Well, i'm a woman, but even if i were a guy i'd have to say "no" she isn't really hot. She looks like Ashlee Simpson except with short brown hair.
Rome is very entertaining and funny. My husband and i finally agree on what to watch. He likes the battle aspects and i like how the women are all scheming against each other.
Since I studied ancient history for a few years, this is one of the major points that I really enjoyed being portrayed. The fact that most patrician men, equites, and land owners were off to war, plundering and building their wealth during "campaign season", the women were left behind to raise the heirs, to continue the business, and keep the family stable and, if possible, in a better, more powerful position when the husband came home. The women at home at the time were more dangerous than the men.