Ancient Rome
| Ancient Rome ローマ帝国 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Character Information | |
| Name | Ancient Rome (Roma Antiqua) |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown (manga), Amber (anime) |
| Height | 170 cm (5' 6.92")[1] |
| Debut Appearances | |
| Volume | Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 1 |
| Strip | Chibitalia |
| Game | Gakuen Hetalia Portable |
| Drama CD | Axis Powers Hetalia: The CD |
| Anime | Episode 01, Episode 18 (speaking) |
| Voice Actors | |
| Japanese | Hozumi Gōda Hanmei Okina (Flower of Iris) |
| English | Christopher R. Sabat |
Ancient Rome (ローマ帝国, Rōma Teikoku), also known as Grandpa Rome, Roma Antiqua, and Roman Empire, is a supporting character in the series Hetalia: Axis Powers. He is the grandfather to both North Italy and South Italy.
Contents
Attributes
Appearance
In his first appearance in the Chibitalia strips in the webcomic (later reprinted in volume 1 of the published manga), he is shown as an elderly man with a mustache, dressed in a white beret and robe.
In the prologue to the first volume and the first anime episode, a younger incarnation of him is shown, dressed in armor and a cape. He is deeply tanned, and both his hair and eyes are a dark brown. Like his grandsons, he has a wild curl in his hair, but two of them (one on the upper right side of his head, and one on the lower left side). In the earliest color illustration known to exist, he was depicted with green eyes.
He appears once in the story Together with Grandpa Rome to Germany as the younger incarnation, and is shown to have existed that way back in the BC days of Rome (with his older appearance presumably being how he looked in AD).
Himaruya stated that he's attempting to draw him looking like a retired playboy, but it's hard.[2]
Personality and Interests
He was once the great ruler of the Mediterranean Sea and the strongest nation, though none of his grandchildren inherited his success. He is said to be lively and strong despite his old age and to have fallen in love with both Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt at first sight, and that he overflows with excitement at the sight of a strong man. He's a bit scatterbrained, but he's still reliable.[2] He doesn't seem to know (or is deliberately evasive) about why he fell from power in the first place, though he said that he was foolish and didn't know his wealth and power wouldn't last forever. He could only really remember up until that his glory was beginning to fade, before he claimed not to know anything that happened afterward.
He enjoys women, alcohol, art, music, fights and food. He makes a hobby out of touching works of art.[2] Back in his time, he partook in a lot of varied sexual acts and his day consisted of drinking, fighting, eating, having sex with women, and then he went home. In the anime adaption of the With Grandpa Rome strips he said that he'd never slept with a man before and wishes he could've done so while he was still alive. Upon learning that Germany was not sexually interested and didn't do the sort of things he had, he called him a saint, and also asked if he was a fan of his because he knew his history so well.
Relationships
Germania
Main Article: Germania
An enemy of Rome, who was once his guard at some point in time, but soon became his enemy as their hatred ran deep to their bones. Germania was apparently the one to deliver the killing blow to Rome, and died himself sometime after, though that period of time still remains hazy. Germania is known to dislike him greatly.[2]
North Italy
Main Article: Italy
The heir apparent to Rome's fortune, the young Italy spent an indeterminate amount of time living and traveling with his grandfather until Rome eventually grew weak and vulnerable due to his empire crumbling.
Due to what happened to his grandfather, Italy refused to become a new Roman Empire. Though he didn't inherit Rome's success, Italy did get his natural talents for art and trade.
Italy appears to have been the favorite of the Italy brothers, inheriting Rome's skills as well as his fortune, unlike Romano who only inherited the fortune; Romano also remarked that he looked nothing like Rome.[3] Nonetheless it should be noted that Rome has shown that he cares about Romano as well.
South Italy
Main Article: South Italy
The older of Rome's two known grandchildren, South Italy was overlooked and felt inferior, due to his brother inheriting their grandfather's talents (as well as apparently taking after Rome more in physical appearance) while he only received the same inheritance he did.[3] However, in a sketch it's revealed that Rome also visits South Italy from the afterlife, and that the latter cries of joy from this.
Appearances
Anime
Rome first appears in Episode 01, in both the prologue and the Chibitalia segment. While he was portrayed as an older man in the manga version of Chibitalia, he is shown younger and in his armor in the anime version.
In Episode 11, a brief flashback image is shown of a weak and scarred Rome as Chibitalia tells Holy Roman Empire of his demise. As with his earlier appearance in the anime version of the storyarc, he is depicted in his younger incarnation in that scene (rather than his older, mustached appearance).
An apparition of Rome appears in Episode 18, interrupting both of the Allied Forces' attacks on the Axis in order to perform a song about nations' roles in "heaven and hell" on Earth. His sudden appearances cause the Allied Forces to retreat in fear each time, though Italy is able to recognize the mysterious ghost as having been his grandfather. This is Rome's first speaking role.
In Episode 32: With Grandpa Rome, he makes a full appearance where he returns to the 20th century to visit Italy and ends up in a long conversation with Germany. In the Post-Teaser, Rome sees Italy talking to Japan on the phone happy and thanks God for letting him see him.
In the anime, Rome's skintone is much lighter and his eyes were changed to an amber color.
References
- ↑ Himaruya, Hidekaz (2021). ヘタリア☆Collezione [Hetalia☆Collezione]. Shueisha. p. 160. ISBN 978-4-0888-2870-1.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Himaruya, Hidekaz (May 06, 2008). "おわんないぜ！". http://himaruya.blog61.fc2.com/blog-entry-15.html. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.geocities.jp/himaruya/srm.htm
