Plot
Outline
Cast
Homework
Timeline
Audio and Video
Suetonius
Links
Guestbook
Email
Download
Search
Home |
Episode 7 Queen of Heaven Players
in this episode are:
| Claudius |
Youngest son of Antonia and Drusus. Almost everyone still thinks he's an
idiot. |
| Agrippina |
Daughter of Julia and widow of Germanicus. Leader of the anti-Tiberius
faction. |
| Tiberius |
Livia's only surviving son. Now the aging Emperor of Rome. |
| Livia |
Augustus' widow and mother of Tiberius. Now no longer 'in' with her son. |
| Sejanus |
Commander of the Praetorian Guard and Tiberius' principal assistant
Ambitious. |
| Caligula |
Agrippina and Germanicus' youngest son. Seen in this episode as a young
pervert. |
| Castor |
Tiberius son and husband of Livilla. He is a political opponent of his
father. |
| Livilla |
Claudius' sister and wife of Castor. Mistress of Sejanus. |
| Herod |
Claudius best friend. One of the few people that does not think he's a
fool. |
| Antonia |
Daughter of Mark Antony and mother of Livilla and Claudius. Traditional
matron. |
This episode takes place in 26 AD - Tiberius is now in his late sixties and unloved by
the people in spite of his efforts for Rome. He also, apparently, has begun to practice
some deviant behavior. At dinner party given by a Roman matron,
Lollia, and her husband, she relates a summons to the palace for her
daughter. Tiberius made a blatant, perverted pass at the daughter. To save her, Lollia
offered herself instead. Tiberius accepted the offer. Now she can't live with the memory,
so in front of all the assembled guests, Lollia takes her own life.
|
Lollia can't stand the memory of Tiberius. |
Tiberius, having grown resentful over his mother's meddling, has some time since ousted
her from government and his life. They are barely on speaking terms. Instead, Tiberius has
come to rely more and more on the advice and counsel of the Commander of the Praetorian
Guard, Sejanus. He has spies everywhere and uncovers one treasonable plot after another.
This, of course, vastly increases his power. There are even copies of his bust being sold
all over Rome.
Tiberius has ordered Livia's horoscope. |
Castor and Tiberius argue over the influence that Sejanus has. Castor
obviously holds Sejanus in disdain. Little does he know that his wife and Sejanus are
lovers. She evens drugs Castor to have an evening with Sejanus. Perhaps a stronger drug
can take him out permanently and then the lovers could be together forever. |
On Livia's birthday, Tiberius presents her with her horoscope. "To know how much
longer I have to put up with her.", he says. (The answer is less than a year.) She
has invited Claudius to dinner. Very unusual. In the past, she could barely stand the
sight of him. Caligula is also there. To show his confidence in her, Claudius chugs a
goblet of wine. She makes both of
| them promise to make her a goddess. After Caligula leaves, she reveals
why. She admits to the long list of eliminations to "avoid another civil war"
which Augustus would have brought on with his favoritism. Mortals go to hell for what
she's done, but goddesses get forgiven and go to heaven. She gives Claudius a scroll of
suppressed Sibylline Verses which predict Caligula and then Claudius will follow Tiberius
as Emperor. |
Livia tells Claudius all. |
Sejanus and Livilla carry out their plan to eliminate Castor. They even flaunt the
relationship as he lies on his deathbed. To further his rise in status, Sejanus tells
Claudius that his wife, Urgulanilla, is pregnant. "It's got nothing to do with
me." Claudius says. He's talked into divorcing her to marry Sejanus' sister. Claudius
agrees. "You blockhead!", Antonia says later.
 |
Finally, Livia is dying. Caligula repudiates his promise, but Claudius
reaffirms his. When she slips away, Claudius places a coin in her mouth "to pay the
ferryman for the journey." |
|
