Liebentot, the daughter of the Gallic king, Gildebrune, was the most beautiful of all Europe but unable to find a suitor. A soothsayer on the day of her birth remarking the cadence by which the feather of a bird fell to the ground declared her to be cursed for him who first willfully broke her hymen, for he would die a terrible death. The princess was exiled to Rome where she soon was catching eyes from all corners of the city for the beauty that could tame tigers. She is taken up by a rich suitor, Polyeros, a Greek who did not practice coitus allowing Liebentot to remain chaste.
In the meantime another rich man, Florialis has fallen deeply in love with Liebentot. They exchange several impassioned letters. When their affair is discovered Polyeros is about to bribe the senate to have Florialis proscribed but Liebentot aware of his plans sends her slave, Brunto, to warn him. After a tearful goodbye Florialis heads for Syria promising to return one day but is stopped by General Tigranes. Tigranes, however, recognizing that once ago Florialis had saved Cicero’s life in battle offers secretly to give him immunity if he would fight alongside Caesar’s forces. Florialis agrees. Eventually his adventures end him up in Africa where Pompey is finally killed and Caesar becomes the most powerful man in Italy. Polyeros, and several other perceived threats to the state, are secretly proscribed for their association with Pompey.
Florialis returns to Rome to find that Liebentot, now 13 years old, had fallen into the hands of an aging Samnite gladiator, Sanctaformosa, who uses Liebentot to have sex every night. Florialis comes back and challenges Sanctaformosa to a gladiatorial match to win back Liebentot. He accepts. Though skilled as Florialis was, Sanctaformosa’s old style swordfighting was no match for Florialis. Sanctaformosa is about to deliver the finishing move when he is struck by lightning and falls dead.
