As Caesar's troops are waiting for orders to go back to Italy, the ranks are slowly dwindling due to deserters unsatisfied with their conditions and the lack of money. Caesar's term as a consul is running towards the end, but he has another plan to install Mark Antony as people's tribune by bribing the electors. Antony takes Octavian with him to Rome, bringing Vorenus and Pullo along as escort. The two share their plans for their stay in the capital, with the centurion going back to visit his family while Pullo intends to sink back into debauchery. Pompey and his allies are non-plussed to see Caesar's right-hand man back in Rome being adored by the plebs, claiming the smallfolk hardly matter in terms of politics.
At the same time, Atia learns that Octavia is seeing her recently divorced husband Glabius and casts him out of her house, earning her daughter's scorn. The two legionaries bring Octavian back home and are introduced to his mother who rewards them handsomely, but the young man's offer to allow them to stay for dinner slightly unsettles her. Octavian claims that the patricians believe Caesar is going to march on Rome, with Vorenus refusing to follow anyone who commits such a sacrilige and Pullo ready to support the general.
After the dinner, the legionaries part ways, and while Pullo heads to the entertainment district, Vorenus heads back home where he sees his wife Niobe holding an infant in her hands and reacts explosively. As he asks whose child this is, she claims it's his grandson by his eldest daughter and a drover boy. His daughters are afraid of him, having not seen him for eight years. His salary hasn't been paid to them due to a clerical mistake, but he's put his money into buying slaves.
Pompey and his allies pay visit to Atia late at night while Antony also comes to her, causing a lot of tension. The newly electred tribune offers Caesar's terms of resignation to the consul, claiming that once his term as the governor of Gaul is over, he would like to take command of another province away from Rome along with the legal immunity this position provides. The terms are refused, with Pompey believing them to be a bluff and Caesar to be weaker than he thought.
Amidst his debauchery, Pullo comes into a eatery and engages in a game of dice with Pompey's supporters, losing all his money in a streak of bad luck. He learns his opponent is using different dice to cheat and quickly drives a dagger into his throat before attacking his friends and causing a brawl to erupt that he barely escaped from. In the morning, he comes to the Voreni household where he is treated by a doctor and has a metal plate inserted into his skull while Vorenus heads to the marketplace to check on his slaves, after which he's introduced to his grandson's father, berating both him and his own family for allowing such a thing to happen but still allowing him to marry Vorena.
Pompey tells Cicero to use his connections to help Scipio proclaim Caesar an enemy of the state, knowing that Antony is going to use his veto, as a ploy to convince Caesar that he has no support in the Senate, otherwise threatening to abandon them at their opponent's mercy. The plan is brought into action, with Cicero swaying the moderates to join Pompey's supporters and causing a melee during which Antony attempts to veto the motion, but he isn't heard by the speaker. Cicero claims the session wasn't dismissed formally and is technically still ongoing which gives Antony another chance to exercise his vetoing power. Pompey gives strict orders to his followers not to harm Antony in any way or allow him to be harmed while the senators are summoned to gather the next day. The tribune orders his troops to escort them to the session, dismissing them for the time being and spending the night at Atia's house.
Vorenus returns home to overheard Niobe confiding in Pullo about her loneliness and apologizes to her for all the grief he's caused. The next morning Pompey's supporters gather at the Forum where they are given orders to show strength but not touch Antony in any way. As the tribune's procession heads to the Senate, Pullo is recognized by a friend of the man he's killed two days ago. They lock eyes, and the man charges at him with a knife, with Pullo easily slitting his throat. Antony assumes this to be an assassination attempt and rallies his men to protect him from an enraged crowd. Pompey is distraught as he sees blood being spilled on the streets, his plans completely disrupted. Vorenus is injured during the skirmish and is carried to safety by Pullo, while Caesar is formally proclaimed an enemy of the state.
Caesar receives the report about the events at the Forum and meets with Antony. He gathers his troops and tells them that Pompey has ordered Antony to be hurt and that now he and all his soldiers are considered criminals, leading his men to go for Rome. Pullo receives a reward for his bravery and proclaims his loyalty to his general, providing an example for other soldiers. Vorenus wakes up as the armies are crossing the Rubicon river, making it a point of no return for everyone involved, while at his household Niobe breastfeeds the infant, revealing him to be her son.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Pompey makes a plan to proclaim Caesar an enemy of the state, but since Antony's call for a veto aren't heard, the motion stands which clearly disrupts his plans. Thankfully, Cicero's quick thinking saves the day, but not for long as the consequences Pullo's recent actions still cause chaos.Pompey Magnus: You have what you wanted, Cato! Caesar has no choice now. Come the spring, he will cross the Alps with his legions and march on Rome.
- Blood-Splattered Innocents: Caesar convinces Antony not to wash the blood off, making him a clear example of Pompey's injustice.
- Bribing Your Way to Victory: Caesar ensures that Mark Antony becomes a tribune by buying the majority of votes.
- Brutal Honesty: Vorenus is equally blunt with his men and his family, not even sparing her daughter the verbal lashing after she's had a child.Vorenus: Don't you start, you snivelling shit! You thought of this before spreading your legs?!
- Coitus Uninterruptus: Antony casually has sex with a local woman in front of Octavian and his escort, unconcerned with the audience.
- Creepy Souvenir: One of the trophies Vorenus shows his wife is a desiccated phallus of a Swabian he killed in combat.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Octavia is secretly seeing Glabius despite her mother's clear protests.
- Friendship Denial: Vorenus vehemently denies he and Pullo are friends when Atia calls them such.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Antony says this almost verbatim as the excruciatingly long election ritual is over and he casually leaves the temple.
- Impromptu Tracheotomy: Pullo kills his cheating opponent by stabbing him in the throat.
- The Immodest Orgasm: Octavia asks Antony if her mother's moans are irritating to him before imitating them, much to the tribune's amusement.Mark Antony: She has you exact.
- Loophole Abuse: Since the Senate session ended in a brawl and wasn't formally adjourned, Cicero reasons it will still be ongoing when the senators gather next time and Antony will still be able to veto the motion.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Young Lucius is Vorenus's alleged grandson by his eldest daughter, but it's revealed he's actually Niobe's son she begat while her husband was fighting under Caesar's banner.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: When prompted to speak about what changes he'd like to see in Rome, Vorenus insists that everything must remain the same, as intended by the founders of the Republic, in line with his Catonian ideology.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Titus Pullo, a legionary of questionable worth, loses a game of dice and kills his cheating opponent, starting a chain of events that will eventually lead to the dissolution of the Roman Republic.
