Spartacus: House of Ashur has been received more enthusiastically than anyone ever expected. The sequel spinoff currently has an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the most critically acclaimed installment of the franchise so far. In comparison, no season of the original series scored above 80%. Neither did the prequel miniseries, Gods of the Arena.
In the new show, Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay), a treacherous slave who was killed on Mount Vesuvius while trying to get Spartacus and his rebels to surrender, is offered a second chance after reaching the afterlife. He thus returns to an alternate world where he threw the final spear that killed Spartacus. For his achievement, Ashur is rewarded by being put in charge of the famous gladiatorial school once owned by his former master, Batiatus.
Though there have been allegations of wokeness, House of Ashur is indeed a brilliant Roman Empire story, capturing little-known details such as the presence of gladiatrices (female fighters) and the aftermath of the Third Seville War. Viewers looking for something that is equally flawless should check out HBO’s Rome, consisting of 22 perfect episodes.
‘Rome’ Presents a Soldier’s-Eye-View of the Roman Republic
Few shows are as visually stunning from the opening minute to the closing one, few have such ornate and glorious set designs, and few have the historical accuracy to rival what is on display here. Events in Rome revolve around Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), fictionalized versions of a pair of Roman soldiers mentioned in Commentarii de Bello Gallico — Julius Caesar’s first-hand account of the Gallic Wars, which was written as a third-person narrative. Like every popular movie/TV buddy duo, one half is disciplined while the other has a devil-may-care attitude. Over the course of the series, the two witness and influence many historical events, although creative liberties are taken.
Season 1 covers Julius Caesar’s civil war of 49 BC against the Optimates (the Roman Senate’s conservative faction), his ascension to dictatorship, and his downfall, beginning from the end of the Gallic Wars (52 BC), all the way to his assassination (Ides of March) on 15 March 44 BC. While all these events transpire, viewers get to see the early years of Octavian, who became Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome.
Season 2 covers the power struggle between Octavian and Mark Antony following Julius Caesar’s assassination. The feud is fueled by Octavian’s move to secure his inheritance, aided by his manipulative mother, something the Senate and Antony find unacceptable. The tussles play out until the suicide of Antony and Cleopatra in 30 B.C., following their defeat at the Battle of Actium. Besides that, a campaign is waged against Brutus and Cassius, the Roman senators who conspired to have Caesar killed.
Rome was a huge success, winning four Emmys out of eight nominations in its first season. Additionally, it was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category Best Television Series – Drama, while Polly Walker, who portrayed Atia of the Julii, was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominated the historical drama for the category Best Writing – New Television Series. For season 2, Alik Sakharov won an Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series.
‘House of Ashur’ and ‘Rome’ Prove That a Focus on Small Players Makes History More Fun
Rome is ideal for House of Ashur fans because it takes a similar approach to the study of Roman history. Both shows are driven by a colossal struggle of wills, in which unbending individuals take on formidable adversaries in the name of glory and freedom, and where insurmountable egos vie for hegemony amid a toxic atmosphere of mistrust, betrayal, and brutality. Like Lucius and Titus, Ashur is a minor figure trying to make a mark. As he tries to elevate himself and improve his social standing, he finds himself at the center of several groundbreaking moments.
Even though there is an overabundance of great tales about Rome, history buffs tend to crave Julius Caesar’s presence. Hail Caesar! Well… as is the case with the critically acclaimed HBO series, the iconic leader is meant to be a major part of the Spartacus spinoff. Portrayed by Jackson Gallagher (Wentworth and Neighbours), Caesar is a rising political figure, indebted to Crassus and married to Cornelia Cinna, a daughter of one of Rome’s wealthiest families. House of Ashur can thus be described as an unofficial prequel to Rome.
Rome fans might be skeptical about House of Ashur, having heard (or known) that Ashur was one of the parent show’s most annoying characters. His attitude needed work, and so did his muscles. Unlike his fellow House of Batiatus residents, he wasn’t prodigiously buff either. Can he really hold a candle to Lucius and Titus? Well, the old Ashur couldn’t, but the new Ashur is a superhero. In one of the revival’s opening minutes, he expertly demonstrates to the trainees how to avoid loss in the arena, even going as far as to kill a man just to make sure the lessons in the tutoring sessions have been properly grasped. And he proves to be quite the reasonable character after that. Wow! You are truly a changed man, Ashur.
On the other hand, House of Ashur fans (and lovers of the Spartacus franchise at large) do not need to worry about Rome. Characters in the HBO series might not have sex all the time, but they are just as cunning and brave. And they all look like they have just stepped out of history. Little to no CGI was used in the show, so everything looks real. Better yet, there are no over-the-top moments. Like many award-winning HBO dramas, this one stays precise.
Like ‘Spartacus,’ ‘Rome’ Deserves a Revival
Rome ends in a rather dramatic fashion. Following his defeat at the Battle of Actium, a despondent Mark Antony barricades himself with Cleopatra, the Ptolemaic queen of Egypt, in their Alexandria home. Inside the palace, they lose themselves in hedonism, drinking, and making love. Relentless, Octavian tries to get to Mark Antony, first by asking him to surrender, and then by trying to get Cleopatra to betray the man. Later, Anthony commits suicide with Vorenus’s assistance. Cleopatra, too, takes her life via a snakebite after realizing that she cannot seduce or reason with Octavian. With Octavian as the victor, Rome transitions from a republic to an empire.
Like House of Ashur, Rome deserves a revival to cover the numerous interesting events that occurred after Octavian’s rise. There’d be many great battle sequences since Octavian, aka Augustus, expanded the empire’s territory to a large degree. He annexed Egypt, Pannonia, Dalmatia, Noricum, and Raetia. Even better, he secured the empire by establishing a buffer region of various allies.
Regarding governance, Octavian created the Roman system of taxation, which was copied by many other governments in the years. He also improved the transport system by developing networks of roads, formed the Praetorian Guard, and established various response systems, including official police and fire-fighting services for Rome. Additionally, he rebuilt much of the city during his reign. Augustus would eventually die in AD 14 at age 75 of natural causes, though rumors suggest his wife Livia poisoned him.
All these events are great material for a sequel show. A sequel movie was once rumored to be in the works, but nothing ever happened. However, the higher-ups in whichever banner HBO will find itself under (Netflix or Paramount) ought to be willing to dedicate a huge budget. The original series had been developed under a two-year contract between HBO and BBC, but was deemed too costly, so co-creator and head writer Bruno Heller was instructed to wrap things up.
Speaking to Reuters, he said:
“I discovered halfway through writing Season 2 the show was going to end. Because we got the heads-up that the second season would be it, I telescoped the third and fourth season into the second one, which accounts for the blazing speed we go through history near the end.”
Per Heller’s words, the Anthony and Cleopatra storyline would have played out much longer if the show hadn’t ended too quickly. This would have been awesome, considering how iconic the two characters are. There are also rumors that the show would have covered the rise of Jesus in later seasons. Wouldn’t it be great if it all finally happened?
