Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) arrive in time to help a Greek mercenary, Phlanagus (Stephen Lovatt), 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 (Karl Urban). Caesar's army is battling the forces of his archrival Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan) and the fight has crossed the border of Greece. 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.
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. 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. As her troops fight, Phlanagus is mortally wounded - but the plan works and the two Roman forces attack each other.
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. Meanwhile, Xena is left to help Gabrielle sort through her feelings about war and her inability to save Phlanagus. She realizes that through his sacrifice, the peace Phlanagus wanted for his family has finally come.
Guest Starring: Karl Urban (Julius Caesar), Stephen Lovatt (Phlanagus), Jeremy Callaghan (Pompey), Darren Young (Brutus), Stephen Butterworth (Carminus), Caleb Ross (Temecula), Caitlin McDougall (Nogolin), Tyler Read (Deirimus), Steve Matthews (Olivas), Nigel Harbrow (Patrol Centurion), John Loof (Roman Scavenger/Messenger), Peter Ford (Artillery Man), Lance Dunne (Pompey Messenger/Spy), Roydon Muir (Agrilius)
Starring: Lucy Lawless as Xena, Renee O'Connor as Gabrielle
Written by Steven L. Sears
Directed by Rick Jacobson