Rome

52 B.C. Eager to return to Rome after eight long years of war, Gaius Julius Caesar ends his campaign with a resounding triumph in Gaul--and news of a shattering personal loss at home.

Appointed People's Tribune by Caesar, Mark Antony returns to Rome with Octavian's liberators, Vorenus and Pullo. After being feted by Atia, Vorenus heads home to his family for the first time in eight years.

Pompey's decision to temporarily abandon Rome to Caesar forces patrician families to choose sides.

Pompey maneuvers outside the city; Atia throws a party welcoming Caesar; Vorenus also hosts a fete.

Caesar weighs Pompey's counteroffer against Antony's recommendation to chase down Pompey's army. Vorenus is forced to reconsider his career choices. A jealous Atia concocts a clever scheme to separate Caesar from Servilia.

Mark Antony is running Rome while Caesar pursues Pompey, but when news comes that the tide has turned and that Pompey now pursues Caesar, Antony must decide whether to stick by his old commander or turn against him.

Marooned in the Adriatic Sea, Vorenus and Pullo try to survive. In Greece, Pompey decides to attack Caesar's depleted forces, whose lack of options turns into their greatest strength. The result finds Pompey seeking reinforcements.

Having pursued Pompey into Egypt, Caesar arrives in Alexandria and meets the boy king Ptolemy XIII, who offers the general a surprise gift. Vorenus and Pullo play liberators again, freeing Ptolemy's incarcerated sister, Cleopatra.

With Scipio and Cato defeated, Caesar returns home to a hero's welcome. Vorenus and Pullo's showdown with local thug Erastes gets an unexpected reprieve from Caesar. Servilia's plan to use Octavia to unearth a secret about Caesar backfires.

Caesar is proclaimed Emperor amidst pomp and fanfare, while Vorenus and Pullo plan their futures in Rome's new order.

While Pullo descends into Erastes' netherworld, Vorenus negotiates a severance for veteran soldiers on behalf of Caesar, who invites him and Niobe to one of Atia's parties.

In the Season One finale, Vorenus's defense of Pullo lands him in an unexpected position of power. Meanwhile, Servilia crosses the final hurdle in her ambitious revenge scenario, at Niobe's expense.

(Season Two premiere) In the wake of Caesar's death, Mark Antony considers a move north, while Vorenus issues a curse.

Cleopatra arrives in Rome, to Atia's dismay; Octavian wins over the masses; Vorenus steps into Erastes' shoes.

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 throws his support to Octavian, the new Caesar.

Servilia finds herself in Atia's villa at the mercy of Timon. Pullo runs into Octavian, who has just won a battle against Mark Antony. The new Caesar decides to return to Rome with his army. Vorenus discovers his children's fate.

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. Two adversaries patch up their differences.

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. Two armies clash, with the future of Rome at stake.

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.

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 hijacked, sending Vorenus on a mission to learn who betrayed whom.

Rome is facing a dire shortage of grain, forcing Octavian to barter with Mark Antony. But instead of agreeing to Octavian's price--money and territory--Mark Antony turns him down, pointing to an inevitable conflict.

(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 convince Vorenus to give up Cleopatra's palace.