HBO’s ‘Rome’: The Only Follow-Up to ‘Spartacus: House of Ashur’ You Need

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The new series, Spartacus: House of Ashur, has been a huge hit, exceeding all expectations. It currently boasts a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-rated entry in the Spartacus franchise to date. For comparison, the original series and the Gods of the Arena prequel never reached a score above 80%.

The new show features Ashur (Nick E. Tarabay), a former slave who was killed attempting to defeat Spartacus and his followers. After death, he’s given a surprising opportunity: a chance to return to life in a different reality. In this new world, Ashur successfully kills Spartacus, and as a reward, he’s put in charge of the gladiatorial school that once belonged to his old owner, Batiatus.

Despite some claims that it focuses too much on modern social issues, House of Ashur is a compelling story about the Roman Empire. It includes fascinating, often overlooked details, like the existence of female gladiators and the consequences of the Third Seville War. For viewers wanting a similarly high-quality historical drama, HBO’s Rome, with its 22 excellent episodes, is a great choice.

‘Rome’ Presents a Soldier’s-Eye-View of the Roman Republic


HBO

Few shows are as beautiful to watch from beginning to end, with such detailed and impressive sets, and such a commitment to historical accuracy. The series Rome follows Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), characters inspired by real Roman soldiers mentioned in Julius Caesar’s writings about the Gallic Wars. Like many classic pairs in film and television, one is disciplined and the other is more reckless. Throughout the show, they experience and impact significant historical events, though the story does take some creative license.

Season 1 focuses on the civil war led by Julius Caesar in 49 BC against his political rivals in the Roman Senate. It follows his rise to power as dictator, and his eventual assassination on March 15th, 44 BC, starting just after his campaigns in Gaul ended. Throughout these events, the series also shows the beginnings of Octavian’s life, who would later become Rome’s first emperor, Augustus.

Season 2 focuses on the conflict between Octavian and Mark Antony after Julius Caesar’s death. This rivalry begins when Octavian tries to claim his inheritance, with help from his scheming mother, which both the Senate and Antony strongly oppose. The season follows their battles until Antony and Cleopatra tragically take their own lives in 30 B.C. after losing at the Battle of Actium. It also depicts the campaign against Brutus and Cassius, the senators who plotted Caesar’s assassination.

As a total TV history buff, I remember when Rome first hit the air – it was a massive deal! The first season cleaned up at the Emmys, snagging four wins from eight nominations. It even got a Golden Globe nod for Best Television Series – Drama, and Polly Walker, who was fantastic as Atia, was up for Best Actress. The writers were recognized too, with a nomination from the Writers Guild of America for Best New Series. And the show just kept getting better – Alik Sakharov took home an Emmy for his incredible cinematography in season two. Seriously, a visually stunning show!

‘House of Ashur’ and ‘Rome’ Prove That a Focus on Small Players Makes History More Fun


HBO

Fans of the series House of Ashur will likely enjoy exploring Rome, as both focus on similar themes in Roman history. Both stories center around intense power struggles where strong-willed characters clash with powerful enemies, all in pursuit of glory and freedom. The environment in both is marked by deep distrust, betrayal, and violence, with characters driven by enormous ambition. Similar to the characters Lucius and Titus, Ashur is a relatively unknown figure striving to rise in prominence and impact significant historical events as he climbs the social ladder.

Despite many excellent stories already told about Rome, fans are always eager to see more of Julius Caesar. And, like the popular HBO series Spartacus, the new spinoff will heavily feature this famous leader. Actor Jackson Gallagher (known from Wentworth and Neighbours) will play Caesar as an ambitious politician, owing favors to Crassus and married to Cornelia Cinna, from one of Rome’s most powerful families. Essentially, House of Ashur offers a backstory that could easily fit into the world of the Rome series.

Fans of the show might be wary of the character Ashur, remembering him as irritating and physically unimposing in the original series. He didn’t measure up to stronger gladiators like Lucius and Titus. However, this new version of Ashur is a completely different story – a true powerhouse. Right from the start, he impresses everyone by skillfully teaching trainees how to survive in the arena, even demonstrating a lethal technique to emphasize his points. Surprisingly, after that display, he proves to be a much more level-headed and reasonable person. It’s clear Ashur has undergone a significant transformation.

Fans of House of Ashur, and those who enjoy the Spartacus series, will likely appreciate Rome as well. While the HBO series doesn’t focus on sex as much, its characters are equally clever and courageous, and the show boasts a remarkably authentic look. Minimal CGI was used, creating a very realistic feel, and like other acclaimed HBO dramas, Rome is known for its attention to detail and grounded storytelling.

Like ‘Spartacus,’ ‘Rome’ Deserves a Revival


HBO

The story of Rome culminates in a tragic end. After losing the Battle of Actium, a heartbroken Mark Antony retreats to Alexandria with Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. They indulge in pleasure, spending their days drinking and together, while Octavian relentlessly tries to force Antony’s surrender or turn Cleopatra against him. Eventually, Antony takes his own life, aided by Vorenus. Shortly after, Cleopatra also dies by snakebite, realizing she cannot persuade or charm Octavian. With Octavian’s victory, Rome transforms from a republic into an empire.

Similar to the need for a new telling of the story of Ashur, Rome’s history after Octavian came to power deserves to be revisited. There’s potential for exciting battle scenes, as Octavian – later known as Augustus – significantly expanded the empire, adding territories like Egypt, Pannonia, Dalmatia, Noricum, and Raetia. Importantly, he also strengthened the empire’s defenses by creating a network of allied regions.

As a critic of historical dramas, I’ve always been fascinated by Augustus, and his impact on Rome is undeniable. He wasn’t just an emperor, he was a builder – literally. He overhauled the Roman tax system, a model many followed for centuries, and understood the importance of infrastructure, creating an impressive network of roads. He also wasn’t afraid to establish order, forming the Praetorian Guard and, crucially, setting up the first real emergency services – a proper police force and firefighters. He left his mark on the city itself, rebuilding much of Rome during his long reign. Augustus lived to be 75, passing away in AD 14, though whispers persist that his wife, Livia, may have hastened his end. It’s a compelling, if slightly unsettling, footnote to a remarkable life.

As a huge fan, I’ve been thinking – all the stuff that happened could make for an amazing sequel series. I remember hearing whispers about a follow-up movie years ago, but it never materialized. Whoever ends up running HBO – whether it’s Netflix or Paramount – really should consider investing big money in continuing the story. Apparently, the original show was a joint project with the BBC, and after two years, it got too expensive. They told Bruno Heller, one of the creators and the main writer, to bring things to a close, which was a real shame!

Speaking to Reuters, he said:

I found out midway through writing the second season that the show wouldn’t be renewed. Knowing it would be the last season, I combined storylines originally planned for seasons three and four into season two, which is why things move so quickly through the historical events towards the end.

As Per Heller explained, I was really bummed when Rome got cancelled because it felt like the Anthony and Cleopatra story was just getting going – it could have been so epic given how famous those characters are! I’ve also heard whispers that they had plans to explore the life of Jesus in future seasons, which would have been incredible. It’s a shame we’ll probably never see that happen, but imagining it is still exciting!

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2025-12-08 18:34