Servilia of the Junii is a character from the
HBOHBO is a premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner, offers two 24/7 pay television services to over 38 million U.S...
/
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
/
RAIRai , known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by parliament. RAI is the biggest television company in Italy...
original television series,
RomeRome is an American-British-Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius, and William J. MacDonald. The show's first season originally aired on HBO in the United States between August 28 and November 20, 2005, subsequently being broadcast on the United Kingdom's...
, played by
Lindsay DuncanLindsay Vere Duncan, CBE is a Scottish actress. She is a noted stage and television actress, winning the Tony Award for Private Lives.-Personal life:...
. The mother of
Marcus Junius BrutusMarcus Junius Brutus is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Tobias Menzies. He is depicted as a young man torn between what he believes is right, and his loyalty and love of a man who has been like a father to him...
, lover of the married
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Irish actor Ciarán Hinds...
and enemy of
Atia of the Julii__FORCETOC__Atia of the Julii is a fictional character from the HBO/BBC/RAI original television series Rome, played by Polly Walker. The niece of Julius Caesar and mother of Octavian/Augustus and Octavia, she is depicted as a cheerfully amoral and opportunistic manipulator...
, Servilia is depicted as a sophisticated and regal Roman matron who follows her heart to her detriment. Betrayed by love, and hungering for revenge, she slowly becomes as cruel as those she would destroy. Servilia is loosely based on the historical personage of
Servilia CaepionisServilia Caepionis was the mistress of Julius Caesar, mother of one of Caesar's assassins, Brutus, mother-in-law of another Caesar assassin Cassius, and half-sister of Cato the Younger.-Life:...
, mother of
Marcus Junius BrutusMarcus Junius Brutus , often referred to simply as Brutus, was a politician of the late Roman Republic...
, and famous lover of
Julius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar , , was a Roman military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
.
Personality
The HBO website provides the following character description:
The mother of Brutus, and the erstwhile lover of Caesar. Servilia of the Junii is a staunchly Republican aristocrat. Sophisticated, elegant, and subtle, she considers herself several rungs above Atia in the social hierarchy, a fact that chafes Atia.
An elegant, refined and proper patrician lady, Servilia initially follows her heart and her love for Caesar, rather than the political ideals held by her son Brutus. It is a choice that costs her dearly when Caesar — for political reasons set in motion by social rival Atia — rejects her.
Servilia's anger, pain and desire for vengeance unleash a dark side which proves her to be as cunning and malevolent a manipulator as Atia herself. Blindly loyal to the
Roman RepublicThe Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, c...
and now relieved of all sentiment for Caesar, Servilia doesn't hesitate in offering up her son to be used as a political tool against those who would threaten the Republic. She soon becomes the driving force behind the plot (with
CassiusGaius Cassius Longinus is a historical figure who features as a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Guy Henry. Cassius is depicted as a stubborn young man who is one of the first people who wants Caesar dead. He is one of the figures who devised the plot for...
and Brutus) to assassinate the dictator Caesar.
Season One
Servilia is devoted to Caesar as he rises to power, despite Brutus' protestations that Caesar threatens the Republic. But Atia takes her rivalry with Servilia to a new level in
The Ram has Touched the Wall when she pays to have graphic sexual depictions of Servilia and Caesar drawn on every street corner, humiliating Caesar's wife Calpurnia. Caesar ends the affair coldly; Servilia curses both him and Atia, and begins to scheme against them for vengeance.
Servilia makes use of the friction between Atia and her daughter
OctaviaOctavia of the Julii is a fictional character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Irish actress Kerry Condon. The character is based on the Roman matron Octavia Thurina Minor, sister of Roman Emperor Augustus.-Season One:...
to gain Octavia's confidence, eventually beginning a sexual relationship with Octavia in the episode
Pharsalus. Desperate to find out the nature of Caesar's mysterious "affliction" in
Utica, Servilia suggests that Octavia seduce her own brother
OctavianGaius Octavian is a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Max Pirkis as a child in season one and the beginning of season two, and in the second season he is played by Simon Woods. He is portrayed as a shrewd, if somewhat cold, young man, with an understanding of the...
, Caesar's confidant, to get the truth out of him. A hesitant Octavia goes through with the plan when Servilia reveals that Atia was responsible for the murder of Octavia's estranged husband.
After discovering her children's incestuous encounter and Servilia's involvement, Atia takes revenge on Servilia by having her publicly humiliated: Servilia is pulled from her litter, stripped and beaten in the forum, and her hair cut.
When Caesar is finally assassinated by the Senate, Servilia invites Atia to her villa to tell her the news in person. Worried what Servilia may be planning, Atia insists her son accompany her. Atia is devastated by the news, and somewhat shaken by Servilia's vow to make Atia suffer, "Slowly and deeply, as you made me suffer." Octavian remains composed and calm, eyeing Servilia coldly.
Season Two
Mark Antony manages to broker a peace between Caesar's supporters and the conspirators, ensuring the safety of himself and Atia's family. When an attempt by Servilia to poison Atia fails, Atia has her rival kidnapped and tortured horribly. Atia's freedman
TimonTimon, is a character in the HBO/BBC2 original television series Rome, played by Lee Boardman. He is a Jew, depicted as a "hired sword" — from bodyguard to assassin — for Atia of the Julii, from whom he is quite willing to take her body in lieu of coin.-Personality:Timon initially...
, disgusted by Atia's cruelty, takes pity on Servilia and sets her free.
In
Death Mask"Death Mask" is the seventh episode of the second season of the television series Rome. It aired on March 4, 2007.-Plot summary:Servilia mourns the death of Brutus, killed at Phillipi. She kneels in front of Atia's door chanting repeatedly for justice. Although Atia ignores her initially, the...
, both Brutus and Cassius have been killed in the
Battle of PhilippiThe Battle of Philippi was the final battle in the Wars of the Second Triumvirate between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian against the forces of Julius Caesar's assassins Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus in 42 BC, at Philippi in Macedonia...
. Broken and alone, a disheveled Servilia kneels in front of Atia's house and chants "Atia of the Julii, I call for justice" over and over. After two days of this, Atia finally emerges, and Servilia curses her rival before publicly killing herself. Servilia's servant Eleni follows suit. Despite their animosity, Atia is clearly unnerved by Servilia's death.
Servilia's curses
After she is rejected by Caesar and publicly humiliated by Atia, Servilia begins a path of revenge. Her first act is to evoke curses onto both Caesar and Atia by a call upon her family gods, the
di indigetesIn Georg Wissowa's terminology the di indigetes were a group of Roman gods, goddesses and spirits not adopted from other mythologies, as opposed to the di novensides ....
.
Servilia's curse upon Caesar:
"Gods of the Junii, with this offering I ask you to summon TycheIn ancient Greek city cults, Tyche was the presiding tutelary deity that governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, its destiny. S...
, MegaeraMegaera is one of the Erinyes in Greek mythology. She is the cause of jealousy and envy, and punishes people who commit crimes, especially marital infidelity. Like her sisters Alecto and Tisiphone, she was born of the blood of Uranus when Cronus castrated him...
, and NemesisIn Greek mythology, Nemesis , also called Rhamnousia/Rhamnusia at her sanctuary at Rhamnous north of Marathon, was the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris, vengeful fate personified as a remorseless goddess. The name Nemesis is related to the Greek word νέμειν, meaning...
so that they may witness this curse. By the spirits of my ancestors I curse Gaius Julius Caesar. Let his penis wither. Let his bones crack. Let him see his legions drown in their own blood. Gods of the Inferno, I offer to you his limbs, his mouth, his breath, his speech, his hands, his liver, his heart, his stomach. Gods of the Inferno, let me see him suffer deeply, and I will rejoice and sacrifice to you."
Servilia's curse upon Atia:
"By the spirits of my ancestors I curse Atia of the Julii. Let dogs rape her. Let her children die and her houses burn. Let her live a long life of bitter misery and shame. Gods of the Inferno, I offer you her limbs, her head, her mouth, her breath, her speech, her heart, her liver, her stomach. Gods of the Inferno, let me see her suffer deeply, and I will rejoice and sacrifice to you."
Both of these curses are evoked as she carves them into scrolls of lead. The scrolls are then rolled up and given to her duenna (
slaveSlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
), who then takes the scrolls to hide them within the cracks of the homes of Servilia's intended victims.
Her final curse comes just before her suicide in front of Atia's front door:
"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 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."
Comparison with Servilia Caepionis
Servilia was the half-sister of
CatoMarcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
, Caesar's most dedicated political opponent in real life and in the series; this relationship to Cato is never noted in
Rome. In
63 BCYear 63 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar.-Rome:*Pompey conquers Phonecia, Coele-Syria, and Judea for Rome.*Establishment of the Decapolis and Year 1 of the Pompeian era.*Roman annexation of Judea as a client kingdom...
, during the crisis caused by
CatilineLucius Sergius Catilina , known in English as Catiline, was a Roman politician of the 1st century BC who is best known for the Catiline conspiracy, an attempt to overthrow the Roman Republic, and in particular the power of the aristocratic Senate.One of the most enigmatic figures of Roman history,...
's conspiracy to overthrow the state, Caesar was passed a note in the Senate. Cato, believing Caesar was sympathetic to Catiline, accused him of corresponding with the conspirators and seized the letter, only to discover, to his great embarrassment, that it was a love letter from Servilia.
Servilia had two husbands, Marcus Junius Brutus, the famous Brutus's father, and Decimus Junius Silanus, to whom she bore three daughters, all called Junia (and none mentioned in the series). Her affair with Caesar continued into the Civil War, and he gave her discounts when auctioning off the estates of defeated enemies. There is no reference in the historical sources to their affair ending, although she was rumoured to have given him her youngest daughter,
Junia TertiaJunia Tertia, or Tertulla, was the third daughter of Servilia Caepionis and her second husband Decimus Junius Silanus, half-sister of Marcus Junius Brutus, and wife of Gaius Cassius Longinus....
, when his interest in her began to wane. Junia Tertia was the wife of Caesar's assassin
CassiusGaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Brutus.-Early life:...
, and was also rumoured to be Caesar's natural daughter.
PlutarchPlutarch, born Plutarchos then, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. AD 46 – 120, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
reports the suspicion that Caesar was also Brutus's biological father, although as he was only fifteen when Brutus was born this is unlikely.
There is no historical evidence to suggest that Servilia and Atia Balba Caesonia (basis for the character Atia of the Julii) were such vicious rivals, or that Servilia and
Octavia MinorOctavia Minor , also known as Octavia the Younger or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus , half sister of Octavia Major, and fourth wife of Mark Antony....
had a sexual relationship, as is dramatized in the series. There is also no direct evidence that Servilia persuaded her son to assassinate Caesar; a majority of modern historians agree that it was most likely Brutus' wife
Porcia CatonisPortia Catonis, also known simply as Porcia was a Roman woman who lived in the 1st century BC. She was the daughter of Marcus Porcius Cato Uticencis and his first wife Atilia...
who may have persuaded him to participate in the assassination. Although the rift between Brutus and Servilia a year prior to the assassination are true they were over his marriage to Porcia rather than her disapproval of his accepting favors from Caesar. However, the conspirators did meet at Servilia's house after the assassination, and she was involved in their discussions on how to proceed. Servilia appears to have had some influence in the Senate:
Mark AntonyMarcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and General. He was an important supporter and the loyal friend of Gaius Julius Caesar as a military commander and administrator, being Caesar's second cousin, once removed, by his mother Julia Antonia...
was trying to sideline Cassius by offering him a position as grain commissioner in Sicily, but Servilia promised to get this removed from the Senate's decree. She also objected strongly when
CiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.Cicero is generally perceived to be one of the most versatile minds of ancient Rome...
criticised Brutus and Cassius' strategy.
The episode
Death Mask depicts Servilia committing suicide; Servilia in fact outlived most of the main characters left alive in the series, and died of natural causes at the country estate of
Titus Pomponius AtticusTitus Pomponius Atticus, born Titus Pomponius , came from an old but not strictly noble Roman family of the equestrian class and the Gens Pomponia. He was a celebrated editor, banker, and patron of letters with residences in both Rome and Athens...
, a close friend of
CiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. Cicero is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.Cicero is generally perceived to be one of the most versatile minds of ancient Rome...
.