Just Before Christ

Agorastocles returns to camp. Now he is somebody important, or so he claims, because Octavio has named him special liaison between his Legion and that of Cneo Valerio. Agorastocles is accompanied by young Cayo, sent by Octavio to Manio.

Manio receives a letter from his mother. Sick with flu, she asks her son to carry out a noble act, some daring feat to put an end to the humiliation the Sempronio family is suffering in Rome. Antonino, Rufus and Postumo have the perfect answer...

In a skirmish with the Thracians, Manio is immobilized by a one-armed giant - but what an arm it is too! Once out of this tight spot, more spectacular than anything else, Manio discovers the giant is wearing a ring bearing the Sempronio family seal.

The news that his father also went through a bad spell before being known as "The Magnificent" fills Manio with fresh hope. All he has to do is wait until the right chance comes along, or so he thinks. Agorastocles, however, can't wait any longer.

Decimo Dulio turns up at the camp, a special envoy of Marco Antonio. For many years, Cneo Valerio sent letters to Marco Antonio full of invaluable advice. And then one fine day, the letters stopped coming.

Agorastocles, now a free man, decides to try his luck and join up by himself with Marco Antonio's side, leaving Antonine to look after Manio. Manio arrives and tells everybody he just ran into a Thracian who looks exactly like him.