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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 03/28/2011 : 20:03:55
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I have been reading altogether too much about ancient Rome lately. Conspirata by Robert Harris, Ides of March by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, and The Scourge of God by William Dietrich, these are all among the most recent historical novels about Rome that I've read. I've read others in the last year or so, as well as books about daily life and the customs of ancient Rome. And I try never to miss an even half-way decent movie about Rome.
This kind of stuff tends to pile up in my mind until it all erupts in twisted form in a vivid dream. Last night I had such a dream.
The dream was about the Trivians, an ancient patrician family of Rome. The family had discovered the secret of television technology back when Rome was a cluster of wattle-and-daub villages ruled by Etruscan kings.
Yes, television. The Trivian family held the secret technology closely for many centuries. What was to become the TVQR network began as a low-powered, pirate television broadcasting operation during Etruscan rule. The Trivian family used its broadcasts to help rally the Romans to throw out the last Etruscan king of Rome, and then to help establish the Republic.
TVQR evolved into a profitable commercial network during Republican times, with a string of transmitters built up and down the Apennines. The network's political policy was an unbending support for the power of Rome, while attempting (with extremely variable success) not to ally the network to particular individuals or political factions.
As Rome grew, so did the potential profit for commercial advertisements on TVQR. And, since of course there were no radios or printing presses in ancient times, there was little competition for commercials. You either advertised over TVQR, or you hired layabouts to shout your message in the empire's forums.
Fish sauce, slaves (jingle: "Never a slouch, never a knave, when you buy an Optime slave!"), paid political announcements -- all these commercials brought in a great hoard of income, much of it reinvested in a huge matrix of broadcasting stations in Europe and beyond.
Over the centuries, programming was extremely varied. Cicero had a one-man, daily "Hour of Rhetoric," which received good critical ratings but very few viewers.
Julius Caesar scripted, produced and directed a monumental docudrama version of his Gallic Wars (divided into three, four-hour parts, of course). For this huge production, Caesar used whole Legions as well as entire Gallic and Germanic tribes to reenact the mighty battle scenes and shoot them on location. It is thought that Caesar's refusal to give choice acting parts to Caius Cassius Longinus and Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus stoked the hard feelings that led to the conspiracy that assassinated him in the Senate.
At Caesar's funeral, Marcus Antonius began the first of his televised "Pyre-side Chats," designed to unite the Roman people against the conspirators.
During Nero's reign, Petronius was the lead scriptwriter for the highly successful "Satyricon" prime-time soap opera. On the other hand, Caligula's short-running and narcissistic "I am a God, Look What I Can Do" was universally panned, except for its unintentional humor.
Perhaps the two most successful programs that TVQR offered were "Friday Night Blood on the Sand" weekly televised gladiatorial contests, and the immensely popular comedy, "The Capitoline Hill Barbarians."
The latter show featured a family of Celtic bumpkins from Further Gaul, Roman citizens who had literally stumbled into great wealth and had moved into a grand, marbled mansion within one of Rome's finest neighborhoods. Though hilariously ignorant of even the most basic facts of Roman life, the family of Gauls were not nearly as stupid as they looked. They would again and again come out ahead as various nefarious Romans attempted to exploit or rob them.
But finally TVQR disappeared along with the Roman Empire. The barbarian kings who invaded Rome in the 5th Century insisted that all broadcasting stations be demolished, as they felt television was a bad influence on barbarian youth.
The Dark Ages followed as homes throughout the former Roman Empire grew dark at night, no longer lit by the bluish glow of the Tube.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 03/28/2011 21:27:34
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Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2011 : 20:35:25 [Permalink]
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That would make an interesting story. I encourage you to write a few chapters just for fun. The premise is good satire.
There's been very few if any books, shows or movies that depict Rome with modern tech. There was an old Star Trek where they discover another Earth where Rome never fell. There's even a glimpse of a sports car ad for the "Jupiter 8" and in the episode, gladiatorial games are televised "in color".
Then there's the musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" - but it doesn't have modern technology, just modern attitudes, parody and songs.
Anyway - that's a clever and entertaining dream you have there and I hope you elaborate on it in a story.
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Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.
"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.) |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2011 : 20:42:04 [Permalink]
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| Thanks, Chip! I might do that (in fact, I was adding further details about Caesar and Mark Antony as you were posting). Anyone else is welcome to contribute details of TVQR's history, as well. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 03/28/2011 20:47:02 |
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TVQR
