Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Vorenus and Pullo ride ahead of Caesar's army with instructions to test Pompey's defences and spread Caesar's proclamation. Vorenus expects their advance on Rome to bring punishment from the gods, but the resistance he anticipates never arrives. Pompey doubts the reliability of the forces available to defend the city and orders a withdrawal. The senators who leave with him must abandon homes and possessions; those who remain declare a different allegiance by staying. Brutus chooses to accompany Pompey despite his affection for Caesar, while Servilia stays behind to await the return of her lover.
The retreat leaves Atia frightened that Caesar's enemies will turn on her household before his army can protect it. Elsewhere, Pompey's order to remove the treasury gold gives his own men an opportunity to steal it. The thieves encounter Vorenus's scouts on the road and lose control of their wagon. Vorenus continues into the deserted city to post Caesar's proclamation and return to Niobe, putting Pullo's advice about affection into practice. Their reconciliation nearly gives Niobe a chance to explain the baby, but she keeps the secret. Pullo goes back to free the enslaved woman tied to the abandoned wagon. He discovers the missing gold and conceals it for himself as Caesar approaches Rome.