History Recap / TheSimpsonsS32E2ICarumbus

* AllThereInTheManual: The name of Lisa's Roman counterpart is never spoken, but merchandise based on the episode list it as "Lisandra".

* DumbassHasAPoint: Majora wants Obeseus to become emperor. Obeseus asks if she will ever be satisfied and their current standing on the social ladder is one rung from the top.

* IAmSpartacus: When Majora gets pregnant by Obeseus, her father demands to know which of the slaves did it. One by one, the other slaves declare "I had sexicus" to spare Obeseus. Obeseus [[ComicallyMissingThePoint accuses them all of having sex with the woman he loved]] inadvertently outing himself.
* JerkassGods: After killing Emperor Burns, Majora elects Bartigula as the successor. He first declares war on Neptune which only results in soldiers drowning by tidal wave. After his rule ruined Rome and put it in a financial crisis, he declares he is no longer their king. He is now their God. Also, in a mid-credits scene, the gods themselves are viewing the mortals like television viewers saying mortals have gone down hill and will likely be cancelled soon.
* MeaningfulName: Homer's ancient Rome counterpart is named Obeseus. He's at first very fit having a Hercules like build with his years of plowing, but a life of luxury for impregnating Majora (Marge's counterpart) gave him modern Homer's build. Turning into a senator made him twice as fat. Hence the name Obeseus, which is Latin for obese.

** One of Majora's outfits is an exact copy of a dress worn by Livia in the BBC miniseries I, Claudius, from which the episode takes its name.

** Burns calls himself the Emperor's "politically adopted son." Adoption was super common in first-century Rome, as many couples struggled with fecundity and this allowed for powerful Romans to both ensure the longevity of their family names as well as consolidate power by choosing their heirs.

* TakeThat: Barticula blames his people's misfortunes on foreigners and has a wall built to keep them out. [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump Where have we seen that as of late?]]

* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: Majora poisons Emperor Burns' wine. Burns had the good sense to have a taster (Smithers) drink it first; he ends up dying anyway when Smithers ends up knocking over a column on him while in his death throes.
* ToiletHumor: Obeseus made his fortune running a laundry, which in ancient Rome meant he used urine as bleach. Majora gives him the idea to set up vases next to bars so the patrons could use them and collect their "deposits".
** An example of TruthInTelevision - to restablize the Roman economy after the disastrous Year of of the Four Emperors, Emperor Vespasian really did set up such containers and then charged a collection tax on them.

* TheUnfavourite: When Majora sees her husband and son dead, she declares her ambition has killed her entire family and drinks poison. When Lisandra asks her dying mother what about herself, Majora tells Lisandra that "they never really clicked."

** After obtaining his freedom in the arena, Obeseus enjoys a meteoric social rise. Such social mobility was incredibly common in Rome, and it wasn't unheard of for former slaves to becomer richer and more powerful than their former masters.

* TokenGoodTeammate[=/=]WhiteSheep: Lisa's ancient Rome counterpart is the only family member who was never driven by power or greed and warns Obeseus of her brother Bartigula's corruption.
* TheUnfavourite: When Majora sees her husband and son dead, she declares her ambition has killed her entire family and drinks poison. When Lisa asks her dying mother what about herself, Majora tells Lisa that "they never really clicked."

* TheUnfavourite: When Majora sees her husband and son dead, she declares her ambition has killed her entire family and drinks poison. When Lisa asks her dying mother what about herself, Majora tells Lisa that she never really cared for her.

* AlternateAesopInterpretation: InUniverse, the family can't decide what the lesson of the story is. They can't tell if the lesson is that "Ambition is good and you should appreciate your accomplishments" or "Appreciate what you have because ambition is evil and you'll never be satisfied". It seems to be a mix of both: "Ambition is good as long as you know when to stop".

** An example of [[TruthInTelevision]]- to restablize the Roman economy after the disastrous Year of of the Four Emperors, Emperor Vespasian really did set up such containers and then charged a collection tax on them.

* BrokenAesop: InUniverse, the family can't decide what the lesson of the story is. They can't tell if the lesson is that "Ambition is good and you should appreciate your accomplishments" or "Appreciate what you have because ambition is evil and you'll never be satisfied". It seems to be a mix of both: "Ambition is good as long as you know when to stop".

** When Obeseus and his family move to a bigger home, a Latin version of the theme to ''Series/TheJeffersons'' plays.

* JerkassGods: After killing Emperor Burns, Majora elects Bartigula as the successor. He first declares war on Neptune which only results in soldiers drowning by tidal wave. After his rule ruined Rome and put it in a financial crisis, he declares he is no longer their king. He is now their God.

* BrokenAesop: InUniverse, the family can't decide what the lesson of the story is. They can't tell if the lesson is that "Ambition is good and you should appreciate your accomplishments" or "Appreciate what you have because ambition is evil and you'll never be satisfied". It seems to be mix of both, "Ambition is good as long as you know when to stop".

When Marge finds out Homer chose not to attend a seminar at work that could've gotten him promoted, she calls out his lack of ambition. A historian tells the Simpsons the tale of Obesus.

* AbusiveParents: Abe's ancient Rome counterpart was a poor farmer who used his son Obesus as an ox to plow his farm. He later gets the money to buy a real ox...by selling Obesus for slavery.

* BrokenAesop: InUniverse, the family can't decide what the lesson of the story is. They can't tell if the lesson is that "Ambition is good and you should appreciate your accomplishments" or "Appreciate what you have because ambition is evil and you'll never be satisified". It seems to be mix of both, "Ambition is good as long as you know when to stop".
* TheCaligula: Bart's aptly named predecesor Bartigula after he becomes emperor.
* DumbassHasAPoint: Majora wants Obesus to become emperor. Obesus asks if she will ever be satisfied and their current standing on the social ladder is one rung from the top.
* IAmSpartacus: When Majora gets pregnant by Obesus, her father demands to know which of the slaves did it. One by one, the other slaves declare "I had sexicus" to spare Obesus. Obesus [[ComicallyMissingThePoint accuses them all of having sex with the woman he loved]] inadvertingly outing himself.

* MeaningfulName: Homer's ancient Rome counterpart is named Obesus. He's at first very fit having a Hercules like build with his years of plowing, but a life of luxury for impregnating Majora (Marge's counterpart) gave him modern Homer's build. Turning into a senator made him twice as fat. Hence the name Obesus, which is Latin for obese.
* MutualKill: Bartigula stabs Obesus in the neck, who then uses the last of his strength to strangle Bartugula to death.

* OffingTheOffspring: Obesus tries to persuade the citizens to overthrow his son Bartigula, only for Bartigula to declare him fed to the lions. While waiting in the slave cage, Bartigula's sister unlocks cell while Obesus spots some gladiator armor. He challenges Bartigula to a duel and successfully kills him but dies shortly afterwards. Bart lampshades how messed up it was that dad killed him.

** When Obesus and his family move to a bigger home, a Latin version of the theme to ''Series/TheJeffersons'' plays.

** The ending, where Obesus and Bartigula fight in the arena, spoofs the ending of ''Film/{{Gladiator}}''.

* TokenGoodTeammate[=/=]WhiteSheep: Lisa's ancient Rome counterpart is the only family member who was never driven by power or greed and warns Obesus of her brother Bartigula's corruption.
* TheUnfavourite: When Majora sees her husband and son dead she declares her ambition has killed her entire family and drinks poison. When Lisa asks her dying mother what about herself, Majora tells Lisa that she never really cared for her.

* TokenGoodTeammate[=/=]WhiteSheep: Lisa's ancient Rome counterpart is the only family member who was never driven by power or greed and warns Obesus of her brother Bartigula's corruption.

* OffingTheOffspring: Obesus tries to persuade the citizens to overthrow his son Bartigula, only for Bartigula to declare him fed to the lions. While waiting in the slave cage, Bartigula's sister unlocks cell while Obesus spots some gladiator armor. He challenges Bartigula to a duel and successfully kills him but dies shortly afterward. Bart lampshades how messed up it was that dad killed him.

* SadlyMythtaken: Apollo is said to be the son of Juno, but he's traditionally the son of Jupiter and Latona, and Juno was his WickedStepmother who famously even tried to prevent his birth and his mother's rival.[[note]]Some Roman accounts also have Juno curse Apollo and his mother and sister to wander the Earth after his birth.[[/note]] Added to that, while Apollo ''was'' worshipped by the Romans, and was one of the few Greek gods to retain his name within the Roman pantheon, he was often conflated with Sol, the personification of the sun.[[note]] Apollo was also sometimes conflated with Helios by the Romans, but he wasn't even a son of Jupiter, let alone related to Juno.[[/note]]

* SadlyMythtaken: Apollo is said to be the son of Juno, but he's famously the son of Jupiter and Latona, and Juno was his WickedStepmother who even tried to prevent his birth. Added to that, while Apollo ''was'' worshipped by the Romans, he was often conflated with Sol, the personification of the sun.

* SadlyMthtaken: Apollo is said to be the son of Juno, but he's famously the son of Jupiter and Latona, and Juno was his WickedStepmother who even tried to prevent his birth. Added to that, while Apollo ''was'' worshipped by the Romans, he was often conflated with Sol, the personification of the sun.

* JerkassGod: After killing Emperor Burns, Majora elects Bartigula as the successor. He first declares war on Neptune which only results in soldiers drowning by tidal wave. After his rule ruined Rome and put it in a financial crisis, he declares he is no longer their king. He is now their God.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After seeing how her desire for higher social standing and their benefits resulted in her son and husband dying, [DrivenToSuicide she drinks poison to kill herself]].