Rome: Season 1 Episode 2 How Titus Pullo Brought Down the Republic
A night of drinking and gambling leads end with Caesar identified as the enemy of Rome.
Series Index
Characters/Groups
Atia of the Julii - Polly Walker
Pompey Magnus - Kenneth Cranham
Servilia of the Junii - Lindsay Duncan
Marcus Junius Brutus - Tobias Menzies
Octavia of the Julii - Kerry Condon
Marcus Tullius Cicero - David Bamber
Vorena the Elder - Coral Amiga
Curial Magistrate - John Boswall
Courier - Alessandro Inchiappa
Vorena the Younger - Anna Fausta Primiano
Peasant Woman - Iliaria Stivali
Wild Eyed Man - Sebastiano Vinci
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
During the winter in Gaul near the Italian border, Posca tells Caesar more troops are deserting. He warns Caesar time is running out and they must act, however Caesar reassures Posca he knows what he is doing. When Posca notices a large sum of money has been spent, Caesar tells him he has spent it to nominate Mark Antony as the people's tribune. Strabo is sent with Mark Antony to make sure the dignity of the title of tribune is kept. As Lucius Vorenus, Titus Pullo and Gaius Octavian wait for Mark Antony to finish having sex with a Peasant Woman, Lucius appears nervous of returning home. Antony arrives in Rome to cheers from the people. Pompey Magnus and Porcius Cato notice the crowds love for Antony and Cato dismisses it as it is from the lower class. Antony tells Lucius and Titus to return Octavian to his mother Atia of the Julii.
Atia finds Octavia of the Julii and Glabius together and orders Glabius out. Octavia tells Atia she hates her and Atia slaps Octavia. Atia is complaining to Merula about Octavia when Castor announces Octavian is home. Octavian introduces Lucius and Titus and insists they be allowed to stay for dinner. During dinner there is a discussion about politics where Lucius argues the preservation of the Republic is the most important factor while Titus thinks Caesar should ride into Rome and take over. Lucius and Titus awkwardly part ways and Lucius returns home. He finds Niobe in the market with Clarissa, holding a child which he assumes is her illegitimate child. Niobe tells Lucius the child is his grandson also named Lucius from his daughter Vorena the Elder and a boy named Crito. Lucius walks into the house and is introduced to his daughters Vorena the Older and Vorena the Younger. Things continue to be tense at Lucius and Niobe's house. Lucius finds out he was reported dead and his pay stopped so Niobe had to borrow money from her sister. Titus goes to the whorehouse and gets drunk. The ceremony to make Mark Antony a tribune ends and the Priest declares him a tribune of the plebeians. At Atia's home Pompey Magnus, Marcus Tullius Cicero and Cato meet with Mark Antony. Mark Antony tells Pompey, Caesar wants to make a compromise. He will return if he is given a province to protect him from prosecution, and the senators reject his offer. Pompey tells the other senators he thinks Caesar is bluffing and he isn't as confident as he seems.
Titus enters a bar and sits down to play dice with a couple of Pompeian supporters, Stilicho and Tarquin. Strabo writes a letter to Caesar telling him Mark Antony was as arrogant as he had hoped and the senators and Pompey were heavily offended. Titus continues to lose in dice and Tarquin begins to insult him and his luck. As Titus loses his last bit of money he grabs Tarquin's hand and opens it revealing he has been using loaded dice the entire game. Titus stabs Tarquin through the throat with his knife and a fight breaks out. Later, Titus barges into Lucius' house and collapses. A Doctor arrives and cuts open Titus' skull to relieve pressure. Lucius visits the slave market where a Slave Trader is selling off slaves. Otho approaches Lucius and convinces him to spend money on feeding his slaves so they will bring a better price. Pompey and Cicero have a meeting where Pompey tells Cicero he needs his support for a proposal that will be given tomorrow in the Senate by Scipio. Crito and Vorena stand in front of Lucius and after questioning Crito, he reluctantly agrees to their marriage. At the senate meeting the Curial Magistrate calls on Scipio to speak. Scipio proposes a formal motion that Caesar must return to stand trial or he will be called a public enemy of Rome. A vote is taken and a majority agree to the proposal, before Mark Antony can veto the motion a brawl breaks out ending the meeting.
It is agreed that another session will be held and Mark Antony may then veto the proposal. Pompey tells Milo he doesn't want any harm to happen to Mark Antony so he can veto the proposal. Milo tells a gathered crowd they are to show their strength but not attack Mark Antony. Mark Antony's group are walking towards the Senate when Stilicho sees Titus and attacks him. Titus kills Stilicho and a fight breaks out. Lucius is wounded and Pompey walks into the Senate and tells Cato he got what he wanted and now Caesar will march against Rome. A Tribune reads off the amount of available soldiers to Caesar when a Courier arrives with news of the attack on Mark Antony and the senate proposal. Newsreader tells the crowd that by order of the senate Caesar is now an enemy of Rome. Mark Antony returns to camp and Caesar parades him in front of the troops as a justified reason to invade Rome beyond Caesar being declared an enemy of Rome. Titus is awarded for his bravery with a bag of coins. Caesar and his men cross the Rubicon into Italy. A Wild Eyed Man runs into the market and yells that Caesar is in Italy. Niobe breast feeds the baby Lucius revealing she is his mother.