History Awesome / Rome

* Brutus is, at various times, spoiled, a drunkard, and cowardly, yet gets a crowning moment of awesome [[spoiler:just before his death at the battle of Philippi, which is clearly lost: [[ItHasBeenAnHonor he thanks his men for their service]], urges them to save themselves and asks one centurion to pass a farewell message to his mother, kisses the signet ring made from the crown of the Tarquin King his ancestor drove from Rome, and walks off alone and ''unarmoured'' to fight an entire regiment of Octavian and Antony's soldiers, knowing full well he'll die in the attempt. The advancing enemy legionnaires are even hesitant to move on him because of his brazenness.]]

*** Which also serves as a {{Crowning Moment of Heartwarming}}, if a very violent one...

*** Oh no, they did. Atia spends the rest of the series being hounded to the point where she is a perfect painted mother to the perfect painted son who murdered the love of her life, knowing full well it was her love for power that caused all of it.

-->'''Brutus''': ''[[spoiler:(addressing his men for the last time)]]'' [[spoiler; It has been an honour and a pleasure leading you, and I am sorry we could not do better. But you must look to yourselves now. Save your skins]]. ''[[spoiler: (to the centurion)]]'' [[spoiler: Give my best to my mother. Tell her...tell her something suitable]].

-->[[spoiler: ''[Cicero's expression is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone one of unmitigated horror]] as he reluctantly returns to his seat. Octavian stands up and points to the Senate floor]].

* Brutus is, at various times, spoiled, a drunkard, and cowardly, yet gets a crowning moment of awesome [[spoiler:just before his death at the battle of Philippi, which is clearly lost: he thanks his men for their service, urges them to save themselves and asks one centurion to pass a farewell message to his mother, kisses the signet ring made from the crown of the Tarquin King his ancestor drove from Rome, and walks off alone and ''unarmoured'' to fight an entire regiment of Octavian and Antony's soldiers, knowing full well he'll die in the attempt. The advancing enemy legionnaires are even hesitant to move on him because of his brazenness.]]

[[spoiler: ''[The gathered Senators begin muttering angrily at this. A deeply rattled Cicero, at this, rises and goes over to Octavian]'']]

[[spoiler: ''[Cicero's expression is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone one of unmitigated horror]] as he reluctantly returns to his seat. Octavian stands up and points to the Senate floor]].

* And don't forget Servillia. After the death of her son, she parks herself outside Atia's house and calls out "Atia of the Julii, I call for justice" over and over and freaking over again while her servant pours ashes over her. After what seems to be at least twelve solid hours of this, Atia finally has had enough and goes outside, and Servillia has the following to say: "Gods below: I am Servilia of the most ancient and sacred Junii of whose bones the seven hills of Rome are built. I summon you to listen. Curse this woman! Send her bitterness and despair for all of her life. Let her taste nothing but ashes and iron. Gods of the underworld, all that I have left I give to you in sacrifice if you will make it so." Then she stabs herself in the heart, followed by her servant doing the same. Antony's reaction: "Now ''that'' is an exit."

** Gaia gets her finest moment in the previous scene, where she saves Pullo's life and dispatches Memmio in the process, even if it didn't - by any means - make things alright with him.

* Cleopatra decides to FaceDeathWithDignity, dresses herself as a queen, and commits suicide via a snake's bite [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled rather than endure the humiliation that Octavian plans to inflicts on her]], which will likely culminate in watching him murder her children. When Octavian and his troops burst into the room after she's been bitten by the snake, despite the pain and the fact that she's mere seconds from death, Cleopatra manages to stand up, face down Octavian, and spit out a DyingDeclarationOfHate that gives ''Octavian'' pause, then still has to wherewithal to sit back on her throne and [[TogetherInDeath clasp the hand of Antony's body as she dies]]. While perhaps slightly understated, a DyingMomentOfAwesome doesn't get much better than that.

-->'''Lucius Vorenus''': [chops Erastes Fulmen's head off]

-->'''Octavian''': ''[[spoiler: My father died on this floor. ''Right there''. Stabbed 27 times. ''Butchered'' by men he called his friends. ''Who'' will tell me that is not murder? ''[Roman soldiers begin filing into the Senate chamber; the gathered Senators begin raving in outrage] Who'' will tell my Legions, who love Caesar as I do, that that is not murder?! ''[The soldiers draw their swords and the chamber falls deathly silent] Who'' will speak against the motion?]]

-->'''Octavian''': As my first act, I propose a motion ''[spoiler: to declare Brutus and Cassius murderers and enemies of the state]].

-->'''Octavian''': ''[spoiler: My father died on this floor. ''Right there''. Stabbed 27 times. ''Butchered'' by men he called his friends. ''Who'' will tell me that is not murder? ''[Roman soldiers begin filing into the Senate chamber; the gathered Senators begin raving in outrage] Who'' will tell my Legions, who love Caesar as I do, that that is not murder?! ''[The soldiers draw their swords and the chamber falls deathly silent] Who'' will speak against the motion?]]

* Brutus is, at various times, spoiled, a drunkard, and cowardly, yet gets a crowning moment of awesome [[spoiler:just before his death at the battle of Philippi, which is clearly lost: he thanks his men for their service, kisses the signet ring made from the crown of the Tarquin King his ancestor drove from Rome, and walks off alone and ''unarmoured'' to fight an entire regiment of Octavian and Antony's soldiers, knowing full well he'll die in the attempt. The advancing enemy legionnaires are even hesitant to move on him because of his brazenness.]]
* Titus Pullo gets far more than his fair share of awesome. However, probably the most spectacular moment came when a rival mob boss tries to defuse an armed confrontation by suggesting they talk things over like reasonable men. Pullo [[spoiler:bites out his tongue]].

-->'''Lucius Vorenus''': [chops Erastes Fulmens head off]
* When Pullo found out that Gaia [[MurderTheHypotenuse poisoned his pregnant wife that ended up killing her and his unborn child.]] She was lay dying as she told the truth about it. She was dying and seemed sorry for what she did. Did Pullo decide to [[KarmaHoudini let go of it]] and [[EasilyForgiven forgive her?]] Nope, he strangled her to death. And to top it all of, he threw her body to the river just like that, no tears no prayers no nothing. After all [[BitchInSheepsClothing she had done]], having her killed and then her body disrespectfully thrown away is just satisfying.

--> '''Clerk''': "...a woman's role has always suited you best." [[Antony grabs the scroll and beats the clerk to death with it]]

!Season I

!Season II

!Unsorted

* Brutus is, at various times, spoiled, a drunkard, and cowardly, yet gets a crowning moment of awesome [[spoiler:just before his death at the battle of Philippi, which is clearly lost: he thanks his men for their service, kisses the signet ring made from the crown of the Tarquin King his ancestor drove from Rome, and walks off alone and ''unarmoured'' to fight an entire regiment of Octavian and Antony's soldiers, knowing full well he'll die in the attempt.]]

* Cicero's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech TakeThat against Antony. The man has Antony pegged down perfectly, right down to the last comment to make him lose control.

* Cleopatra decides to FaceDeathWithDignity, dresses herself as a queen, and commits suicide via a snake's bite [[BetterToDieThanToBeKilled rather than endure the humiliation that Octavian plans to inflicts on her]], which will likely culminate in watching him murder her children. When Octavian and his troops burst into the room after she's been bitten by the snake, despite the pain and the fact that she's mere seconds from death, Cleopatra manages to stand up, face down Octavian, and spit out a DyingDeclarationOfHate that gives ''Octavian'' pause, then still has to wherewithal to sit back on her throne and [[TogetherInDeath clasp the hand of Antony's body as she dies]]. While perhaps slightly understated, a DyingMomentOfAwesome doesn't get much better than that.

** Watch the guys in the background when Antony approaches Quintus. They practically crap their pants in fear when Antony opens his throat.

-->[fighting in the other room]
-->'''Erastes''': Flavio, tell those damn scurras to shut that up. They wanna fight, take it outside. [fight sounds continue]
-->'''Erastes''': Flavio! Fucking useless. [fight sounds gradually stop and Erastes lies back down]
-->'''Vorenus''': [comes into view covered in blood] You have my children.
-->[Erastes sits the hell up, slightly panicked now]

-->'''Vorenus''': [[ManlyTears Where are they?]]

-->'''Vorenus''': [[SlasherSmile Flavio's not coming.]]

-->'''Vorenus''': [in tears] Where are they?

-->'''Vorenus''': [Slasher Smile] Flavio's not coming.

-->'''Erastes''':I took your children in payment for your many slights to me. I fucked them. Then I killed them. And then I threw them in the river.

-->'''Erastes''': Flavio, tell those damn scurras to shut that up. They wanna fight, take it outside.
-->[fight sounds continue]
-->'''Erastes''': Flavio! Fucking useless.
-->[fight sounds gradually stop and Erastes lies back down]

shortly followed by Pullo, also covered in blood]

-->'''Vorenus''': Flavio's not coming.

-->'''Erastes''': You're not a bad man, Vorenus. You just have too much anger in you. I took your children in payment for your many slights to me. I fucked them. Then I killed them. And then I threw them in the river.
-->'''Lucius Vorenus''': [[AndIMustScreamAaaargh!]][chops Erastes Fulmens head off]