HBO's Rome on Roman Sexual Practices:
Orgia Continua aut Interrupta

Art L. Spisak (Missouri State University)

The visual arts, and especially film, in their representations of ancient Roman culture have a longstanding tradition of prominently featuring sexual practices and in particular of representing the Romans as amoral and licentious in those practices. The makers of HBO Rome Series (I) continue in this filmic tradition, but they distinguish themselves with a more thoughtful and historically accurate treatment of Roman sexual practices. Specifically, the series fore-fronts sexual acts as in the filmic tradition, but is unique in representing them as deliberative and politically motivated or influenced rather than as acts of uncontrolled or perverted passion.

The first representation of a sexual act occurs soon in the first episode of the series. This initial scene, which shows the noblewoman Atia astride her serving man in ardent sexual intercourse, sets a pattern for the many sexual practices depicted in the series. Although this scene seemingly sets out in the Hollywood tradition of representing Roman sexual practices as mindlessly animalistic and wanton (thus fulfilling audience expectations), the makers of the Rome series soon enough reveal their own development of the tradition: for, immediately upon climax, Atia, although she offhandedly acknowledges a certain degree of passion, indicates that her main purpose was to secure something of political value from her serving man (a horse that is to be a gift to Caesar). As in this initial scene, throughout the series and with various characters sexual practices are consistently represented as politically motivated and influenced rather than solely as passion-based acts.

The Rome series also represents some of the sexual acts depicted as based upon genuine affection and not just passion, although these are relatively few in number. Representations of these affection-based sexual unions are generally subdued in comparison with passion-based unions. Most notable examples are the scenes of Lucius Vorenus’ with his wife, Niobe. Yet even affection-based sexual encounters are represented as being influenced by political considerations. For example, Caesar breaks off his affection-based sexual relationship with Servilia because of political pressures.

In sum, although the Rome series certainly continues a dialogue with the Hollywood tradition in its representation of Roman sexual practices, its own representations are a clear departure from that tradition. The sexual act is rarely represented as driven solely by animal passion, as is often the impression given in the filmic tradition. Rather, passion-based and even affection-based sex consistently is shown as politically motivated and/or influenced.