Demetrius is tried for assaulting a Praetorian guard, and because he cannot prove that Marcellus freed him, he is sentenced to the arena. Caligula's Praetorian Guards arrive, offering a reward for the robe, and Demetrius is able to hide it in Kaeso's rooms, although he then fights with the soldiers over their rough treatment of Lucia. Kaeso's innocent daughter Lucia is awestruck by the robe and also by Demetrius, with whom she is infatuated. Peter decides to travel and leaves the robe with Demetrius, and later, Demetrius visits his friend Kaeso in the run-down section of Rome, which is primarily inhabited by Christians. The next day, Marcipor gives the robe to one of Christ's disciples, Peter, "The Big Fisherman," and Peter attempts to comfort the Greek Demetrius, Marcellus' former slave and good friend. Claudius' beautiful, younger wife Messalina, whose ambition and infidelities are well-known throughout Rome, tells Caligula about the robe and encourages his belief that it is a magic talisman capable of protecting him from death. That night, at the palace, Caligula questions his uncle, the scholarly Claudius, about Christianity, and whether Marcellus and Diana will live forever, as their Messiah promised.
Marcellus' beloved, Diana, accompanies him as he walks toward the arena, and just before they leave the palace, she gives the robe worn by Christ to Marcellus' devoted servant, Marcipor. After the death of Jesus Christ, Roman tribune Marcellus Gallio, who converted to Christianity after participating in Christ's crucifixion, is sentenced to death by the mad Emperor Caligula for refusing to renounce his faith.
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