Rome Season 1 Episode 4

When Vorenus is summoned to see Mark Anthony, we find a wet, naked, Anthony standing in a courtyard, being attended to by a slave.

Anthony is bathing in the Roman custom.

Rather than scrubbing in water like we tend to do now, Romans would have oil rubbed into their skin, exercise, then go to sit in the caldarium: a steam bath. Here, slaves would scrape them down with a strigil, which was a curved metal tool, removing the oil, sweat, and dead skin loosened by the steam. This is what the attending slave is doing to Anthony: scraping him down with a strigil. Presumably Anthony has left the caldarium to speak with Vorenus. Afterwards Romans would take a dip in the frigidarium - the cold bath - and then be oiled and massaged. It was because bathing was such a complex affair that Romans maintained public bath houses. Also, bathing was a social event, in which one could read, drink, and converse with friends.

Lucious Vorenus throws a feast to commemorate the beginning of his new business. Niobe makes a bust of Janus, to whom the Vorenus family offers prayers that their new venture will be successful.

When the feast goes terribly wrong, Vorenus says that while it will be expensive, they can get the priests of Janus to just annul the entire day.

They are referring to the Roman god Janus who was God of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings, and endings. Janus symbolized change and transitions.

It is thus quite logical that Vorenus would invoke the favor of Janus in changing from Centurion to Businessman.

Caesar asks the priest of Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the Patron God of Law, Social Order, and Rome itself) to "take the auspices".

This was a common practice of asking the Gods for signs as to whether it was advisable to follow a given action. In essence, Caesar is asking for the public "divine approval" of Rome itself that he enter the city with his Legion and seize power.

Caesar asks for "Augury", which was a practice of divination by observing nature. Sometimes lightening, and eclipses were interpreted, but most often the flight of birds would be examined. The priests would observe the numbers, colors, and kinds of birds who were flying, as well as their songs, and interpret the will, or mood, of the Gods from this.

Where this particular system of divination originated is not certain, but it is thought that the Romans adopted the practice from their Etruscan neighbors.

As can be seen in this episode, Caesar is not above trying to make sure the Gods give the correct signs.

Later in the same episode, we see another form of Etruscan/Roman divination, as Niobe consults a Haruspex. These were augurs who attempted to determine the future by inspecting the entrails - especially the livers - of sacrificed animals.