After her father's assassination, Julia Marcia, in order to maintain her status and fortune, marries Flavio Metello, the new proconsul. With this aim, he convinces the weak-minded Flavius Metellus to assassinate the proconsul and accuse the Christians of the crime leaving a cross on the scene to implicate them. The greedy and unscrupulous chief treasurer, Publio Cornelio, plots in the Senate to conquer power. Gradually, Esther and Stephen fall in love. Meanwhile, Esther is befriended by a fellow slave, Stephen, who is a Christian like the two sisters. She orders her main servant, Afra, herself a former slave, to lash Lea frequently. Marco Valerio's obvious interest in Lea's beauty and sweetness drives Julia to cruelty. These beautiful and educated slaves command a high asking price so Marco Valerio buys the sisters for Julia Marcia who pays for the transaction.ĭuring a dinner party at her father's opulent palace in Tarsus, Julia Marcia has Lea sung for her guest, but her Carthaginian aria displeases Julia who orders Lea to be harshly punished. Marco is immediately smitten with the blond sister, Lea, while his friend, Tullius, a Roman soldier, is attracted to the other sister, Esther, a brunette. While together on an excursion through town, Julia and Marcus come across to an auction where two sisters of Carthaginian origin are sold as slaves. She is in love, but unrequited, with her friend the tribune Marco Valerio. However, Julia is reluctant to comply with her father's wishes. This would leave Julia's future settle and Flavius could succeed his future father in law as governor of the province. Julia's ailing father wants to betroth her to Flavius Metellus, a member of the Senate who is in love with her. Beautiful and proud, Julia Marcia, is the spoiled daughter of Julius Tiberius, the Roman Proconsul of the province of Cilicia in the city of Tarsus.