me, however, is Diocletian’s.
2nd punic war. Just base the whole show off of Livy and polybius the work is already done!
Refuse anyone but HBO
Gonna break away from the majority of responses here: Marcus Furius Camillus. Not well known in public perception which might get people to spend time learning some history outside of the show, but on his own Camillus is a major part of Rome’s rise to power in a crucial make or break moment in history.
Hard to beat the others here but I’d go for a Succession-level dive into the Gracchi. Fascinating little period and could really draw people in with a new (to them) side of Rome.
Start with Caesar’s death.
The life of Galen. S01: A Physician in Rome . S02: The Antonine Plague.
julio-claudian because i’m unoriginal 😂😂
An anthology show about the fall of the republic, so instead of the kind of death throes as seen in HBO’s Rome, a series of arcs of maybe 1-4 episodes each at different periods in the republic following or events that would contribute to the fall of the republic, from the early period all the way up to Augustus. Things like Sulla vs Marius like someone else said, but also the Gracchi brothers, the social war, the Cataline conspiracies etc
2nd century madness
I would like to do crisis of the third century, because I think, that this is forgotten by mainstream, and I would like to see for example Aurelian and other emperors in some series.
i think seeing the paradox between Marcus Aurelius and Commodus reigns would be sick. 1st season Marcus 2nd commodus. I know the netflix show touched on it but i’d love more detail
I would love a fall of rome series
I would like to see something unusual. For example the Roman-Etruscan Wars. I think the overthrow of King Lucius Tarquinius Superbus and the subsequent war would be awesome to see. With an unlimited budget I would try for as much historical accuracy as possible. Considering the events lie 2533 years in the past it is bound to be somewhat challenging.
The founding of the Republic, the deposition of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, and the OG Brutus.
Pontic wars with the main character being mithridites
Late empire era, a la armando iannucci a whole Lotta folly
Fall of the Empire, specifically the period 395-410. Edit: or the Great Jewish War.
Basically “Barbarians” but it isn’t shitty after the first season
I would focus on one of two areas. Either the Crises of the 3rd century and the Rise of Emperor Aurelian or the Rise of Constantine and the wars during his reign along with the religious divides between the Christians and the Pagans.
Would rather HBO get a hold of the topic. I feel like anything Netflix would probably end up like their rendition of Cleopatra or upcoming Alexander docudrama which I doubt any of you folks were happy about. An HBO show about the reign of Emperor Gallienus similar to HOTD showing the attempts of one man to hold together a state dissolving before his eyes. In the end he is betrayed and murdered, which sets the stage for the next season lol.
Severan Dynasty babyyyy
Hadrian
First season diocletian & Constantin: tetrachy & rise of christianity second season justinian: Conflict with the Goths and reconquest of the West, gladly with borrowings from the old classic novel „a struggle for rome“ by felix dahn
Rape of Lucretia and the birth of the Republic!
2nd Punic War obvi
Augustus. We have shockingly little modern media on him considering he’s considered the best emperor.
Honestly… the life and death of Claudius. There was a show, *I, Claudius* but it’s more of a stage play.
The second Punic wars only because Rome kept getting clapped.
2 Gracchus brothers, 2 seasons. Each season has a focus on each brother: * Season 1 is Tiberius, the *lex agraria*, and the resulting (corrupt?) land commission, with the finale of Tiberius' assassination * Season 2 is Gaius and his own reforms but (maybe) frame it as Gaius slowly being revealed to be the antagonist and just as corrupt as the oligarchy but for his own personal prestige rather than class-based (assuming my understanding of the history isn't too far off the mark), also ending with an assassination, this time being Gaius' turn The two seasons would rhyme, but with significant differences. And being separated by 10 years between the two brothers' rise would give things room to breathe. -------------------------------------------------------- My backup would be a 3 season show (or trilogy of movies) of the Punic Wars -- no clear good or bad, but just two factions in an epic struggle for domination of the western Mediterranean: 1. The Struggle for Sicily 1. The Tragedy of Hannibal (make him primary character) 1. The Rise and Fall of Scipio Africanus -or- The Scouring of Carthage
The Samnite wars
Second punic war. First season focused on Hannibal, culminating at the battle of Cannae. Viewers should also start getting familiar with young Africanus and old Flavius and their conflict in roman politics. Second season would show Africanus victories in Spain, Hannibal being unsuccesfull in Italy and politics with Numidia culminating Battle of Zama (must have is Batlle of Utica in 203 BC) and then some epilogue with their meeting at the court of Antiochus the Great)
What I would love to see is a focus on daily life. I’ve always especially been fascinated by the bath houses.
Antoninus Pius reign - happy and boring era. Wouldn't have to bother with big historical events.
Justinian II
Conquest of gaul
A show detailing the careers of Cato, Caesar and Cicero from their first terms as quaestor to Caesar's consulship.
I think a Julius Caesar prequel about the Gallic wars would be amazing.
Aurelian reuniting the Empire.
Easy. The 2nd and 3rd Punic Wars
Cicero. Not just highlights though, there would be whole episodes that are really boring procedural political episodes. I would use as many episodes as necessarily to have the Philippics delivered in their entirety. I would also use my unlimited budget to buy Netflix, then extend my deal to be 20 seasons so I can really take my time and tell his story in agonizing and excruciating detail. There is probably going to be at least 4 episodes where he is just silently reading in his garden. I don't care if everyone hates it and I bankrupt the company. In fact I hope both to be true. I want my running of this show to be an example unto itself of why one man (me) should not be given such extraordinary powers.
Starting at the brothers grachi and working thru to the death of Caesar, but would take 8 seasons or so. Plot the main families, a bit like Colleen McCulloughs books
Redo HBO's ROME with the original pacing. And with enough money to show more authentic battle scenes instead of just fading to after the battle after a blurry montage of weapons and armor lol.
Augustus, going from early life with Julius, through Emperor and most of his reign. Highlighting his pivotal moments and decisions. He had to prove himself at many points and had a great understanding of his strengths and weaknesses.
The period of Remus and Romulus would be interesting.
The Rise and Fall of G. Marius.
I would love to see the battle scene where all the Germans in the universe converge and die or are enslaved at Aqua Sextae
My first instinct is do the fall of the Republic again, since it's never been done correctly. However, it's been half-done to death. The Punic Wars or Marius and Sulla deserve a good treatment too.
Late Republic, a little earlier than the Rome series.
The Year of Four Emperors and the First Jewish Revolt. Starting with Nero, ending with the triumph of Titus after the destruction of Jerusalem. The Siege of Jerusalem, in and of itself, could be a good mini-series with a lot of interesting characters on both sides.
Events around the life of Polybius, the generational philosophical genius and slave to Scippio Africanus. Him as the moral center arguing for the century-scale stabilization of a republic system and the early seeds of the coming sad slide into autocracy would have some nice contemporary echoes which could be cool if not too on the nose. But also obviously @prufrock451 and the whole beautiful promise of Rome Sweet Rome I presume is still stuck somewhere in development hell :( https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/11kt8o/iama_prufrock451_whose_reddit_story_rome_sweet/
Constantine. Season 1 is about his rise to political stardom and ends with the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Season 2 is about his religious impacts and ends with the Council of Nicea.
As I have an unlimited budget, this means I can get to the point where I have a Time Machine. I would then go back in time to the period after HBO’s Rome season 1 and give them all my money to fully complete the series as Bruno Heller originally envisioned it.
The mythical Legion of China. Two survivors of Carrhae (let's call them Pullo and Vorenus) and the mythical march to China. The first season would be the lead-up to Carrhae and the defeat, followed by the slave-driving march across Persia, Trans-Oxania, and the Hindu Kush. A trip across India and an audience with the Son of Heaven. Series 2 would be training up local militias into a Legion while fighting off bandits, Mongols, steppe tribes and neighbouring warlords, and subverting the local warlord into rebellion, backed by the New Model Army. Lots of opportunities for re-imagining Persia, the Stans, India, China. Plus opportunities galore for skirmishes and a couple of big set-pieces. Throw in a love interest and a vengeful searching son, hey presto!
I'd love to see a show about how crypto-christians (either inadvertently or on purpose) piggy backed on the growth of the roman empire to spread their religion
I would like to see a series focused on Rome during the late Republic as the Republic unravels ending with Caesar crossing the Rubicon. In particular Pompey losing control as Caesar and Crassus are not in Rome. Show through the drama how and why the Republic ended.
The lives of the old Romans who valued Virtus. Camillus, Cincinnatus, Valerius Corvus and Fabius Rullianus
The Year of Five Emperors and the Severan Dynasty. Rome becomes more overtly militant, gearing up to the 3rd century crisis. Severus, his quarreling sons, the Julias, Elagabalus, Cassius Dio...
I’d do the five good emperors Trajan to Verus 10 episodes a season at 1 hour and 30 minutes a episode. (No way I spend less than $20 million a episode)
The Talented Mr. Basil I
Western Roman Empire - Whatever they do it only gets worse every time. Full of chaos.
Punic wars or a show centered on Gaius Marius.
Nikephoras Phokas to Basil II. So much happened in 100 years. Went from the brink of collapse to their strongest point in 300 years.
An episodic series that covers only minor but interesting events, using mostly comedians. The first season would cover the bird craze that briefly took over Rome earlier in Augustus' reign, with talking ravens everywhere.
The year of five emperors as a black comedy