History Awesome / Rome

* Octavian in Season 2, after suffering being everyone's Butt Monkey since he was a child, tells his family and Marc Antony they will do things his way from now on or suffer. Marc Antony tries calling his bluff and invites him to say how he intends to make him do anything, and Octavian renders him speechless and impotent with rage with an epic verbal beatdown, describing how he will destroy Marc Antony's power base (the respect of the Roman citizens and the armies), leading Marc Antony to try and strangle Octavian and having the following sentence whispered into his ear to make him back down:
-->'''Octavian:''' Go on, strike me. See what happens.
** It's even more epic when you consider Marc Antony's psychology: his whole life has been about fighting and physical prowess. Always being the dominating force. He's been outfought physically, he's been beaten on the battlefield, but to be dominated by someone without a single blow being struck is more humiliating and infuriating for him than any lost war or personal defeat could ever be.
** It's also a great call-back to when Antony beat Octavian up earlier in the story - you clearly see Octavian's calm and absolute triumph, repaying his shame and humiliation tenfold and knowing that Antony can ''never'' hurt him again.

*** CMOH's contain violence about 50% of the times if coming from the Antiquity (if it's described anything like accurately).

** Guess they didn't listen though.
*** 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 drove the love of her life to death, knowing full well it was her love for power that caused all of it. Not to mention said love went to the arms of Cleopatra and was willing to die for her when he thought she and their children had committed suicide.
*** A proto-[[StepfordSmiler Stepford-Smiler]], anyone?

--> '''Clerk:''' "...a woman's role has always suited you best."

--> '''Antony:''' '''[[{{Angrish}} NWAAARGH!]]''' ''(grabs the scroll, unsheathes the parchment and beats the clerk to death with it)''

--> '''Antony:''' '''[[{{Angrish}} NWARGH!]]''' ''(grabs the scroll, unsheathes the parchment and beats the clerk to death with it)''

--> '''Antony:''' '''[[{Angrish} NWARGH!]]''' ''(grabs the scroll, unsheathes the parchment and beats the clerk to death with it)''

* Octavian's first address to the Senate upon becoming Consul. It swiftly drives home that he's clearly TakenALevelInBadass as he more or less forces the Senate into doing as he tells them, as well as the collective OhCrap from the Senate (Cicero in particular) as they realise the 19 year old boy they all assumed would be a malleable puppet as in fact ''infinitely'' more politically savvy and dangerous than they ever imagined.

--> '''Antony:''' '''[[Angrish NWARGH!]]''' ''(grabs the scroll, unsheathes the parchment and beats the clerk to death with it)''

-->'''Cassius''': [[SmugSnake You may wish as you will. We yet have all the Senate behind us and all the men of quality]]. ''[A furious Antony storms over to Cassius]''
-->'''Antony''': ''[fuming with rage]'' And ''I'' have an angry mob, that will ''roast'' and ''eat'' your 'men of quality' in the ashes of the Senate House!

-->'''Brutus''': ''(addressing his men for the last time)'' 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. ''(to the centurion)'' Give my best to my mother. Tell her...tell her something suitable.

-->'''Octavian''': As my first act, I propose a motion ''to declare Brutus and Cassius murderers and enemies of the state.
-->''[The gathered Senators begin muttering angrily at this. A deeply rattled Cicero, at this, rises and goes over to Octavian]''
-->'''Cicero''': My dear boy, this is ''not'' what we agreed!
-->'''Octavian''': It is not. Nevertheless, here we are.
-->'''Cicero''': Brutus and Cassius still have many friends. You will split the chamber, the unity of the Republic!
-->'''Octavian''': [[TranquilFury Step away from my chair]].
-->''[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''.
-->'''Octavian''': ''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?

* Cicero's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech TakeThat against Antony. The man has Antony pegged down perfectly, right down to the last comment to make him lose control. Incidentally, the various lines from his speech are taken directly from Cicero's Second Oration against Antony, commonly known as the second Philippic.
--> '''Clerk''' (holding up a scroll for all to see): These being the words of Marcus Tullius Cicero... "I address you directly, Antony. Please listen as if you... as if you..."
--> '''Antony''': Go on...
--> '''Clerk''' (shaken): "...please listen, as if you were sober and intelligent, and not a drink-sodden, sex-addled wreck." [Senators start fleeing the hall]
--> '''Clerk''': "You are certainly not without accomplishments: it is a rare man who can boast of becoming a bankrupt before even coming of age. You have brought upon us war, pestilence and destruction. You are Rome's Helen of Troy. But then... but then..."
--> '''Antony''' (fuming): Go on... GO ON!
--> '''Clerk''': "...a woman's role has always suited you best." Antony grabs the scroll and beats the clerk to death with it.

-->'''Lucius Vorenus:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I... AM A SON... OF]] ''[[ChewingTheScenery HADES]]''!!! '''[[BlasphemousBoast I ''FUCK'' CONCORD - IN HER ARSE!!!]]'''

-->'''Lucius Vorenus:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I... AM A SON... OF ''HADES''!!!]] '''[[ChewingTheScenery I ''FUCK'' CONCORD - IN HER ARSE!!!]]'''

-->'''Vorenus''': [[PunctuatedForEmphasis I... AM A SON... OF HADES!!!]] '''[[ChewingTheScenery I FUCK CONCORD IN HER ARSE!!!]]'''

-->'''Lucius Vorenus:''' ''(sobbing gasp of grief as he hauls back his gladius to swing)

-->'''Octavian''': Go on, strike me. See what happens.

-->'''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.

-->'''Vorenus''': You have my children.
-->'''Erastes''': Eh? The fuck you talkin' about?
-->'''Vorenus''': [[PunctuatedForEmphasis You... have... my children.]]
-->'''Erastes''': Someone's misled you, friend.
-->'''Vorenus''': Where are they?
-->'''Erastes''': I dunno.
-->'''Vorenus''': ''(crying)''[[ManlyTears Where are they?]]
-->'''Erastes''': Flavio?!?
-->'''Vorenus''': ''(instantly gives a scary smile, enhanced by all the blood on his face)'' [[SlasherSmile Flavio's not coming.]]

-->'''Erastes''': You're not a bad sort of man, Vorenus. You just have too much anger in you.
-->'''Pullo''': TELL HIM!!
-->'''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' Neck''': ''Squuuck.''
-->'''Erastes' Severed Head''': ''Thump.''

* Probably [[MoralDissonance grating]], but Lucius Vorenus also deserves one after taking over the Aventine ''collegia'' of Erastes Fulmen (as mentioned, a predecessor to the Italian mafia). Having gone from being an honorable centurion, to magistrate, and the first Plebeian senator, his "honorable background" makes the other "collegians" disdain his call to unite their forces. The proceedings were watched by priests of the goddess Concordia/Concord. Desirous to make an impression that he is now "bad to the bone" with enough "street cred," Vorenus calmly takes the image of Concord and smashes it on the wall, followed by this gem:

* Brutus is, at various times, spoiled fool, 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.]]
-->'''Brutus''': [[spoiler:''(addressing his men for the last time)'' 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. ''(to the centurion)'' Give my best to my mother. Tell her...tell her something suitable]].
* 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, then proceeds to go AxCrazy and lead the Aventine Collegium to victory in a CurbStompBattle against the other gangs]].

*** 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 drove the love of her life to death, knowing full well it was her love for power that caused all of it. Not to mention said love went to the arms of Cleopatra and was willing to die for her [[spoiler: when he thought she and their children had committed suicide]].

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

* Octavian's first address to the Senate upon becoming Consul. [[spoiler: It swiftly drives home that he's clearly TakenALevelInBadass as he more or less forces the Senate into doing as he tells them, as well as the collective OhCrap from the Senate (Cicero in particular) as they realise the 19 year old boy they all assumed would be a malleable puppet as in fact ''infinitely'' more politically savvy and dangerous than they ever imagined]].
-->'''Octavian''': As my first act, I propose a motion ''[[spoiler: to declare Brutus and Cassius murderers and enemies of the state]].
-->[[spoiler: ''[The gathered Senators begin muttering angrily at this. A deeply rattled Cicero, at this, rises and goes over to Octavian]'']]
-->'''[[spoiler: Cicero''': My dear boy, this is ''not'' what we agreed!]]
-->'''Octavian''': [[spoiler: It is not. Nevertheless, here we are]].
-->'''[[spoiler:Cicero''': Brutus and Cassius still have many friends. You will split the chamber, the unity of the Republic!]]

-->''[[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]]''.
-->'''Octavian''': ''[[spoiler: My father died on this floor. ''Right there''. Stabbed 27 times. ''Butchered'' by men he called his friends]]. [[spoiler:''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?]]

* 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 son. 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.