Quo Vadis Page #2

They would like to replace Nero

with General Galba.

I know nothing of politics.

Just as long as there's money

to pay the army...

...Rome will stand forever,

that I'm sure of.

I bid you welcome, Marcus Vinicius.

I salute the general.

We traveled the splendid roads you built

in Britain and Gaul.

My wife, the lady Pomponia.

Our house is honored

to have you as guest.

My tribune, Fabius Nerva.

These young men

must wish to wash and change.

The baths are ready.

Will you show them, my dear?

This way, commander.

Dinner is at the 9th hour.

You're expecting other guests

this evening, general?

We're not intruding

on any festivities, I hope.

Oh, no. We live a quiet life here.

"Oh, no. We live a quiet life here."

Here we are, transforming ourselves

into sweet-smelling flowers...

...only to bloom in a hay field.

- Ha-ha.

You know, Marcus,

Drusilla last sent word...

...that the oldest boy

is almost as tall as she is now.

When I left,

I carried him around on my shoulder.

That little slave from Spain

Petronius told me about...

...I'll let her sit on mine.

Speaking of things that grow,

cast your eye on this one.

For your bath.

Stand up, fellow.

Body of...What a prospect.

What's going on in the arena these days?

Is Croton still champion?

I do not know.

General Plautius never thought

of having you trained as a gladiator?

He'd win enough gold

to fill your sandals.

I do not fight.

You don't fight?

Why, with one arm strapped,

you could kill 50 Nubians an hour.

I'll speak to your master about you.

I can make you a champion.

It is a sin to kill.

Half-witted.

Grew so fast,

his brain hit the top of the stable.

Behold, she stands

with her gown hung loose.

Framed is her face in golden tresses...

...reflecting the milk-white beauty

of her shoulders.

So it was that Venus stood before Mars,

welcoming her lover.

Nothing do I see that is not perfection.

You're in service to this household,

I take it?

Very much so.

- Your name?

- Lygia.

Lygia. Lygia, you're a windfall.

I shall sacrifice a dozen white doves

to Venus to commemorate our meeting.

Your sacrifice

will be in vain, commander.

By the gods, the old general

must know a good slave market.

Not only beauty, but spirit as well.

There are no slaves in this household.

The old general, as you call him...

...well, I have the honor

and the joy to be his daughter.

I crave your pardon.

Three years in the field

have dulled my perceptions.

Truly, I'm sorry, Lygia.

Will you forgive me?

You've done nothing

to ask forgiveness for.

For a long time,

the only women I've seen or known...

...have been poor, dull barbarians,

very uninspiring.

Barbarians?

I've heard the women of Britain and Gaul

are most beautiful.

Lygia, I'm forced to tell you...

...that the women of Britain

cover themselves with deer fat.

I'd say that was

an understandable desire to be warm.

The warmth is not transferable,

I assure you. Only in its aroma.

And as for the women of Gaul...

...well, their hair is like

the frazzled ends of rope.

Not a soft, red-gold crown

with stars in it.

And their palm was

the hide of a wild boar.

- Not like this soft...

- At least that proves they are diligent.

Yes, at building mud huts.

But not in bringing

a man's thoughts to life.

I'm not sorry at all.

- Sorry?

- That Petronius arranged my stay here.

If things go as fate surely meant,

the man should be decorated.

If you will excuse me,

I must decorate the table.

And so you see, sir,

you can understand my problem.

We were outnumbered at least...

- Well, wouldn't you say three to one?

- Easily.

I drew up the spearmen in a formation

much like the Macedonian phalanx.

Let me tell you, your barbarous Briton...

...is as worthy an opponent

as I've ever engaged.

They impaled themselves on the

spearheads like meat to the spit.

We were standing ankle deep

in their blood.

Can you understand the strategy, Lygia?

Can you see it?

I can only see the awful necessity

of defending one's home.

Defending?

They were in revolt against Rome.

But as I say, I credit courage.

A general's daughter can understand it

gives no pleasure to overcome weaklings.

The battle loses its zest.

Right, general?

- I find I've outgrown that zest.

- Don't be modest, general.

Iook here, you don't seem to be excited

by the glorious exploits of your legions.

That's an odd attitude

for a woman of Rome.

I am not a Roman, I am a Lygian.

A Lygian? I thought, uh...

She's our adopted daughter.

Oh, I see. Lygian, Lygia.

She was named Callina,

but she prefers to be called Lygia.

As a child, she was taken prisoner

during my campaign in Lygia.

- A slave, then.

- No, no. Her father was king of Lygia.

She was assigned to me as a hostage.

We've tried to erase the wrong done her

with the love we have for her.

You should envy me such love,

commander.

Lygia, I envy the roof that covers you.

This one or any future.

May a traveler interrupt

with his greetings?

Paul.

Paul, you're here.

We've been counting the days.

- Pomponia. Lygia, dear.

One need not pray that peace be with

this house. It's written in your faces.

Paul, our two guests.

Tribune Fabius Nerva

and Commander Marcus Vinicius.

You must have seen their army

camped along the road.

Ah, yes.

- Gentlemen, our friend Paul of Tarsus.

- Our very dear friend.

- You mustn't let me interrupt your meal.

- We've done with it.

Come, let's sit in here.

Commander?

You must be tired, Paul.

Will you have food? A cup of wine?

No, thank you, my dear.

I supped along the way.

And the rigors of travel

always fall away rapidly here.

I take it, like us, you've just returned

from a journey.

Oh, yes. Antioch, Corinth.

Oh.

- You're Greek.

- No, I'm a Jew.

A citizen of Rome,

though I was born in Tarsus.

Oh, yes, Tarsus. North of Palestine.

That's correct.

You come from a troublesome

part of the world.

Much unrest down there in the past.

- You're a merchant of some sort?

- No, I'm a rabbi.

Well, I'm just a heavy-skulled soldier.

What in the name of Jupiter is a rabbi?

- L...

Paul is a teacher.

Oh, what do you teach?

He teaches...

- He teaches philosophy.

PAUl:
Yes.

Yes, I suppose you'd call it that.

Did you know that all this time,

I've been teaching you philosophy?

I don't know

a great deal about philosophy.

And lovely women shouldn't have the time

to think that deeply.

As for me, Lygia, would you ever think

that I was fond of flowers?

I should like to see the garden.

You have the evening tour of the camp

to make, commander.

You must see to the disposition

of the men.

Will you excuse me?

I shall be back early.

In time for the flowers, I hope.

And now tell us the things

we've been waiting to hear.

- Did you see Peter?

- Yes, how is our big fisherman?

I missed him all along the way.

Wherever I went,

Peter had been there before me.

At Antioch,

they said he'd gone on to Jerusalem.

Others said that he'd set out

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