Now, in the names of all the gods at once,

Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,

That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!

Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!

When went there by an age, since the great flood,

But it was famed with more than with one man?

When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome,

That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?

Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,

When there is in it but one only man.



Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene ii



The subject lends itself to bombast, and there's certainly a bit of that in the TNT production Caesar, the new retelling that ran for two hours last night and that concludes with two hours tonight. But there's also some compelling acting in the presentation of the familiar story, and Richard Harris -- in his last performance -- as Sulla is very fine. Christopher Walken takes the role of Cato, and Chris Noth -- looking at times startlingly like Victor Mature -- plays Pompey. Jeremy Sisto has the title role, and is said to be the only actor to play both Caesar and Jesus.



The story of Julius Caesar, the man and his accomplishments, remains a wonder. Ripples from his career eddy past us even now and, to take but one example, it's within living memory that his very name ceased being used as a title of kingly power and authority.