Even though his wife and children are avenged by the Erastes killing, Lucius Vorenus keeps mourning for over a month till Pullo gets Marc Antony who scolds him for Caesar's death and the continuing bloody Aventine gang riots that have resulted in the gangs wanting to fill the void left by Erastes sudden demise. Octavian is loosing patience with Marc Antony for payment of Caesar's inheritance. Meanwhile, Queen Cleopatra of Egypt arrives in Rome to pay her respects to Caesar and she also negotiates with Antony's military protection for her Pharaonic throne in exchange for valuable grain shipments. But she gets dismissed as a whore when she demands that her four-year-old son, Caesarion, be recognized as Caesar's legal son. Yet the uninvited pair of them is welcomed by Antony at Atia's party. Abusing a truce in the name of the goddess Concord and smashing up her statue, Vorenus imposes as 'son of Hades' on the gang captains a peace, paid off by Antony so trade and politics on and near the Aventine no longer get disrupted. After his mother Atia and sister Octavia tell him to accept Antony denying Caesar's legacy and laugh at his ambition to provide Rome the leadership it needs, Octavian borrows against his vast inheritance to buy popularity by paying for Caesar's lavish bequests to the populace; Antony violently refuses a political deal with him. Octavian then leaves home and retires to Campania with General Agrippa. Cicero and Brutus' mother, Servilia, hope this strife among the Julii clan will allow their party to return to Rome. Also, Timon's long-lost brother, Levi, arrives back in Rome wanting his help to make a new life for himself.

Having learned that Vorenus' children are alive, Pullo sets off to find him in Gaul where he is again a serving soldier in Mark Antony's army. He had hoped to arrive before Octavian and Antony's armies meet in battle. Too late however, he is forced to find what is left of Antony's army in the mountains. He finds Vorenus alive and well, if somewhat battle worn, and they set off to find the children. The victorious Octavian plans his return to Rome. In Western Turkey, Brutus and Cassius amass their own army, now 9 Legions strong. In Rome, Servilia's attempt to kill Atia fails and Atia has her kidnapped tortured beyond what even her henchman Timon can stand.