Rome 1x1

The Stolen Eagle

Season 1, Episode 1

& Lucius Vorenus: Legionary Titus Pullo is a hero of the 13th legion, but look at him now. Justice knows every man’s number. He has committed a terrible sacrilege*, and he will pay for it with his life! As will any man here who breaks the law. Brawlers* and drunkards will be flogged*. Thieves will be strangled. Deserters will be crucified.
    Titus Pullo: Is that it? I was just beginning to enjoy myself.


& Scipio: What a dreadful* noise plebs make when they’re happy.
    Cato: This is music. Wait until Caesar starts them howling for our blood. Then you’ll hear something dreadful.


& Atia of the Julii: That was lovely, Timon. Two stallions have come to Rome today.
    Timon: Of course, how childish of me. You want the horse.
    Atia: I do. But don’t be sullen* now. This was not a hardship for me. I’ve always found something perversely erotic about goaty little men.


& Cato: Renounce him, Pompey! Renounce Caesar! Ally yourself with us and his strength will wither away. It is you who is the real power. It is you the people truly love. Think you they will still shout Caesar’s name when he runs out of Gallic trinkets* to throw to them?
    Pompey: Think you I care what names are shouted in the streets?
    Cato: Nothing is more important.


& Mark Antony: Lucius Vorenus, you have a brain. Or so the tribune’s say.


& Mark Antony: Tell me, if it were you who had to retrieve Caesar’s eagle, how would you go about it?
    Lucius: I’d take captives from every tribe in Gaul and crucify them one by one until someone tells me where the eagle is. Then, I would go in quick and quiet with one or two men and... steal it back.
    Mark Antony: Good. We are of one mind. Do it.
    Lucius: Do it, sir?


& Lucius: Cadurci. Fortune just pisses on me.

---

& Pullo: Forculus*, if you be the right god for the business here, I call on you to help me. If you will open this door, then... I will kill for you a fine white lamb, or, failing that, if I couldn’t get a good one at a decent price, then... six pigeons.


& Servilia of the Junii: How is Caesar?
    Marcus Junius Brutus: Who?
    Servilia: Don’t be cruel. Is he well? Did he ask of me?
    Brutus: Did he? I can’t recall. I think not. He did write you a letter though.
    Servilia: Oh, you’re beast.


& Pompey: I have heard there was some discontent, but mutinous*? Hard to believe.
    Brutus: Can you imagine? After all he has done for them, he is not sure whether they will... will fight for him anymore. And the lower classes have a very very crude sense of loyalty. ... No offense. I don’t mean you. You are lower class, but that is to say, the lower class in general, however. A very crude sense of loyalty.


& Octavia: Caesar would not do that!
    Atia: The man’s been in Gaul for eight years. He’s practically a wild beast.


& Atia: The man has tears in his eyes. Tears!..
    Octavia: He loves me.
    Atia: A womanish husband is no use to anyone. And your servants! What a fuss! I think you feed them too much.


& Lucius: Do you care for nothing but women?
    Pullo: What else is there?.. Food, I suppose.


& Pullo: Me, I have simpler tastes. I like to kill my enemy, take their gold and enjoy their women. That’s it. Why tie yourself to one? Where’s the flavor? Where’s the joy?
    Lucius: Pullo, when was the last time you had a woman who wasn’t crying or wanting payment?


& Octavian: I’m no slave. I’m Gaius Octavian of the Julii. Great-nephew of Julius Caesar.
    Pullo: Gaius who?
    Octavian: I am a Roman citizen of noble birth, and I order you to cut these ropes.
    Pullo: Say please.
    Octavian: Please.


& Octavian: Caesar wouldn’t pull a hair for his eagle.
    Lucius: You’re on a fool’s errand*. If Caesar doesn’t care about the eagle, why did he send us to find it?
    Octavian: It would look strange if he made no efforts. Actually, losing the eagle is useful to Caesar.
    Lucius: Why would that be useful to Caesar?
    Octavian: Because Pompey is no deep philosopher. He will take a symbolic loss for a real weakness.
    Lucius: Explain.
    Octavian: Caesar doesn’t want to strike the first blow against an old friend, so he wishes to lure Pompey into attacking him first. Pompey will only do this if he believes Caesar is weak.
    Lucius: No. They’re as good as brothers, those two.
    Octavian: When Julia died, the last true bond between them was cut. Caesar has taken the love of the common people from Pompey, and that was his most prized possession. A battle is inevitable.


& Caesar: I thought it would take strategy to turn him against me, but he must have turned the moment Julia died.
    Mark Antony: And all the while he was defending you in the Senate.
    Caesar: He has the cunning* of a sardine, poor fool. The battle begins.
    Mark Antony: About time.


& Atia: We’re going to find you somebody much more worthwhile than Glabius.
    Octavia: I’ve been dishonored and shamed before the whole city!
    Atia: Nonsense! A girl from a good family can never be dishonored by a villainous little pleb like Pompey!
    Atia: No... It is I who has been made to look foolish. It is I who have lost face!
    Octavia: I want him dead. I want him dead.
    Atia: And that you shall have. Pompey will eat sand for this.



-- Dict:
sacrilege — святотатство
Brawler — Скандалист
flog — пороть
dreadful — ужасный; отвратительный
sullen — угрюмый; мрачный; сердитый
trinkets — безделушки
Forculus = god of thresholds*
threshold — предел; начало
mutinous — мятежный
errand — поручение; командировка
cunning — хитрость; коварство; ловкость


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