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Episode 13 Old King Log Players
in this episode are:
| Claudius |
Fourth Emperor of Rome. |
| Narcissus |
Claudius freedman and assistant. |
| Pallas |
Claudius freedman and assistant. Agrippina's lover. |
| Agrippina |
Claudius' niece, one of Caligula's sisters. Mother of Nero. Claudius'
fourth wife. |
| Nero |
The last of the Julio - Claudian Emperors. Seen in this episode as a
youth. |
| Britannicus |
Claudius' son. |
| Octavia |
Claudius' daughter. Married to Nero. |
This episode takes place from 48 to 54 AD - It opens with Claudius now dead and Nero
and Agrippina searching for the will (to ensure that Nero will inherit rather than
Britannicus). They stumble across the family history and begin to read……
After Messalina's execution, both Narcissus and Pallas want Claudius to
remarry and both have candidates to suggest. Pallas wins out with his backing of Agrippina
the Younger (he's also her lover), who is Caligula's surviving sister and Claudius' niece.
Claudius appears to not be concerned with the incest involved in this marriage and, tipsy,
agrees.
|
Marriage brokers. |
Agrippina is obviously a shrew. She offers Claudius some interesting diversions, but he
is "marrying you for your mind, not your heart." If he gives her power, she
says, she intends to use it. That's what he has in mind. He wants her to help him govern.
Still, there's something odd about this.
Nero the wimp. |
As time goes by, she turns out to be just as bad as predicted. She's the
worst combination of everything. "Messalina with brains.", Narcissus says.
Claudius seems not to care. He backs her and her wimpy son, Nero, at every turn. He takes
Nero's side against his own son, Britannicus. |
He even adopts Nero and marries him to his daughter, Octavia. Narcissus is having a
fit. By doing this he's fallen into the plan she had in mind all along. Claudius explains
that it's all been written (in the suppressed Sibylline verses) and can't be altered. He
has a plan to restore the Republic.
He thinks he's been too good, he says, and has blunted the people to this monarchy. By
choosing Nero, the people will rise up since he will be horrid. Britannicus, meanwhile, is
to be spirited out of Roman territory and hidden by allies of Caractacus in northern
Britain. Unfortunately, Britannicus doesn't buy into this plan and the whole thing falls
through. Maybe he'll confound the prophecy.
Claudius, knowing the end is near, bids farewell to the Senate. He has an interesting
trance where he sees all the departed family members as they were in his youth.
Agrippina finally pulls off the murder. She's been unable to get to him
because of the protection of Narcissus. So, unable to poison his food, she poisons her
own. When he wants seconds on mushrooms one night, she offers him the rest of hers and
feeds them to him. He knows, but eats them anyway.
|
 |
According to the Sibyl, Nero turns out just as bad as predicted. Nero eventually kills
Britannicus, Octavia and his mother too. He'll be overthrown in the end. But the system is
too strong, and goes on for another four centuries.
"Farewell, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus. God of the Britons. Onetime
Emperor of the Roman World." Audio
|
