Burebista

The Dacian king Burebista unites the Dacian lords under a single banner, seeking to shield his realm from Rome. The high priest Deceneus persuades the nobles to swear allegiance and accept a centralized authority. This moment marks the birth of a structured, militarized Dacia.

Burebista imposes a rigorous regime of military training to defend Dacia's borders. The new discipline strengthens the king's control over the armed forces. The move signals a professional, ready-to-fight state prepared for looming Roman pressure.

Refugees arrive from Rome, including Calopor, a former gladiator who fought with Spartacus. He brings tales of slave uprisings and combat experience that inspire the Dacians. Burebista welcomes them, recognizing their military value.

Burebista learns of Julius Caesar's ambitions and the fierce rivalry with Pompey. He senses Rome's expanding reach could threaten Dacia's autonomy. The news shapes his cautious, future-facing strategy.

Mithridates VI of Pontus and Greek states ask for Burebista's aid against Rome. He agrees to assist and dispatches Calopor to Greece to assess the situation. The alliance makes Dacia a rising player in Mediterranean power politics.

Calopor travels to Greece and encounters his former girlfriend Lydia, who has been forced to marry the Roman aristocrat Hybrida. Hybrida insists on games in his honor, pressuring Lydia and the city. Calopor prepares to act against Hybrida.

In the arena, Calopor intends to strike at Hybrida. Hybrida pulls Lydia in front of the weapon, and she is killed by the trident. Horrified, Calopor seizes the moment and kills Hybrida, signaling the start of a broader uprising against Roman rule.

Calopor's act sparks a general uprising; Burebista's cavalry defeats the retreating Romans, turning the tide of battle. The Dacians celebrate a hard-won victory that solidifies Burebista's leadership. The Romans are pushed back, and Dacia gains breathing room.

A messenger reveals Mithridates has killed himself to avoid capture, but leaves a letter urging resistance. Pompey also writes requesting Burebista's help to curb Caesar. The dual news deepens Burebista's sense of Rome's unstoppable expansion.

The Celtic Boii raid Dacia, enslaving villagers with the help of a Dacian traitor. Burebista learns the raid's success hinged on guards being drunk, and orders the destruction of grapevines to deny the Celts prosperity. He seeks to negotiate, hoping to avoid a costly war.

Breza the druid fans fanaticism and refuses to negotiate. The looming war threatens to weaken both sides and invite Caesar's invasion. Deceneus warns that a solar eclipse will compel the Celts to submit through fear of the gods.

During the eclipse, Burebista uses the prophecy to intimidate the Celts and force their surrender. The Celts capitulate and release their captives, while Breza flees. Calopor pursues Breza into a building, where Breza stabs him. In his dying moment, Calopor reveals that he is Burebista's illegitimate son, and Breza is captured and executed by being thrown into the altar pyre of Epona.

With the Celts subjugated, Burebista consolidates a strong, unified kingdom that stands against Rome. He weighs Rome's ambitions and the potential for further expansion, especially into Dacia. The realm's unity appears resilient, even as external threats loom.

In Gaul, Caesar proclaims conquest and expands Roman territory, signaling the growing pressure toward Dacia. After defeating Pompey, Caesar's campaign would soon reach Dacia, but the Roman general's assassination abruptly ends that trajectory. Burebista contemplates mortality and insists that the unity he forged can outlast even kings, gazing over the mountains as his head merges with the rock that opened the film.

The film closes with Burebista's vision of an immortal nation, as Deceneus notes the transience of life and the king's influence on the land. His form seems to merge with the rock from the opening shot, symbolizing a permanent bond between ruler and landscape. The legend of Dacia's unity endures beyond the man who forged it.