As the Brits could not see the series as early as those across the pond, I consciously could not read the posts about it - that would have been just toooooo frustrating. Having now seen the first episode, which I thought was brilliant, I have the following comments/questions (apologies if the material has already been covered but I am loathe to prejudice myself by reading ahead of the episodes):

1. Octavian(us) did not take that name until his formal adoption by Julius Caesar - in his childhood/early and mid-teens, should he not therefore have been referred to as Octavius?

2. After the gambling row in the tavern, the big burly off-duty legionary looked much too large to be able to have hidden by totally immersing himself in a drinking fountain trough (comparing against the size of numerous troughs in Pompeii and Herculaneum). Are we to reasonably assume that the troughs of Rome were that much larger? Is there any evidence?

3. Whistles for commands seem a great idea but was that how the auto commands were given (i.e. any evidence for their use) or would it be more likely to signal on a cornicen? on the orders of the centurion?