A lavish banquet is held at the home of Patronius, a wealthy patrician. Since the death of his wife, Patronius has been spoiling his two daughters, Claudia and Antonia, to compensate for their motherless upbringing. The girls, however, take great pleasure in tormenting the household slave girls. When Antonia arrogantly rejects a marriage proposal from the nobleman Ultrix, the humiliation cuts deep. But fate turns suddenly: Patronius dies unexpectedly and leaves his estate to Ultrix. The truth is then revealed — Claudia and Antonia were never his real daughters, but mere slaves he never freed. Their lives are about to change forever in the second episode.