In response, the governor, Tiberius orders his men, led by Brutacus and Tobias, to crack down on the Jews and Christians.
The first episode introduces the family of Samuel, Diana, their son Macky, and their rarely seen parrot, Pontius, who live in Delta Quarter on the port of Alexandria.
In episode two, Macky and Rebecca have an encounter with a girl named Portia while riding horses.
Episode three introduces the characters of Miriam and Nathan, Samuel and Diana's friends, as well as fellow rebels.
The entire first season is primarily a series of journeys, trying to protect rebels without the Governor or his cronies finding out.
The people inside are starving, whilst the Romans grow desperate to break through the city walls.
One is Isaac, who pretends to be senile most of the time, but is actually an active member of the rebel underground.
He also meets a Roman officer named Lucius, widowed father of two young children and secretly a Friend of Jesus – he was one of Paul's guards, many years earlier in Rome.
Towards the end of the siege, Macky takes greater risks, and is finally captured by the Romans.
Antonius has an enemy in the Senate named Marcus, who blames all the Empire's woes on the Friends of Jesus.