Rome: Egeria (2005)

Mark Antony (James Purefoy) is running things in Rome while Caesar (Ciarán Hinds) chases down Pompey (Kenneth Cranham) and his allies in Greece. But soon, word reaches Antony that the battle has turned against Caesar, who orders Antony and whatever troops he can muster to join him in Greece in what seems a hopeless cause. Pompey sends a messenger to Antony (living in Pompey's house) to let him know that Pompey will reward him if he sits out the battle, while Atia (Polly Walker) tries to convince Antony to marry her and seize power in Rome. Antony bides his time reaching a decision. Meanwhile, Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is having problems at home. Lyde (Esther Hall), Niobe's (Indira Varma) sister, is worried over her missing husband, and has moved in with the couple. Niobe seems more concerned about her well-being than the state of her marriage. After listening to the frustrated, lovelorn, drunken Vorenus complaining through the night, Pullo (Ray Stevenson) tells Lyde that he's heard that her husband was murdered, and pointedly tells her, in front of Niobe, to get on with her life. Pullo, assigned with schooling Octavian (Max Pirkis) in the "manly arts," takes the young man to an upscale brothel. Atia, concerned that she'll be on the losing side of the battles in Greece, gets Ocatvian out of town, and sends Octavia (Kerry Condon) to Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) with some "gifts" as a gesture of friendship. Servilia sees through the ploy, but treats Octavia kindly, telling the girl she's blameless for what her mother has done. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi