Plot
Outline
Cast
Homework
Timeline
Audio and Video
Suetonius
Links
Guestbook
Email
Download
Search
Home |
Episode 4 What shall we do about Claudius? Players in this episode are:
| Caesar Augustus |
First Emperor of Rome. Now elderly. Tiberius' step-father. |
| Livia |
Augustus' wife and mother of Tiberius. |
| Tiberius |
Livia's only surviving son. Now Augustus' assistant and joint heir.. |
| Germanicus |
Son of Antonia and husband of Agrippina. Seen in this episode as a young
man. |
| Postumus |
Grandson and joint heir to Augustus. Daring and adventuresome. Fools
around. |
| Livilla |
Daughter of Antonia and wife of Castor. She's manipulative and likes
Postumus. |
| Antonia |
Widow of Drusus. Mother of Germanicus, Livilla and Claudius. |
| Claudius |
Youngest son of Antonia and Drusus. Seen in this episode as a young man. |
| Herod Agrippa |
Future ruler of Judea (39 - 44 AD). Seen in this episode as a young man. |
| Castor |
Tiberius' son by Vispania and husband of Livilla. |
| Agrippina |
Daughter of Julia and wife of Germanicus. Seen briefly in this episode. |
| Urgulanilla |
Claudius' first wife. Seen briefly at the end of the episode. 6'3"
and 200+ pounds. |
This episode takes place between 4 AD and 10 AD. It opens with a tipsy Claudius
remembering a family dinner. Everyone except Castor is there. They are stuffed and drowsy
and half listening to the famous Roman author and poet, Horace. Augustus lavishly praises
Horace and criticizes Ovid (not present). Ovid is "too smutty", he says. (Ovid
is chiefly remembered for the sensuality of his writing. He was later banished to Tomi on
the Black Sea by Augustus, perhaps in retaliation for his role in Augustus'
granddaughter's adulteries.)
Claudius is obviously an embarrassment to everyone and he stammers and twitches as he
and the other guests depart. There's a brief discussion of what to do with him at the
upcoming games when a courier arrives from Germany. Disaster has stuck the Roman Army on
the Rhine! Quintilius Varus and the 17th, 18th and 19th
Legions were drawn into an ambush
by the Germans. The Army has been slaughtered, nearly to the last man.
Only Cassius Chaerea and a little band of 120 men managed to cut their way back to the
Rhine bridges. (80 made it.) The Roman provinces in Gaul lay open to plunder by the
Germans. Tiberius is dispatched with the few available units. More troops will follow as
they are raised, equipped and trained. Audio
|
Augustus learns the details of the ambush. |
Meanwhile, we get to see more of Claudius. He meets the famous Roman historians Pollio
and Livy in the library. He displeases Livy by overcorrecting him in his search for a
manuscript. Then, in his conversation with Pollio, he's told that his father was poisoned.
Pollio gives him good advice. "If you want to survive, exaggerate your stammer and
twitch.", he's told. "No one will think you're worth killing." He
inadvertently follows this advice at the games in honor of his father. After bumbling his
way around the Imperial Box, he faints at the brutality of the gladiators.
Livia draws Livilla into the plot. |
At Livia's suggestion, Germanicus is sent to the Rhine with reinforcements
for Tiberius. (To get him out of town?) Livia's spies have established the clandestine
meetings between Postumus and Livilla. Livia confronts Livilla with this and draws her
into a plot against Postumus. Audio |
| Livilla secretly invites Postumus to her room and when he gets there,
fakes an attempted rape. In spite of Postumus' explanation, Augustus believes Livilla and
banishes him to "a small rock". Before he can be shipped off, however, he slips
the guard and tells Claudius all before he's recaptured. |
Augustus threatens Postumus. |
At the end of this episode, Claudius finally gets married. They all meet the bride at
the ceremony. She is Urgulanilla - well over six feet tall. Everyone bursts out in
laughter except the stoic bride and groom.
|
