Ancient Rome's elite plot against the rioting citizens; a cunning Plebeian schemes to change his fate; Spanish brothers arrive to sell horses for the Roman Games; three African siblings are forcibly taken to Rome, followed by their vengeful mother.

Tenax and Domitian form a racing faction and recruit Scorpus; Antonia and Marsus undermine their efforts while Cala offers to help Tenax to protect her daughters; Emperor Vespasian ponders on his successor.

Kwame and Viggo bond over their ill-fated futures; the Gold Faction puts on a lavish display at the inaugural chariot races; Queen Berenice tries to convince Titus of his brother's treacherous plans to claim the throne; Vespasian chooses his heir.

Titus shuts down the Gold Faction to appease the Patricians while Scorpus, suspicious of Tenax's plan, joins the White Faction; Domitian orchestrates a grisly spectacle to show his strength; Tenax meets Ursus, a dangerous man from his past.

To save his image and cement his authority, Titus sends Berenice away and marries his cousin, a Roman; Tenax's dark past is finally revealed, and his chase for Ursus leaves someone dead; Kwame prepares for his fight with Flamma.

A dark day looms over Rome with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius; Titus punishes Marsus and the Patricians involved in a planned coup; Domitian convinces Titus to reinstate the Gold Faction; Tenax is dangerously wounded in battle.

Tenax reveals his past to Cala as she tends to his wounds; Scorpus grows increasingly jealous as the elder Corsi brothers, Andria and Fonsoa, win races for the Gold Faction; Kwame faces Flamma in a rematch; Tenax and Cala face off with Ursus.

Elia faces Scorpus in a head-to-head race for revenge; Tenax puts on a public execution for the Patricians; Cala finds evidence of Domitian's treachery and betrays Tenax to save Jula; Berenice and Antonia race to get proof to Titus in time.

Pitted against one another, Kwame and Viggo fight to the death to save their families; Tenax decides to spare Cala in exchange for her help; Domitian stops Titus from finding out the truth before it's too late.