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Directed by: Steve Shill
Written by: Mere Smith
Synopsis
You're no coward, but you do have a strong
disease in your soul. A disease that will
eat away at you until you die." When
asked how he can be so sure, Vorenus
replies "I recognize the symptoms, I have
the same sickness." Vorenus is awakened
from a pleasant dream of being with Niobe
by the bald, naked prostitute he has, in
actuality, spent the night with. Replacing
her black wig, she jolts him back to
reality. He is in Alexandria, and he must
don his Roman uniform and head back to
Cleopatra's castle. Finding Posca who has
succumbed to the numbing drugs and
dissolute atmosphere, he asks after
Antony. 'Where is he? Where indeed?" Posca
replies. "His mortal flesh is in the
throne room, meeting a deputation from the
Senate."
Vorenus finds Antony instructing Cleopatra
on the finer points of archery while the
Senator Bibulus vies for attention on the
matter of Rome's dwindling grain supply.
The Senator agrees to triple the price for
the grain and Cleopatra demands Carthage
as well. When Antony marvels at how
desperate Octavian must be to agree,
Bibulus responds: "Octavian will do what
he must to prevent further suffering."
Angered at the implied insult, Antony
demands that Spain be thrown into the deal
as well. But this Bibulus cannot agree to.
Cleopatra suggests that Antony "Cut the
cord" and declare war on Rome. But Antony
wants to return "home as a savior not as a
conqueror."
Back in Rome at the Aventine Collegium,
Pullo reluctantly disentangles himself
from Gaia's arms and arises from their bed
to address the unruly crowd outside. They
are demanding that the granaries be
opened. But Pullo urges them to go home
and await the next day's rations. As he
descends from his pulpit he is greeted by
Vorenus's children. He urges them to
return inside --"Hungry people will do
strange things."
Pullo heads inside himself with Mascius to
discuss the situation. As he tosses a bone
to the caged Memmio, Gaio chastises him
for wasting food, but Pullo insists, "He
reminds the other men to stay honest."
Seeing no other solution, Pullo orders
Gaia to fetch his best clothes so he can
bring the matter to Octavian.
Octavian reports to Pullo that the state
granaries are empty and the army needs
what is in the military silos. Agrippa
suggests they send three legions to
Africa. "Let Lepidus feed them. That would
free up a month of grain for the city."
Octavian agrees to the temporary solution,
but asks who the people are blaming.
"You," Pullo responds honestly.
Octavian, Agrippa and Maecenas discuss the
possibility of war against Antony, but
Maecenas points out "War on Antony is
doomed unless the people are with us."
Octavian sends for his mother and sister
to dine that evening. Meanwhile back at
Atia's villa, Atia watches her
granddaughter Antonia playing, and wonders
why Antony hasn't yet sent for her,
Octavia chastises her mother for holding
out such hope.
At dinner, Octavian asks his sister to go
to Egypt to talk to Antony about the grain
situation. In disbelief, Octavia says it
is Atia who should go since "she's his
real wife." He bids them both go, and
though Atia is eager to, she holds out for
a villa in Capri for herself and cash for
Octavia.
After some rigorous intercourse,
Octavian's wife Livia wants to know why
he's sending his mother and sister to
Egypt when he knows Antony will refuse his
request. She figures out his move: if
Antony refuses them, the public will turn
against him, and if he still loves Atia
and yields to her plea, their grain
problem will be solved. "Clever boy."
Caesarion, Cleopatra's son, demands to
know about his father from Vorenus.
Vorenus provides a description of Pullo,
most of which can also be said of Caesar.
"Fine horseman. Bad gambler. Though he'd
never admit to it. Liked the women. Liked
to eat. Eat the table if you'd let him."
This last catches the young boy's
attention, as he'd heard his father had an
abstemious diet. Vorenus is glad to be
interrupted by an anxious Posca, who
brings news of Atia and Octavia's arrival.
After a rough voyage, Atia and Octavia are
left to wait outside the palace while
Antony, stoned on opium, struggles to
think through his strategy. Cleopatra
insists that as long as Antony sends them
away, Octavian will be forced to start the
war -- which is what Antony wanted. But he
knows his public image will be harmed. As
they argue over how to handle the
visitors, Cleopatra comes up with another
plan: kill them. When he refuses Cleopatra
becomes enraged, sensing that he still has
feelings for Atia.
Finally the doors outside the palace open
and Jocasta greets her old friends in her
full Egyptian finery, assuring them that
"things move ever so slow around here.
It's the heat." Posca comes to retrieve
his wife, leaving the women waiting once
again in the heat, with no explanation.
Meanwhile Antony and Cleopatra's battle
turns to lovemaking and in the afterglow,
Antony appears to acquiesce to Cleopatra's
plan and urges Vorenus to go on a
"delicate mission."
Vorenus greets Atia and Octavia, telling
them Antony has ordered him to escort them
back to the ship. When Atia refuses,
Vorenus explains he's been told to use
force if necessary. "You tell my husband
he's cowardly scum," Octavia orders
Vorenus as they depart.
Posca and Jocasta are racing to pack their
things to escape on the ship with Atia and
Octavian when Vorenus comes upon them.
When he agrees to let them go they urge
him to join them but he refuses, asking
only that if they see Titus Pullo, "ask
him to kiss my children for me."
Atia delivers a slap to her son upon her
return home. He grants her the villa in
Capri that she demanded. But she wants
something different now: that he crush
Antony. Posca hands over a valuable gift:
the last will and testament of Antony and
Cleopatra, insisting that the despicable
document, when opened, will make the
people understand that war against Antony
is desirable.
The scroll is unraveled, and the contents
of the will quickly disseminated to the
people. Antony declares Cleopatra his wife
and promises to his children by Cleopatra
the Eastern provinces, and to her son by
Caesar, Rome and the west. Plus, he pays
homage to foreign gods. The people and the
Senate are quickly rallied for war.
Octavian, Posca and Pullo meet. Octavian
asks Pullo to come with him to battle
Antony in Egypt, hoping that Pullo and
Vorenus may be able to help broker a
peace. In relaying his plans, he explains
that Caesarion must die, given what he's
been bequeathed in the will. Struck by
this news, Pullo agrees to go.
Back at the Aventine Collegium, Pullo
breaks the news to Vorenus's children that
he will be going to Egypt and may see
their father. He gives Vorena the younger
and Lucius a kiss from their father. But
they refuse to send him one in return,
insisting that he killed their mother, an
unforgivable act.
Pullo says his goodbyes, ordering the men
of the Collegia to stay in line in his
absence. That night, Gaia begs him to take
her with him but he refuses. Going to fill
his flask with vinegar at the Tavern,
Pullo notices that the cage is empty just
as Memmio attacks him from behind and
knocks him out. As Memmio is about to stab
an unconscious Pullo, Gaia pounces and
kills him, but she is mortally wounded.
As she lays dying, Pullo demands of the
gods to know why he is being punished.
Gaia makes a deathbed confession of her
murder of the pregnant Eirene. Enraged,
Pullo strangles the last breath from Gaia
and carries her limp body outside, dumping
it like a bag of trash in the muddy water.
Discuss this episode in the Rome Bulletin Board.
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Rome Fact
If a slave was called upon to give evidence
in a Roman court, by law he had to be tortured first.
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Rome Revealed
Go Behind the Scenes of the new dramatic series Rome in our new feature "Rome Revealed."
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"Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus"
