Rome 1.09 - Utica

Caesar didn't rest after the ten month siege in Alexandria. He pursued Cato and Scipio to Africa, making only a short pause to be joined by additional legions. He faced his enemies at the Battle of Thapsus, which he won decisively, despite being outnumbered again. The episode itself doesn't give any numbers, but according to Wikipedia Caesar had about 6000 men while Cato and Scipio had 9000 men. That's three battles in a row which Caesar won despite being outnumbered. The Gods must truly have been on his side.

We don't see the battle itself. The episode begins with Cato and Scipio sitting in the desert surrounded by corpses and dying elephants. Later in the episode Vorenus describes the battle to his children:

"There's us with the walls of Thapsus at our backs. Now, coming towards us on the plain with all their legions, cavalry and 900 war elephants: Scipio and Juno. 'Hold fast", says General Caesar, 'let the bastards come!' But there are ballistas on the walls, so the front line thinks they've been ordered to advance. So before the officers can stop it, the whole army charges on Scipio's men. The elephants see us come running and screaming, and they turn tail and charge on their own lines. Chaos!"

Cato and Scipio withdraw to Utica, accompanied by only a few soldiers. Scipio says that they can gather a new army to fight again, but Cato kills himself. This demoralises Scipio. At Cato's funeral pyre he orders a soldier to flay him. In Roman times suicide was considered a noble way to die, but when Caesar hears about it he calls Cato and Scipio cowards; he says that they killed themselves to deny him the opportunity to pardon them.

When Vorenus returns to Rome he returns to civilian life yet again. His wife Niobe and her sister Lyde have taken over the butcher's shop that Lyde's dead husband Evander used to run. With the help of two new slaves that she's bought the business is booming. Vorenus grudgingly agrees to become a butcher. Pullo declares his love to the slave girl Eirene that he rescued in the third episode. He's happy to find that she's learnt how to speak Latin in the two years while he was away.

There's an incident outside the butcher's. Two thugs are beating up another tradesman who owes them money. Vorenus challenges them and tells them to take their argument elsewhere. Vorenus slaps one of them, and they threaten to kill him. Soon afterwards Erastes Fulmen visits Vorenus with a gang. That's the money lender for whom Vorenus briefly worked in the fifth episode. Over the last two years he's become the most powerful crook in Rome. He says that he wants a public apology from Vorenus within a week, otherwise he'll kill him and rape his wife.

Octavian returns to Rome after two years studying at an unnamed academy. Presumably a religious academy? His mother Atia is happy to see him again and holds a large banquet in his honour. Caesar makes Octavian the pontifex maximus, the high priest responsible for divining the will of the Gods. Octavian accepts the position unwillingly. He says afterwards that he doesn't believe in the Gods.

I failed to mention that Octavia became Servilia's lover in the last two episodes. I thought it was too trivial to mention, but now it becomes relevant. Servilia is still angry with Caesar for rejecting her. She's heard that Caesar has an illness ("an affliction"), and she wants to find out exactly what it is, so that she can use it against him. The only person who knows about it is Octavia's brother Octavian. Servilia asks Octavia to question him. Octavia asks Octavian what his biggest secret is, and Octavian replies that he helped Titus Pullo kill Lyde's husband Evander. That's a big secret, but of no use to Servilia. She suggests that Octavia should seduce her brother to find out more.

Unlike in Egypt, incest was considered a great crime in Rome. It was punishable by death. Octavia refuses, but Servilia persuades her by telling her that her mother Atia ordered the death of her husband Glabius so that she could marry Pompey. This angers Octavia, and she seduces her brother. Atia's slave witnesses it and informs her mistress. Atia whips them both, and Octavia says that she did it because Servilia had said that Atia had ordered Glabius' death. Atia insists this was a lie.

The revenge comes quickly. Atia sends her lover Timon with a gang of men to ambush Servilia's carriage. They rip her out of the carriage, strip her naked and cut her hair in public view.

Vorenus doesn't apologise to Erastes. While having a meal with his family, Vorenus hears Erastes and his thugs approaching. He prepares to fight them, but at this moment Caesar himself arrives and Erastes flees. Caesar says that he respects Vorenus' integrity and wants to make him a magistrate. Vorenus, always outspoken, says that he doesn't want to serve a tyrant. Brave words, but Caesar isn't insulted. Caesar insists that he isn't a tyrant. He's only become a dictator for a short period of time, and he will give up his power as soon as he's able to restore the Republic. Vorenus is convinced and accepts the office. If I understand correctly, a Roman magistrate was a man who stood between the Senate and the Consuls.

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