Rome 1.11 - The Spoils

This episode begins a short while after the previous episode. Days? Weeks? At the end of the last episode Pullo was offered a job by the crime lord and money lender Erastes Fulmen. Pullo has evidently accepted the job. We see him murdering a man on the streets of Rome at night. Erastes chides Pullo for making a noise, chasing the man through the streets, so he promises to be quieter next time. This is in complete contrast to the way Vorenus worked for Erastes in the fifth episode. Vorenus has a conscience; Pullo doesn't. Pullo spends his wages on prostitutes and opium.

Vorenus is carrying out his duties as a magistrate. He's visited by Roman citizens who need aid. Mascius, a former captain in Caesar's army, approaches Vorenus to speak on behalf of his fellow veterans. After years of fighting for Caesar, they want farmland in Italy. Vorenus passes on this request to Caesar, who says that there isn't enough free land in Italy for all the army veterans. Her offers to give them land in Pannonia, a province north-east of Italy. It's good farming land, but Vorenus says that the veterans won't accept it because there are a lot of bandits. Caesar says that Mascius should be offered money to recommend the land to the other veterans, any amount that Vorenus considers reasonable.

Vorenus offers Mascius 5,000 denarii, but Mascius says he would never sell out his fellow soldiers. After thinking it over, he asks for 12,000 denarii. Caesar is delighted. He says that he never expected Mascius to sell himself so cheap. In future he'll always send Vorenus to negotiate bribes.

Caesar has placed a chair for himself in the middle of the Senate. The others call it a throne, but he claims it's just a comfortable chair so that he won't get back pains while listening to Cicero's long speeches. The chair is moderately gilded with gold. Does that also help prevent back pain?

Caesar offers Brutus a job as the governor of Macedonia. Brutus refuses, because it sounds like Caesar is trying to get him away from Rome. Caesar insists and orders Brutus to take the position. Brutus storms out in anger.

Pullo has another job for Erastes. He kills Aufifidius Dento, the deputy chief of the Nailmakers' Association. The murder is witnessed, and he's arrested. Octavian asks Caesar to pardon him, but Caesar refuses. He says that Aufidius was popular and a vocal critic of Caesar's leadership. If Pullo is pardoned, people will suspect that Caesar ordered his death. Octavian openly asks if Caesar did order his death, to which Caesar replies that he didn't know that Aufidius existed until he didn't.

Pullo is sentenced to death in the arena. Three gladiators are sent to fight with him, but he refuses to defend himself. They say that it's enough for him to hold his sword, but he still refuses. They mock him and ask if all of the 13th Legion are so cowardly. This makes him angry, and he kills all three. He chants "Thirteenth! Thirteenth!", which is echoed by the crowd. Another four gladiators come out, and Pullo kills them as well. The crowd cheers enthusiastically.

A final gladiator comes out, probably the champion, much bigger and stronger than Pullo. He knocks Pullo down and prepares to kill him, when Vorenus jumps into the arena. Shouting "Thirteenth!" he attacks and kills the gladiator. Under Roman law, Pullo is now a free man.

Before the episode ends Caesar's slave Posca delivers a large bag of coins to Erastes. He thanks him for killing Aufidius, but tells him that in future army veterans shouldn't be used as killers.

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