Rome (HBO)

Passover

(Season Two premiere) In the wake of Caesar's murder, a cauldron of contrary emotions bubbles across Rome. Narrowly escaping Quintus Pompey and his henchmen outside the Senate, Mark Antony decides to flee north to raise an army, and makes plans to leave the city with Atia, her children and Caesar's widow Calpurnia. Meanwhile, Vorenus issues a curse he soon regrets.

Son of Hades

Cleopatra arrives in Rome to pay her respects to Caesar--and to attempt to get her son legitimized. Frustrated by Mark Antony in his attempt to secure his inheritance, Octavian takes out a loan to pay off Caesar's promise to the people. Mark Antony orders Vorenus to assume Erastes' captaincy, and he and Pullo bully the warring gangs into an uneasy truce.

These Being the Words of Marcus Tullius Cicero

As Brutus and Cassius struggle to raise foreign money for an army, Mark Antony changes his post-consul itinerary from Macedonia to Gaul. The plan is derailed when Cicero delivers an in-absentia message to the Senate, then throws his support to Octavian, the new Caesar. Vorenus, meantime, is in a battle of his own.

Testudo et Lepus

Her treachery exposed by Duro, Servilia finds herself in Atia's villa at the mercy of Timon. Searching for Vorenus, Pullo runs into Octavian, who has just won a bloody battle against Mark Antony. The new Caesar decides to return to Rome with his army, and sends Marcus Agrippa to tell Octavia and Cicero. Vorenus discovers the fate of his children.

Heroes of the Republic

Vorenus returns to the Collegium. Octavian urges Cicero to embrace his request to be made Consul; in exchange, Octavian promises not to make a move without consulting Cicero first. Later, his first act as Consul takes Cicero and the Senate by surprise. To gain advantage over Brutus and Cassius's army, two adversaries patch up their differences.

Philippi

Brutus and Cassius see their military advantage vanish in the wake of Octavian's alliance with Mark Antony. Vorenus receives orders to execute scores of Rome's elite. Mark Antony adds a few names to the list of condemned, as does Atia. Pullo is sent on a brutal mission. On the plains of Philippi, two armies clash, with the future of Rome at stake.

Death Mask

Servilia's cries for justice drive Atia to distraction, and result in an unfortunate public denouement. Meanwhile, Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus agree to divvy up Rome's territories, sharing a common treasury. The coalition is tested when Mark Antony fails to report a bribe. At the Collegium, Eirene insists that Pullo punish Gaia for insubordination.

A Necessary Fiction

Octavian proclaims a new era of virtue in Rome, issuing a stern mandate that proves impossible for his family and subordinates to obey. A shipment of gold is mysteriously hijacked, sending Vorenus on a mission to learn who betrayed whom. In the wake of personal tragedy, Pullo turns his grief into fury at Memmio, Omnipor and their henchmen.

No God Can Stop a Hungry Man

Rome is facing a dire shortage of grain, forcing Octavian to barter with Mark Antony to get new shipments sent from Egypt. But instead of agreeing to Octavian's price--money and territory--Mark Antony flatly turns him down, pointing towards an inevitable conflict between the two former allies and, perhaps, Vorenus and Pullo.

About Your Father

(Series Finale) In the aftermath of the battle of Actium, Mark Antony returns to Alexandria, settling into numbing debauchery with Cleopatra. Meanwhile, Octavian turns to Pullo to try to convince Vorenus to give up Cleopatra's palace. Predictably, Vorenus refuses, but Cleopatra seems all too willing to dupe Mark Antony in order to save her life.