Xena tries to start an upcoming war between Caesar and Pompey, somewhere where they can do no harm and waste their troops. This prompts Gabrielle with her most challenging task yet.
Summary[]
Xena arrives in time to save a village from Roman soldiers pillaging for food.
Xena and Gabrielle arrive in time to help a Greek mercenary, Phlanagus, save his village and family from Roman soldiers pillaging for food. Though Phlanagus has been fighting for the Romans to earn money for his family, he does not relish the violence of war. Xena calculates a plan using Phlanagus and his village to thwart Julius Caesar. Caesar's army is battling the forces of his archrival Pompey and the fight has crossed the border of Greece.
"Burn it, raze it to the ground! We must leave nothing for the Romans to use."
Xena plans to engineer one quick, fierce battle between them. She wants the two armies to destroy each other quickly, in order to avoid a drawn-out battle that will devour Greece's resources. Xena manages to trick Pompey and Caesar into a preliminary skirmish over a useless hill in order to capture some catapults. Caesar realizes that something is amiss and immediately suspects Xena's involvement.
Three Way Fight.
On the eve of the decisive battle, Xena arrives for a meeting called by Pompey. The meeting is interrupted by Caesar and his soldiers charging in. Caesar boasts to Xena that her plan has failed. Xena, however, gives a secret signal and her allies bombard the area with explosive charges from their catapults as Caesar and Pompey's soldiers attack each other. Xena, Caesar and Pompey fall through the weakened ground and fight in caves as the morning battle begins above. The men from Phlanagus' village attack Pompey's forces to draw them into a fight with Caesar's army, but Caesar's soldiers already seems to be retreating.
Gabrielle leads the attacks against the Romans.
Although Gabrielle, with her belief in the sanctity of human life, does not want lead the villagers to their deaths, she is familiar with Caesar's strategies and realizes that the maneuver is a trick. Gabrielle calls the attack.
Gabrielle is unable to throw a spear and kill which ends up getting someone killed.
As her troops fight, she sees a Roman soldier attack Phlanagus from behind. Gabrielle tries to make herself throw a spear and kill the attacker, but she can't quite do it. Temecula releases an arrow and shoots the Roman, but too late. Phlanagus is also mortally wounded - but the plan works and the two Roman forces attack each other.
"It doesn't matter where you go, Caesar. I'll follow you."
After leaving Caeser and Pompey in the underground caves, Xena destroys Caesar's troops that were hiding in reserve. When she finishes with the troops, she arrives upon the scene of the battlefield. She finds the dead and dying are everywhere: her plan has worked. Caesar and Pompey crawl to the surface and find their armies in ruins. They resolve to return to Rome and renew their struggle.
"Everything, everything worked out just like you said, almost everything."
Meanwhile, Xena is left to help Gabrielle sort through her feelings about war and her inability to save Phlanagus. Gabrielle cries to Xena that everything worked out like she said, almost everything.
"It was a good day of fighting."
Xena sings at his funeral. Xena tells the widow that her husband died for peace. Gabrielle tells Xena she could have saved Phlanagus. How does she live with that? Xena tells her that it was a good day fighting, that she has come to believe that all of this has to have a purpose. Gabrielle looks over at Temecula, the young archer who killed the Roman. She tells Xena, she has to talk to him, to tell him that there was a reason, it was a good day of fighting: that he did what he did for the greater good. She gets up and walks over to him as Xena looks on.
Disclaimer[]
No permanent battle scars were inflicted during the production of this motion picture.
Clips[]
Background Information[]
Behind the Scenes[]
- Stephen Lovatt, who plays Phlanagus in this episode, will later go on to be the third and final actor to play Hades.
- This episode premiered the same night as the HTLJ episode, "Render Unto Caesar", which also featured Caesar in a prominent role.
Key Events[]
- This episode marks the first time Gabrielle leads an army into war.
- Gabrielle tries to kill in this episode, which would have made it her second kill in the entire show (exculding "Remember Nothing").
- Gabrielle intercepts an incoming spear in this episode: a feat she previously displayed in "Death Mask", where she caught an arrow with her staff.
- When Temecula asks Gabrielle what it's like to kill someone, she replies by saying that it "changes everything". This is what Xena said to Gabrielle, as Gabrielle had previously said when she killed Meridian in "The Deliverer".
Goofs[]
- Despite many slashings and stabbings during the final battle scene neither Xena's nor Phlanagus' swords have blood on it. This may be an intentional production choice to keep an appropriate TV rating.
Other[]
- Chakram Count: 1
- to disarm the soldiers attacking Phlanagus and the villiage.
Memorable Quotations[]
"There were only two guards."
"I know. Otherwise I would have had more helmets."
"You've done this before."
"A couple of times."
Links and References[]
Main Cast[]
Guest Stars[]
- Stephen Lovatt as Phlanagus
- Karl Urban as Julius Caesar
- Darren Young as Brutus
- Jeremey Callaghan as Pompey Magnus
- Stephen Butterworth as Carminus
- Tyler Read as Deirimus
- Caitlin McDougall as Nogalin
- Caleb Ross as Temecula
- Steve Matthews as Olivas
References[]
People[]
- Xena
- Gabrielle
- Phlanagus
- Julius Caesar
- Pompey Magnus
- Brutus
- Carminus
- Deirimus
- Nogalin
- Temecula
- Olivas
- Crassus (Mentioned)
- Vercinix (Mentioned)
Gods[]
Places[]
Other[]
- The Deliverer (Events Mentioned)
- When in Rome... (Events Mentioned)
[]
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| #01 | Adventures in the Sin Trade | #09 | Past Imperfect | #17 | The Play's the Thing | |||
| #02 | Adventures in the Sin Trade II | #10 | The Key to the Kingdom | #18 | The Convert | |||
| #03 | A Family Affair | #11 | Daughter of Pomira | #19 | Takes One to Know One | |||
| #04 | In Sickness and in Hell | #12 | If the Shoe Fits... | #20 | Endgame | |||
| #05 | A Good Day | #13 | Paradise Found | #21 | The Ides of March | |||
| #06 | A Tale of Two Muses | #14 | Devi | #22 | Deja Vu All Over Again | |||
| #07 | Locked Up and Tied Down | #15 | Between the Lines | |||||
| #08 | Crusader | #16 | The Way | |||||