 " The Stolen Eagle " is the series premiere of the British @-@ American historical drama television series Rome . Written by series creator Bruno Heller and directed by Michael Apted , the episode first aired in the United States on Home Box Office ( HBO ) on August 28 , 2005 , and on the BBC in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 2 . Rome was given a budget of $ 100 million , making it the largest amount both networks had ever spent on a series . Heller centered the series ' narrative on the perspectives of two common soldiers , similar to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Shakespeare 's Hamlet . Apted shot the episode at Cinecittà , the Roman studio where the epic films Ben @-@ Hur and Cleopatra were filmed . On the set , realism and authenticity were emphasized more than grandiosity , with depictions of a cosmopolitan city of all social classes . 
 " The Stolen Eagle " <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>the series premiere of the British @-@ American historical drama television series Rome . Written by series creator Bruno Heller and directed by Michael Apted , the episode first aired in the United States on Home Box Office ( HBO ) on August 28 , 2005 , and on the BBC in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 2 . Rome was given a budget of $ 100 million , making it the largest amount both networks <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> ever spent on a series . Heller centered the series <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'</mark></a>narrative on the perspectives of two common soldiers , similar to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Shakespeare <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>Hamlet . Apted shot the episode at Cinecittà , the Roman studio where the epic <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>films</mark></a> Ben @-@ Hur and Cleopatra <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> filmed . On the set , realism and authenticity <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> emphasized more than grandiosity , with depictions of a cosmopolitan city of all social classes . 
 The Stolen Eagle  the series premiere of da British @-@ American historical drama television series Rome . Written by series creator Bruno Heller and directed by micheal Apted , the episode first aired in tdaUnited States on Home Box Office ( HBO ) on August 28 , 2005 , and on thdaBC in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 2 . Rome was given a budget of $ 100 million , making it the largest amount both networks done ever spent on a series . Heller centered the series  narrative on the perspectives of two common soldiers , similar to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Shakespeare  Hamlet . Apted shot the episode at Cinecittà , the Roman studio where the epic film Ben @-@ Hur and Cleopatra was filmed . On thedat , realism and authenticity was emphasized more den grandiosity , wit depictions of a cosmopolitan city of all social classes .