Remember,
one heart, one soul.
I baptize you
in the name of the Father,
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
I baptize you in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Blessed, you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed, you who are crying now,
because you will be laughing.
I baptize you, Leda,
in the name of the Father, of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
I baptize you, Indira,
in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
Blessed be you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed be you who are hungry now,
because you will be satiated.
And they brought along a woman discovered committing adultery.
So to test Him, they asked Him,
"Lord, this woman has been discovered
committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commands such women to be stoned to death.
What do you say?"
So Jesus
turned and bent over
and started to write in the sand with His finger.
But they insisted.
They were already holding stones
and continued to provoke Him.
He stood up and said,
"Let the one among you
who is without sin
to be the first to throw a stone at her."
Hearing that,
they dropped their stones,
and one by one, they all left.
So Jesus remained there alone with the woman.
He asked her,
"Woman,
where are your accusers?
Did they not condemn you?"
And she said, "Not one, sir."
And Jesus said,
"Neither do I condemn you. Go.
And from now on,
do not sin further."
And His voice? What was His voice like?
It lights a flame in your heart
that will never be extinguished.
- What did He write on the sand? - He was a carpenter, wasn't He?
He must have been strong.
What was His face like? How did He look at you?
I cannot answer all these questions.
I never lived with Him.
But I have a friend
who knew Him better than anyone else.
How many miles have these feet walked?
Even I do not know.
It's time for them to rest a while.
We've grown old, Peter.
You must rest now.
When you were young,
you dressed yourself and you went where you pleased.
But when you grow older,
you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not wish to go.
Follow me.
Peter. Peter.
Are you Peter?
Who are you?
My name is Mark. Paul sends me.
- Paul? - The Christians in Rome
wish to meet you, Peter.
You were the first among the apostles, the rock,
chosen by Jesus.
You were the first to have seen Him risen.
They wish to listen to you who lived with Him for so many years.
- Paul is waiting for you. - In Rome?
Yes, in Rome. I will show you the way.
Why do you ask me to leave again?
What can I do in Rome?
I'm old, Jesus, old.
You have no idea what it means to be old.
You don't know.
Forgive me, Lord.
Forgive me.
Forgive this... this stupid fisherman...
and allow him the joy of following you.
Are you sure?
- What shall we do without you? - It's not I who wants it,
but Jesus who wants me to.
Take all our greetings to Paul.
You must accompany me with your prayers.
Pray until you see me return.
There she is... Rome.
An immense city.
I can see it,
and I'm frightened by it.
- One gets used to it. - You think so?
Yes, Peter.
If I didn't know that Paul was there,
I would have already turned back.
Peter.
Are you asleep?
You couldn't stay awake for one hour?
Peter,
the hour has come.
- I must go. - Where are you going, Lord?
The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners.
Do not go, Lord. Death awaits you.
Rise.
We must go.
- Peter. - Rise. We must go.
Peter. Peter.
Peter, wake up.
They're opening the city gates.
Welcome to Rome, Peter.
We must go through there.
That is the district where Paul lives.
Even if I could speak every language on earth
but did not have love,
my voice would have no sound.
And even if I had the gift of prophesy
and knew all the mysteries of science...
and was endowed with sufficient faith
that I could move mountains
but did not have love,
I would be... nothing.
We're almost there.
Lay all this aside...
anger, passion,
malice.
Do not lie to one another.
Here there are no longer Greeks,
Romans, Jews, barbarians,
no slaves or freed men,
because we are all brothers,
all sons of the same Father,
because Christ is everything,
in everyone.
- Christ. - Paul of Tarsus,
I declare you under arrest!
You were warned!
Let's go.
Paul!
Paul has done no wrong! This is not right!
Calm down, Lino, or they'll arrest you too.
Go! Go back home! Go!
You must all leave! Go!
Go home! Go home!
Mother, I...
- I... - Silvia!
Where are you going? Silvia!
Don't worry, Fulvia. You'll meet again at home.
Keep moving.
Go on! Go on!
Mark! You've come back!
- Did you see it? - Yes, I saw it.
- But who? - That's Peter.
Come with me.
It's dangerous to stay here.
Lino is a brother.
May the Lord bless your steps, Peter.
A teacher of rhetoric. He belongs to a noble Roman family.
- Why have they arrested Paul? - They had warned him
not to preach in public.
There will be a trial now. He risks death.
Take me to him.
They will never let you see him without a permit.
Do not despair. Gather all the brothers together.
- I wish to speak to them. - Forgive me
for allowing myself to be overcome by despair.
Your arrival here today
is a sign from God.
We will wait for you on the other side of the Tiber
at our meeting place.
- Mark knows where it is. - Certainly.
The Vatican Hill.
Thrace! Thrace! Thrace!
You'll never get him to your party, Flaminia.
I'll give it a try all the same.
- Flaminia. - Persius.
It is an honor to see you in my arena.
Will you honor me with your presence at my party, then?
Tomorrow evening. Nero too will be there.
How could I possibly miss it?
Rather, how could we?
My son and I.
Claudius would be the joy of all the young ladies.
And I will ever be more pleased if you bring...
Thrace.
You ask the impossible. You know that.
Thrace exists only in my arena.
I will permit him to keep his mask if that is the problem.
Thrace doesn't like social events.
He's a slave of yours. A word from you is enough.
All the gladiators of Rome
would do anything for an invitation to my parties.
Thrace is different.
I swore to him that no one would ever know his real name,
nor will anyone ever see his face.
I keep my promises,
even those made to slaves.
I'm sorry, father.
I, uh... I will return immediately.
I must speak to a friend.
Don't you... don't you want to see Thrace win?
But it won't be the first or the last.
- I'll come with you. - Not now.
- Kill him! - Death to him!
Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!
Silvia!
Silvia, what are you doing here?
I know we had sworn never to see each other again,
- but... - What's the matter?
I...
I need your help.
I understand.
I shouldn't have come.
Silvia.
I'm listening.
Are you wondering where Paul is imprisoned?
Wherever he may be, he is always in my heart.
Our brothers are on their way.
Here they are.
Oh, my brother, you did not leave me alone, did you?
- It's him. - It's him.
Oh, no, please stand up.
I'm just a man like you.
- You are much more than that. - You lived with Jesus.
You are the chosen one... for us all.
It is as if Jesus himself was here. It's true.
- You are much more than a mere man. - You spoke to him.
You heard his voice.
You will have Paul released, won't you?
God sent you here for this.
How will you do that, Peter? How will you save him?
With a miracle, won't you? The way Jesus taught you?
Only the power of God can save Paul.
But the trial will be held tomorrow.
If you don't do something to help him, they will sentence him to death.
The Lord will not allow that, will he?
That would be a defeat for all of us.
With these eyes...
I saw the death of our Lord Jesus.
I saw his body in the sepulcher...
and the stone that sealed it.
I too feared death, then,
like you who fear for Paul now.
I saw Jesus rise from the dead
with the same eyes that had seen him dead.
And since then...
I have never never feared.
- Mommy! - Mother, Mother!
Come.
Come here.
They look like you, Anna. They look like you.
It's a little untidy.
Oh, it's fine just as it is.
We are slaves. We can only offer you this small house.
Daddy, you're back!
- I'm back. - This is David, my husband.
This is Peter. He arrived here today.
I know all about him. I was told on my way here.
Welcome to my home. I'm honored to have you as my guest.
I've heard that they have arrested Paul.
Mommy, I'm hungry.
I'll make you something to eat right now.
He's tired. He works so hard.
You must forgive him.
I know the tiredness from hard work.
You feel it even more
when you're a slave.
But your husband has you
and you have him, and together you have children.
If you feel loved and respected by those you love,
then you also feel free.
And most of all,
no man is a slave in his own home.
This is your room.
Please rest now.
Dinner will be ready in awhile.
Thank you. And...
God bless you.
"What can separate us from Christ's love?
Perhaps circulations, persecutions,
and the danger,
the swords.
Neither death nor life
shall separate us from the love of Christ, the Lord."
Let Paul of Tarsus be shown in.
- My brother. - Paul of Tarsus, you are charged
- with having preached in public... - My brother.
...despite the ban imposed by Nero himself as a condition for retaining
your temporary freedom after your previous arrest.
It has been a long day, and we are tired.
Well, you have this much time to beg forgiveness from Caesar Nero
and to burn incense in honor of his genius,
acknowledging him as a divinity
who guides and protects all Romans.
Otherwise, you shall be beheaded.
God does not ask one to burn incense...
but to love one's neighbor
as one loves one's self.
I have entrusted my life to him.
Praise be to the Lord Jesus.
Paul of Tarsus, your yourself pronounce
your own death sentence.
Do you not have a lawyer who can advise you?
Thabeus Quintillius,
please, allow me to defend...
You're an excellent teacher of rhetoric, Lino, but you're not a lawyer.
And in the absence of a lawyer,
this court sentences Paul of Tarsus...
One moment.
I am Claudius Maximus, son of Persius.
I'm a lawyer, and I will defend Paul of Tarsus.
The crime he's accused of is a serious one
and is punished with the death sentence.
But, although he's a Jew,
Paul of Tarsus is a Roman citizen,
and therefore I request that he be judged
personally by the Emperor Nero,
a right that every Roman citizen can claim.
This is a miracle. No one could have hoped for this.
You were right, Peter. One must have faith in the Lord.
What will happen now?
Now that Claudius has obtained a postponement of the trial,
Nero himself will decide Paul's destiny.
In the meantime, the death sentence is suspended.
- Who is this Claudius? - He is the son of Persius,
a Roman with a great influence over Nero.
Here he comes.
The Lord guides your steps.
I only did my duty.
Claudius, this is Peter.
He lived with Jesus, and he was chosen to guide us.
I'm not a Christian.
I admire you all the more for what you have done.
What do you think he will do at the audience with the emperor?
Nero would never revoke the death sentence.
But he might if my father asked him.
And will you convince him?
I will try.
I would like to see Paul.
Can you help me in this?
I will get you a permit, but...
this must remain between you and me.
I'm sorry, but I must go now.
Thank you once again.
May God bless you.
You were wonderful.
I don't know how to thank you. I know how much it cost you.
It cost me a great deal more not to see you for all this time.
I know,
but we have already discussed this.
You and I will never be able to be together.
Nor can we be apart.
You have many more distractions than I do.
Look, if you mean what you saw there...
You weren't ashamed of her, were you?
Of course you weren't.
She's rich
and not a Christian like me.
I couldn't care less that you are a Christian.
I don't even care what I am.
Look at me in the eyes
and tell me it is all over.
I must go.
My mother is waiting for me.
Silvia, I love you.
L... I have already suffered enough.
Please, Claudius, stop it.
Maybe you really do love me,
but you didn't even have the guts to tell your father.
Or perhaps something has changed?
I have learned how to wait.
- Without me... - You learned to become a good fisher...
of men.
I met Claudius.
He has something of that...
of that light that you have in your eyes.
The others, however, are still fragile.
They need a strong leader.
Jesus will guide them, just as he guided us.
He will guide them through you.
Through us.
Ah. God willing.
God willing.
Sit. I have heard
that Thomas has arrived in India.
And Philip in Mesopotamia,
James in Spain, Matthew in Ethiopia
and your friend Matthias
is in Alexandria with the Jews.
Always among the Jews, right?
But I know that he has converted
and baptized many pagans of his own free will.
All in the same boat.
One heart, one soul.
Let the brothers of Rome come onboard as well.
- We will do it together. - You are the one called upon
- at the helm. - With you beside me.
I believe that...
this time...
it's Jesus who wants me by his side.
I do not think I will leave this place alive.
When the time comes for us to appear before God...
we'll await His judgment in silence.
Then He will look at us,
He will look at you,
and He will take you in his arms.
Father.
I was expecting you.
- How are you today, Grandmother? - As always,
but if she were able to understand what I'm about to tell you,
she would be happy.
I've spoken to Nero. Your path is cleared.
Within a year, you will be a senator.
You're pleased, aren't you?
- Of course. - Well,
why are you jeopardizing everything with your behavior, then?
I know that in court today you defended a Christian,
a certain Paul of Tarsus.
- Yes, Father. - Why did you do it?
I'm in love with a Christian girl.
So what they say is true after all. Her name is Silvia, isn't it?
I know what you think. I tried to leave her, but...
It was useless.
Well, marry her then.
- Father! - She will have to give up her faith.
You cannot risk your career by marrying a Christian.
- This is all I ask of you. - It will not be easy for her.
If she loves you, it will be extremely easy.
And if she cares about your future,
I assure you that the gold we will cover her with
will make it easy for her to forget who she was.
I will do as you say, Father.
But there is one thing I ask of you.
Will you intervene with Nero on Paul's behalf?
You know what Nero thinks of Christians,
and you know what I think of them.
Yes, I know. I think the same,
but I simply wish to keep my word.
- Given to your Silvia? - Not only to her.
Also to her mother and to a certain Peter.
Did you say "Peter"?
Yes. Yes, he's a Jew.
He lived with Jesus, but why are you asking?
It is he... Peter.
Thanks to him, your grandmother is the way she is.
Let's play on Mommy and Daddy's lap!
- You are very good with children. - I love kids.
This is just what they need...
love, tenderness, affection
and, most of all, a happy family like this one.
Thank you, Peter.
When I'm married, I would love to have many children.
You'll have to find a suitable husband first.
- Master. - Who gave you permission
to admit strangers into my house?
- Forgive me, Master. - I did not give you leave to speak.
- And pick up the pieces! - Who are you?
This is Persius, Claudius's father.
I'm surprised at you, Lino.
You answer on my behalf,
you mix with my slaves,
yet I knew you to be a good Roman.
For us, there are no slaves, just men.
Of all your blasphemies, this is the most serious,
- Peter. - You know my name?
I know it well enough to tell you to keep away from my son.
And from this city.
Don't touch her.
We are not your slaves.
Hmm.
I understand my son.
You are very beautiful.
There is no hope left for Paul now.
You've been fighting for me for five years...
and yet you still manage to surprise me.
Five years.
Soon you'll have the right to freedom
for yourself and your family.
This was our agreement, and I respect agreements.
But first I must ask you a last sacrifice.
I'm asking you to do a difficult thing for a man like you,
but...
you always win.
And betting on you doesn't pay
- as it used to. - And so?
So next time you will lose against Brennis.
- If I lose, I die. - And I will win a nice sum of money.
My son's career is costing me many sesterces, you know.
Clearly, I will not have you killed.
You'll have a return fight against Brennis.
If you slay him,
you will be free.
You and your family.
You have my word.
One last thing... you must keep me informed
about... Peter.
I want to know everything...
he does.
- Can I fold that one, Mother? - Hello, little one.
This one is beautiful!
Please, Mommy?
- Leave me alone. - I can't do anything for Paul anymore.
You can't do anything for Paul. You can't do anything for me.
You can never do anything!
- Listen to me now. - No, you listen to me.
I trusted you, and I would have braved
anything... anything for us.
Do you mean that you no longer love me?
I tried not to love you.
But I can't help it.
Marry me, then.
I spoke to my father. He doesn't oppose our love.
- Are you serious? - Yes!
For you I found the courage to come out in the open.
Now it's you who must give me proof of our love.
- Tell me what I must do. - Give up your home...
your faith, and then you will be my wife.
Give me time.
Paul of Tarsus,
as judged by the Emperor Nero Caesar,
if view of your violations
of the ban of preaching in public,
and your refusal to burn incense
in honor of the emperor's genius,
acknowledging him as
the God who protects and guides
us Romans,
the emperor sentences Paul of Tarsus...
to death...
by decapitation.
I hate this city.
I cannot bear living here anymore.
- Rome is not Nero. - Well, what is it, then?
How would you describe a city that sentences a man like Paul to death?
Someone who has preached love for the Lord?
Citizens, Romans,
in two days' time in the amphitheater
there will be a great duel
between Brennis the barbarian
and Thrace, the champion of all champions!
- The faceless gladiator! - Murderers!
- In two days' time! - Shame on you!
- A duel between Brennis the barbarian
and Thrace!
Murderers!
Calm down, Anna, calm down.
Go back home to your children.
It's all over, Peter.
It's all over for us.
No, Anna.
When we bear our cross as he did,
he's closest to us.
Don't do it. Don't.
You taught me to love, mother.
Claudius!
- Welcome to your home. - We were expecting you.
Come.
This is where we dine.
And we'll have a triclinium added for you as well.
Come.
My love.
Take courage, my son. Introduce Silvia to your grandmother.
It is time that she too should know.
Do you remember the words of the prophet Isaiah?
"Look at the rock from which you have been carved...
at the quarry
from which you have been extracted."
I look at you,
and I see the rock from which I was carved...
the quarry from which I was extracted.
"And Jesus broke the bread
and said...
'Take and eat of it, all of you,
because this is my body
offered for you.
Do this as a memory of me."'
What do you think? After a blow like this one,
will the Christians say that Paul of Tarsus too
will rise from the dead?
Don't worry about me any longer.
It's you Jesus has chosen.
I find it hard this time to follow His will.
You. He chose you,
and He continues to do so.
Look after His flock.
From Jerusalem to Rome to the four corners of the earth.
This is only the beginning.
Peter, this time I'm afraid.
Jesus was afraid when He was on the cross.
- But I am just a man. - Jesus became a man
to be like us, even with fear.
Who will separate us from Christ's love?
Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
The sword? Persecution? Pain?
Neither life nor death will separate us
from our love in Christ, the Lord.
Peter?
No one will come today.
You must forgive them.
Their suffering for Paul's death is too painful.
No, it's not just that.
If Nero sentences Paul, all Christians are in danger.
They... they're simply afraid.
It is a question of time.
You will see that soon they will once again find their strength and faith.
You will help them find their faith.
You will help them find it again.
Me?
Why me?
I'm returning to Capernaum,
to my home.
An ignorant fisherman
in the largest city in the world.
How could I have been so proud?
I had never seen this sea before traveling to Rome.
This...
I would not even know how to cast the nets in this sea.
I'm a lake fisherman.
Small lake.
I'm nothing else.
What are we gonna do now?
He cannot abandon us like this.
What will become of us?
You can't go now, Peter!
You can't!
Peter!
- Peter! - Peter, you cannot abandon us!
- Peter! - Remember who you are!
You are Peter!
Who do you say I am?
You are the Messiah,
the Son of the living God.
You are blessed. You are blessed,
Simon, son of Jonah,
because this is revealed to you
not by flesh or blood, but...
by my Father, who is in heaven.
And I say to you, you are Peter.
And on this rock,
I will build my church.
You are Peter.
And on this rock,
I will build my church.
Peter...
Forgive me.
I have not abandoned you.
I will not abandon my people.
Let us go and find our brothers and comfort them.
Come.
- Peter. - I waited for you on the hill.
We've all been working very hard.
Please, please.
David came home with good news, Peter.
He will soon be a free man. We too. We will be a free family.
I am pleased.
We will need everyone to help gather all the faithful.
As Paul said before he died,
"This is only the beginning."
Rome is becoming a dangerous place for us Christians.
All I know is that we must stay united as Jesus asked.
I hope so will all my heart,
but I do not wish to endanger my family, especially now
that we will soon be free.
Do not make things hard for us, please.
- Anna... - Oh, Fulvia.
Not even you and Silvia were at the hill.
Silvia has gone away.
She went with Claudius.
She went to his house.
I wish my husband were still alive.
Rome has changed.
It's frightening now.
Frightened. You're frightened.
You're all frightened.
The 12 of us were also frightened
that evening so many years ago.
No one had ever seen such a storm before.
I held on firmly
to the helm of my boat while James,
John and the others were trying to bail out the water.
And what did Jesus do in the middle of all this commotion?
Jesus slept.
So we woke him,
and angrily we told him,
"Are you not worried that we'll all die?"
He looked at us
and he turned to the wind
and to the lake,
and he said,
"Be silent. Be calm."
And the skies and the lake obeyed him.
They obeyed him.
But he continued to stare at us,
and he asked,
"Why are you afraid?
Do you not yet have faith?"
I understand your problems
and I understand your pain,
but the path of the Lord cannot stop here.
If you do not want to follow me,
I will turn to others...
others who have not yet heard
the word of Jesus.
Wait, sir. Don't you like?
Sir, come here.
I have something for you.
I know how to please.
- Let me please you. - Get off me!
Brothers, sisters,
listen to me, please.
Move on, old man. There's nothing for you around here.
Get out of here. Don't try this on us.
I'm not here to take. I'm here to give...
to give you the word of the Lord Jesus.
Then you have really made a mistake here.
We are all sinners here.
But it is not the healthy who need the help of a healer.
I am not here to call on the righteous.
I'm here to call on... on the sinners
who need to repent, who need to convert.
Convert her, then. She's worth three sesterces,
and you've got all night.
She's Licia, and she's better than all the others.
Three sesterces, and you can have all night
to convert her.
Is your life worth so little?
Would you pay more? What can you offer me?
- Forgiveness. - Not even my mother has forgiven me.
- God is willing to. - I have exhausted
the patience of all the gods.
My child, believe me,
God has already forgiven you.
Is there really such a god?
Considering the valor
shown in so many fights
and the many pleasant hours,
we owe him.
I propose
that the great Thrace's life
should be spared.
- Life for Thrace! - Life for Thrace!
You deserve these.
You deceived them all.
It is something I'm good at.
Now we wait for the return match.
Kill Brennis
and you will be a free man.
Anything to tell me about Peter?
He is...
he's still speaking of Jesus...
...to no matter who.
He never gives up, hmm?
He's not that kind.
You admire him. Be careful.
He will ruin your family...
as he ruined mine.
Let's go.
Here.
This way you'll get some fresh air.
What's that sadness in your eyes?
To think that I also fell in love with your smile.
It was a gust of wind.
I fell in love with your honesty also.
What's the matter?
Nothing.
I just need a little time,
and then I will be as happy as I was before.
As happy as you were before?
And I, who had thought I had given you everything you ever dreamt of.
What are you lacking?
Jesus is true happiness.
Jesus is true love.
Blessed be you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed be you who are hungry now,
because you will be satiated.
Blessed be you who are crying now,
because you will laugh.
You who are rich, beware,
because you have already received your reward.
Beware you who are already satiated,
for you will experience hunger.
Beware.
Beware, those who now love,
because they will experience torments and misery
and sadness.
Bravo. Very effective.
Really.
Now you even come to preach under my house.
Here I am, Peter, here I am.
I am rich, well-fed and healthy. Should I be ashamed?
Why on earth should I?
Who is this god of yours?
A god who is displeased if I enjoy life?
"Blessed be the poor,
the hungry."
I have experienced hunger,
poverty and desperation,
and I did not feel blessed at all.
Now, I wonder,
what is your real objective?
Is it not perhaps that...
that you and those like you experience
a subtle pleasure in seeing people suffer?
And are you happy now that you have everything?
No. Do not answer me.
Answer to yourself.
I will speak to those
- who are listening to me. - I'm listening, Peter.
Be good to those who hate you.
Pray for those who vilify you.
Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.
What merit is there in loving those who love you?
You should instead love your enemies
and give without expecting anything in return.
Then your merit will be great,
and you will be the children of the Almighty.
And so be merciful,
just like your Father is merciful.
Peter? Peter?
Peter.
Pe... ter.
Grandmother!
This is the first time I hear...
I hear her voice.
Where are you going? What do you think you're doing, Silvia?
Claudius, your grandmother heard Peter's voice
and spoke his name!
She spoke! Do you understand?
Don't you even want to know why?
Stay with her. I will go.
- Peter, Peter... - Peter, bless us.
Peter!
Bless us.
What do you want?
Peter!
Silvia. How good it is to see you again.
How is my mother?
The sadness in your eyes reminds me of hers.
This way.
Avinia,
Cornelius's wife in Japha.
Such a long time ago.
She's your grandmother.
The mother of Persius, is she not?
You see? He knows her.
Did you need proof of this?
Yes, Cornelius was my father.
It was you who influenced him with your chatter.
You clouded his mind to the extent that he abandoned everything.
He started to travel.
Always traveling,
preaching the absurdities that you call the word of God.
Because of all that nonsense, because of you,
my father was arrested along with my mother...
and they were both sentenced to death.
Look.
I'm the one who saved her from death.
I arrived just in time to save her from her executioners.
My father was already dead.
But she lost both consciousness and speech from the pain.
Because of you!
Now you must ask for her forgiveness.
You must kneel before her
and ask her to forgive you for all the ill you have brought her!
Bless me.
And forgive...
my son.
Now...
I can die...
in peace.
Mother?
M-Mother?
Mother.
Mother?
You have killed her!
Get away! Get out!
Leave!
Wait, Silvia. Wait.
Don't do it.
Your grandmother has helped me to understand
that I cannot recant my faith.
Come away with me.
If you leave this house,
you will never return.
You're talking like your father.
But I love you!
Don't go then.
I can't... I can't make you happy
if I lack inner peace.
I cannot.
Now only you and I are left here,
my son.
Peter!
Peter.
- Mother. - Silvia!
- Try again. Come on. - I won.
Here. Come on.
- I won again. - Who's there?
- Peter! - Peter!
Peter!
I was afraid you were angry at us.
A father can scold his children,
but he doesn't abandon them.
- Go, go. - Stay with us.
- Sit down, Peter. - Let's play a game.
Thank you. Thank you, David.
Go and play in the other room. Thank you.
- All right. - Come on. In the other room.
Is all well?
For those who believe in Jesus, everything is always well,
even if you don't know it.
It is hard to believe this, when you are not free to do
what you believe is right,
or when you're not brave enough to do it.
Can you get it?
Oh, let me do that.
I've got it.
Look what I found. How beautiful. It's a mask.
I'm bringing the dishes.
- Supper is ready. - Who does it belong to?
Maybe it's Daddy's.
Don't let the supper go cold.
It's kind of heavy.
Come and sit down.
Do as your mother asks,
And don't say anything of this.
Not a word, huh?
Hey, this is between us.
- All right. - It's our secret.
I am not what I seem.
A brave man is what you seem.
- What are you in fact? - A killer.
I fight in the arena, and they call me Thrace.
But only Persius knows who I really am.
How long have you been doing that?
Since I came to Rome.
I know what you think of me.
I am a sinner and will not escape the punishment of God,
but I have chosen freedom for my wife and my children
in exchange for my desperation and my torment.
And did Persius offer you freedom?
All I have to do is win the next fight.
And kill the next opponent.
You do not know how much it costs me...
him dead...
and me free.
Free from Persius, perhaps,
but free from Thrace?
From his torment?
The sword? The money?
The friends? Ourselves?
None of all these things can make us free.
And... and what does, then?
The truth.
Only the truth can make us free.
Thrace! Thrace! Thrace!
- Throw it. - Got it.
Mother, where's the ball?
- Come in and play with us. - Catch.
Mommy, can we play with Daddy's mask?
What mask?
May my soul praise the Lord,
and may all that is within me bless his Holy name.
He forgives our sins
and cures all disease,
saves life from the grip of death.
He crowns you with grace and forgiveness.
The Lord is good and merciful,
slow to anger and great in love.
He does not take account of our sins
and does not let us return to our failings.
As the heavens are deep above the earth,
so is His forgiveness
for those who fear Him, like a Father
has pity over His sons.
Let it be so with David, Lord.
Show him the path to his freedom,
because You know what we are ordered
and You remember
that we are dust.
Thrace! Thrace! Thrace! Thrace!
Death! Death! Death! Death!
Death! Death! Death! Death! Death! Death!
Truth.
Only the truth can make us free.
You've never seen my face!
The time has come for us
to look at each other.
My name is David Bene Salem.
This was to have been my last fight.
If I had killed my opponent,
thanks to the blood of this man
I could have returned to my land with my family
a free man!
But I had forgotten
that the blood for my freedom
has already been shed...
the blood of a young Nazarene, Jesus,
the Son of God.
Thanks to that blood,
I'm already free.
I'm already free!
Save him, I beg you.
Do it for me.
Now let us return home.
You are my home.
You are my love.
Paul's death...
his death has meant a long journey through the desert for us,
a desert in which we feared
we might get lost.
But God
provided us with a guide
who did not stop walking...
Peter.
Thanks to him, we are all here today
united in joy.
Happiness is to be found in the Lord.
It is a part of Him, like love
and hope.
It is also like the sky above,
and like this breeze that blows gently,
like a caress from His hand.
As I look at you here and now in this joy,
I am sure of this...
till the end of time,
Rome will be the heart of the Lord's church.
Let us give thanks to Him
with a prayer that Jesus taught to me
and that I will give to you today.
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
- Quickly! We must go! - What is it?
Rome is on fire! Quickly!
- Get the children! Quickly, quickly! - Come, children.
- It's all right. - Come on, now, hurry!
This way!
Over there. That's the water.
What do you want to do?
We're more likely to be killed by the smoke than by the fire!
Yes, I know, but we must cover our mouth and noses.
For the smoke. Here.
Whatever happens, don't stop and keep on walking.
Go!
Silvia!
Silvia...
Silvia!
Master!
- You found him. - It's a miracle he's still alive.
He was in the Subura near the homes of the Christians,
they say this is where the fire started.
They say it's the fault of the Christians.
By blaming the Christians,
Nero has run to safety once again.
Even if some of the senators believe it, it was he who started the fire.
To build himself a villa on the ruins.
Persius may enter.
For your own sake,
I hope you have something really important to tell me.
I know who the leader of the Christians is.
His name is Peter.
Swines! It was you!
Criminals! You must burn!
Christians! Curse them! There are more in there!
Damned arsonists!
There they are! Up there, at least two families!
No. No, please. We've done nothing wrong.
Please!
Fulvia, Silvia, we must leave immediately!
Nero has blamed us for everything.
- The Praetorians are coming to get us. - No, but Peter?
He's waiting for us. Let's go.
Cover your heads. We mustn't attract attention.
Why are you arresting them?
They're Christians. They set Rome on fire.
- Are you one of them. - I'm not,
but they seem good people to me.
- Who said it was them? - Nero, the emperor.
Claudius!
You're a Christian too, huh?
No, Silvia...
- where's Silvia? - Don't worry.
- Silvia! - She must be right behind us.
There is a trapdoor here. Peter and the others are hiding here.
No. No no, something's happened. Wait here.
Silvia. Silvia. Silvia!
Oh, they've taken her from me. They've...
oh!
Where is Silvia?
Look!
This is all that's left of my daughter!
Are you satisfied now?
You wanted desperately to attract attention.
Well...
Nero has noticed us now.
- Fulvia... - Leave me alone!
- It's Mark! - The appointment is for tomorrow
at the Appian Way at dawn.
Peter!
How many of us will be leaving Rome?
Leave Rome?
You mean you want to flee?
What else can we do?
Stay here and wait for them to kill us?
I'm not leaving.
I'm not leaving my daughter behind.
I'm not coming either. Rome is my city.
But don't you see? If we stay,
they will slaughter us all!
It is madness to stay here. Many have already been imprisoned,
and we cannot remain hidden forever.
You're right, David. You must leave.
I'll stay here with the others.
No, l...
I will stay.
Your life is precious, Peter.
You are our guide.
You bear witness to Christ.
It is your duty to live. And together with you,
those who can survive also have the right to live,
because they represent our hope.
If they survive, they will be able to return one day,
and you will be with them.
It is only with us
that not all will be lost.
There are hundreds of them,
but they will be unable to leave without you.
You are the only one they trust, Peter.
Lead us away, Peter. Nero has already killed hundreds of brothers,
and he will not stop until we all are dead.
Even those who have been arrested will tell you to leave.
Tomorrow we will be on our way.
We leave Rome.
My brothers and my sisters,
my children,
my people have experienced many nights
such as this one,
when evil appears to prevail,
that God chooses to hide the good
in His mysterious ways.
I wish to remember one in particular with you.
It was the night
that Jesus was arrested.
That night,
Jesus took the bread...
gave thanks to God,
then he broke the bread
and offered it to us
and pronounced words the true meaning of which
I understood only later.
He said,
"This is my body...
in sacrifice for you."
Then he took
the chalice of wine,
gave thanks to God,
and said,
"This is a chalice of my blood
for the new and eternal testament
shed for you
and for all
for the remission of your sins."
Claudius, what are you doing there?
Come over here. We're having a great time!
I've invited all these people,
these friends, girls, all of Rome.
- You could at least smile. - Hey, stop! You may not enter!
What do you want? What are you doing here?
Silvia... she's been arrested!
- She's alive! - Not for long if we don't do something.
Help her, please! I beg you!
Why do you not ask Peter to help you?
Peter left.
Did you hear?
This is the place.
There's nobody here.
Is anyone here?
Do not be afraid.
It is I, Peter.
We were expecting you.
Everyone is here.
Come closer. Come.
We must walk towards Ostia in short stages.
We must travel in small groups, no more than six people,
distant from one another.
We must not attract attention.
It will be a long journey.
You catch up with David and Anna's group.
We will join you when you decide to stop.
- All right. - Come, Mark.
I will go over there to pray.
You come and call me when it is time for us to go.
Of course.
James.
John.
Peter.
The time has come.
I must go.
Where are you going, Lord?
I am coming to Rome
to be crucified once again.
You will be crucified once again?
Yes.
I will be crucified once again.
We must go.
Peter. I'm sorry if I frightened you.
The time has come.
Yes, Mark.
The time has come.
Have you gone mad? Where are you going?
You will find your death in Rome.
I too said this to Jesus once.
I did not know then. I had not realized
that you need a great deal of love to understand.
You must never leave your children behind.
But your children are abandoning Rome.
Yes, Mark,
but most of my children are yet to be born.
We need you now. Why go back to Rome?
Peter, why?
Why?
Why did Paul come here to Rome?
Why did Jesus hand himself over
to his executioners?
It was He who taught us
that there's no greater love
than to give one's life for one's friends,
and I must follow Jesus to the end.
Even to the cross.
Peter...
Don't cry, Mark. Don't cry.
Go join the others.
But write.
Write down everything that I have told you. Omit nothing.
If Jesus has continued to love me
in spite of all the mistakes that I have made,
then no man must feel
unworthy of his love.
Fulvia, Claudius.
Have you seen her? Where is she?
They have been locked in the dungeons under the arena,
and they won't let anyone in there.
Burn them! Burn them all!
- There she is. Silvia! - Silvia!
Silvia, we're over here!
Silvia!
Claudius! Mother!
- Silvia! - Claudius!
- Silvia! - Mother!
Silvia!
Claudius!
Excellent. And how long will it be
before the ruins of the fire will be removed
and we can start work on my new residence?
Three months at the most, emperor.
Mmm.
Two months, and we can start work.
We have captured the leader of the Christians.
Really? Bring him here at once.
And so you are the leader of these fanatics, are you?
A miserable old man.
My name is Simon...
known as Peter.
Hey, Christians, get up!
Everybody get up! Out you go! You are free!
Nero has shown everyone how merciful he is!
Go!
Go go go!
Come on, go!
Go.
Mother!
- Silvia! - Oh, Mother!
Claudius!
Forgive me, my beloved. Forgive me.
How is this all possible?
Why did they free us all?
They captured Peter at the gates of Rome,
and perhaps this has placated Nero's thirst for blood.
What will become of him?
They will kill him.
Peter returned for us.
He returned for us.
We are all back.
Our Father,
who art in heaven...
Our Father, who art in heaven...
...hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom...
- Thy kingdom come... - Thy kingdom come...
...Thy will be done... ...Thy will be done...
...on earth,
as it is in heaven.
...on earth, as it is in heaven.
For Peter we pray.
Give us this day
our daily bread...
Give us this day our daily bread...
...and forgive us our
trespasses...
as we forgive those who trespass against us...
...and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us...
...and lead us not into temptation...
You have won, Peter.
None of us will ever be the same.
Rome will change forever.
...but deliver us... from evil.
...but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
I am not worthy to die
in the manner of our Lord.
Please, place the cross ups... upside down.
Upside down.
I will be with you every day until the end of time.