Rome: Season 1 Episode 5 The Ram has Touched the Wall
Drama rolls downhill as Atia enacts a plan to keep Caesar away from Servilia.
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
Erastes Fulmen - Lorcan Cranitch
Evander Pulchio - Enzo Cilenti
Vorena the Elder - Coral Amiga
Vorena the Younger - Anna Fausta Primiano
Whistling Legionary - Massimo Pupella
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
At the camp of Pompey Magnus, Pompey dictates a message for Caesar asking for a cessation of hostilities. Porcius Cato argues with the rest of the Senate and insults them and their situation. Posca tells Caesar Atia of the Julii has invited him to dinner again and Caesar refuses her offer. The Newsreader reads a proclamation from Caesar asking Pompey to lay down his arms. Atia walks into the living room of her home and finds Gaius Octavian painting Octavia of the Julii's toenails. She tells him she heard from Demeter that he and Caesar were together alone in the storage closet. Atia assumes Caesar and Octavian were having sex while Octavian says they were not having sex. Merula tells Atia that Caesar has declined his offer to dine at her house. Vorena the Elder walks home and finds Titus Pullo passed out on their stairs. Lucius Vorenus tells Vorena the Elder he is going to sell the slaves he got from Gaul so he can pay her dowry and she and the baby Lucius can live with Crito and his family. Vorena the Elder is excited, but Niobe thinks it is too soon. Titus wakes up and Lucius tells him he is drinking too much. Titus and Lucius go looking for where he left Eirene. They find her in an inn run by an African Barkeep and Lucius pays the remainder of Titus' tab in order for Eirene to be released back to Titus. Titus promises to pay back Lucius and they decide to keep Eirene as a slave in Lucius' house while Titus is away at war. Niobe is reluctant but Lucius is insistent. Niobe tells Clarissa she is worried Eirene will spy on her. Mark Antony reads the letter from Pompey and marvels at how Pompey is willing to accept all of the terms. Posca argues that peace is a form of victory, but Mark Antony thinks they should refuse the truce and crush Pompey. Lucius goes to visit his slaves and finds all of them dead except for Rubio. Otho tells Lucius the slaves caught dysentery and there was nothing he could do. Lucius brings Rubio home where he is named by Vorena the Elder, Rubio after her pigeon that died. Caesar and Servilia of the Junii play a board game and then make love.
Mark Antony complains to Atia that the soldiers are getting restless and they blame Servilia for causing him to not go after Pompey. Atia tells Gaius she hired Titus as a tutor to teach him the masculine arts. Titus practices sword and shield combat with Gaius, but Gaius gets frustrated and quits. Titus asks Gaius his advice about telling Lucius about Niobe and Evander Pulchio. Gaius advises against speaking out unless they know for sure. Pompey receives word that Caesar has refused his truce and wonders what he will do next. Lucius approaches Erastes Fulmen and asks to borrow some money. Erastes refuses but offers bodyguard work to Lucius, which he accepts. Titus witnesses Evander Pulchio and Lyde arguing and fighting. During the night a group of graffiti artists draw paintings on the walls of Rome depicting Caesar and Servilia having sex. The next morning, Caesar, Posca, Calpurnia and her entourage are going through the city when they come across the graffiti. Calpurnia orders Caesar to break up with Servilia or she will get a divorce. Lucius meets with Erastes and while walking to Erastes's meeting, Erastes chastises a bodyguard for his constant whistling. They go to the home of Tanjit. Tanjit offers milk to Erastes, but Erastes just insults Tanjit. Erastes demands money from Tanjit, however Tanjit demands Erastes give him the truffle finding pigs Erastes promised him. Tanjit offers to pay Erastes a quarter of the price he agreed to, but Erastes demands all of the payment. Erastes attacks Tanjit and orders Lucius to break Tanjit's arm, which Lucius does. Tanjit refuses again to give Erastes all of his money and Erastes orders Lucius to kill Tanjit. Lucius takes a sword from Erastes but leaves.
Lucius goes home and tells Niobe he quit working for Erastes and Lucius decides to rejoin the army. Caesar goes to Servilia's house and tells her they cannot see each other anymore. At home Atia and Merula laugh about the graffiti and its effect. Caesar tells Mark Antony he will stay in Rome while the rest of the army travels south, which upsets Mark Antony. At Pompey's camp, Pompey stumbles around pacing. Marcus Tullius Cicero tells Marcus Junius Brutus he is thinking of deserting Pompey and he invites Brutus to join him, but Brutus refuses. Caesar and his army move south. In the camp of Mark Antony, Lucius chastises a Whistling Legionary, who is whistling a tune similar to the one Erastes' other bodyguard whistled, for whistling on duty. Lucius asks Mark Antony for his position back and for the same terms Mark Antony originally offered him including entry into the Evocaty. Mark Antony accepts Lucius back into the army, but with one thousand less of the pay he originally offered. Eleni brings one of the graffiti artists in front of Servilia and tells her that he is one of Timon's men and that Atia paid them to put the graffiti on the walls of Rome. Lucius goes home and tells Niobe he has rejoined the army. He walks to a temple where an Elderly Priest opens the door for him and he goes through the ritual to join the Evocati. Servilia puts a curse on both Caesar and Atia and then has Eleni put the written curses in cracks in the walls of Caesar's and Atia's homes. Gaius and Titus kidnap Evander and torture him and force him to admit having an affair with Niobe and fathering the young Lucius. They then kill him and dump his body into the sewage canal. Caesar arrives at Pompey's camp to find it deserted, with Pompey having fled to Greece.