Synopsis

A woman helps her friend to escape from prison and as a result is crucified. No titles. The film opens with a scene in the garden of a Roman brothel during a feast to Venus. The soothsayer Sabina arrives and reads bad omens in the hand of the woman present. She is not believed and is led away by the pimp Ceramico, after which the celebrations continue (44). Meanwhile inside, the prostitute Clio confides in her friend Nica she has a secret affair. The pimp Ceramico arrives and chases Nica away. The woman's lover, the gladiator Icelo, secretly arrives, recounts his recent exploits and promises to free her from her slavery (157). The couple say goodbye in the gardens, after which the man leaves in a row boat. Ceramico arrives leading the wealthy patrician Sava and his entourage whilst Clio hides. The patrician presides over a reception at which Ceramico presents various women to him as slave. Sava rejects other women but is smitten with Clio. He offers a pearl necklace which she rejects, throwing it to the floor. Ceramico whips her and locks her away in prison (283). Clio begs Nica to warn Icelo. Nica galops through woodland. At the gladiator school, a wrestling match is in progress, followed by a match between Icelo and another man using short swords. Nica arrives and tells of Clio's imprisonment and Icelo returns with her (474). Outside the cell, Icelo stabs the guard with his sword and rescues Clio (519). All three run through the woodlands where the couple takes leave of Nica, who is subsequently found by Ceramico and crucified as punishment. Afterward, the escaped couple walk by and, terrorised, they notice the crucified woman who saved them. They take down her body and bury the body in a glade. As they are doing so, a group of friends arrives and leaves flowers by the grave. Sava arrives too and, seeing the escaped Clio, orders his soldiers to arrest her but Icelo intervenes and in the ensuing struggle he stabs Sava to death (743). Some time after, the couple is walking past the grave where they find that flowers have taken root and are blooming (749ft). (Shotlist & Aldo Bernardini, Il cinema muto italiano, Vol. 1905-1909)