In return for my son's life,
I want you to take the life of one of Livia's.
Tiberius and I have sworn to restore the Republic.
If he ever sees you as a threat or problem,
you'll be dead.
I want you to take Germany.
This is a fucking enormous honor!
It's a ten-year suicide note is what it is.
And I'd be asking yourself why it's got your name on it.
I need to decipher his letters.
I never forget my friends.
Tiberius, I know you won't agree with me,
but now is the time to act.
Don't tell Mother or Piso.
We have to get him recalled from Germany.
There's a darkness there. It's consuming him.
Without your marriage to me, Iullus, you're nothing.
Oh, I know you're fucking Gallus.
If he gets you pregnant, you're on your own.
It wasn't Vilbia Julia was sleeping with.
Julia?
Uh, no.
I'm not doing this without a drink.
You don't do anything without a drink.
We can't stay here. We'll drown.
We'll never escape.
Left!
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Livilla!
So, Vistilius let it slip
that you've refused the recall to Rome.
Not refused, exactly.
More, sort of, postponed.
I just need some more time here
to agree the treaty with the Cherusci.
Drusus.
You can't be serious.
I explained it all nicely.
To Caesar Augustus? Are you mad?
Let me show you something.
I'm on the verge here.
The verge of something fucking incredible,
that nobody has ever done.
A whole new Roman province.
From the Rhine to the fucking Elbe.
Does Livia know about this?
I have not bled my army to death
in these fucking forests for the last four years
so some jealous old man can steal my honor
and hand over my victory to some undeserving fuck!
Just saying.
My beautiful love,
this is treason.
What the fuck?
Julia? Tiberius?
Children!
Lucius, Julilla, what are you doing up?
Get to bed!
Tiberillus.
Hey!
Livia, what are you doing here?
This is your baby.
If you say so. They all look the same to me.
This house is a toilet. Your children are wild.
You can talk, Mother.
You really set an example for everyone there.
Mother, we weren't expecting you back just yet.
What is Vipsania doing here?
You shame your family.
- I try. - Livia.
Shit.
Livia, they told me you were here.
Do you think Tiberillus is starting to look
a bit more like me?
I can see a bit of Julia in there,
not much Tiberius.
Do you think Tiberius would mind if I adopted him?
But you already have Gaius and Lucius.
But he's our only proper grandson,
the only one with your blood and mine.
Dominus.
Is that why you dragged me back from the country?
No.
We need to talk.
You're back again?
You're going to Germany. Now.
What?
You have to bring Drusus back.
He refused the recall?
I don't care how you do it.
Of course.
Does Stepfather know?
He found out days ago.
It's all right for now, I mean he's, uh,
he's been good about it.
Drusus is Drusus.
It's a direct challenge to his authority.
Not if it stays in the family.
If you get Drusus back, I can fix it.
But he has to come back.
Make sure you don't die, Father.
I'll look after everything whilst you're gone.
I know you will.
Castor, Uncle Drusus has been naughty,
and I need to go and fetch him.
You stay with your mother until I get back.
Come along there, Castor.
If anything happens to Drusus because of this...
I will never forgive you.
It's because of you he stayed there,
on the frontline, year after year.
I begged you to bring him home.
So did Antonina.
And you knew it was destroying him,
but you didn't care, because you wanted him to win.
He wanted it, too.
He's a child.
He needed a mother.
Bring him home, Tycho.
Ten days there.
Ten days back.
I sent Tiberius.
He'll be back in three weeks with Drusus.
Speaking of Tiberius,
Gallus came to see me while you were away.
He said he was sure Tiberius
had been seeing Vipsania behind his back.
Naturally I told him he must be mistaken,
because Tiberius
is now married to my daughter, Julia,
and nobody would shame my family like that,
least of all one of your sons.
Then the very next day
I get that letter from Drusus,
refusing my direct orders.
I don't believe in this treaty of his.
He should be in Rome.
He just wants to please you.
He is in charge of an army!
An army he could lead against me.
I need to know I can trust him.
He's Drusus.
That's all anyone needs to know.
Get the boys in line, Livia,
or I will.
Don't worry.
Has Piso ever talked to you about restoring the Republic?
Piso? He's 150. What a joke.
Fuck!
Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!
Livia, I heard you were back.
We need to talk.
Not a good time.
Ah, not for me either.
I'm pregnant.
What?
Who's the father?
Well, as you imply, it's obviously not Iullus.
We haven't been in the same bedroom for years.
Fortunately, there's a simple solution.
You leave Rome,
you give birth in the country, the child goes to a slave.
Don't be absurd, Livia.
I'm not spending the fucking winter
hiding in some dreary house in the middle of nowhere.
I'm very attached to the father,
and I want to keep his child.
Why shouldn't I?
Because it's not your husband's.
Quite.
So, you need to go to Iullus
and get him to accept the situation
and pretend the child is his.
Don't look at me like that.
You did it for Julia,
when she got pregnant with Tiberillus.
You make sure Tiberius shut his mouth
and raised the brat as his own.
Well, if you can get Tiberius to do that for Julia,
you can get Iullus to do it for me.
Because everyone knows
how my uncle dotes on Tiberillus,
the first true blood grandchild of Livia and Caesar Augustus.
Well, nobody wants scandalous rumors
about his paternity flying around the Senate.
Oh, and I suggest
you get a move on with this, Livia,
because I'm starting to show.
All right. Let's go.
I don't like this. You should have a proper escort.
They're disguised as merchants from Gaul.
It's a secret meeting. That's the point.
The Cherusci are taking a risk with this treaty.
And so are you.
We should be on our way back to Rome already.
It's not far.
I want to achieve one last thing before I go.
A treaty to give to Augustus.
The chance to consolidate our gains here.
You know?
Mm.
Germanicus.
Thank you, Livilla.
This will bring me luck.
Not that I need it.
We're going home. Come on, you two.
Let's get packing.
There's been a leak. Someone's betrayed you.
Maybe Drusus, too.
Gaius can't know for sure,
about me, us, the Republic, everything,
or we would be dead. Certainly I would.
Look...
when Tiberius brings Drusus back,
everything will calm down.
You've handled Drusus.
You just need to handle everything else.
Need to handle Domitius. You need to handle Julia.
She's a drunk. The kids are feral.
Tiberius is fucking Vipsania.
Marcella is blackmailing you.
Your husband wants to adopt Tiberillus,
which clearly you can't allow,
some other fucker's bastard at the heart of the family.
I've lost control.
Just need to clean house, Livia.
- I know. - Before the boys get back.
Are you happy, Ballomar?
Yeah, sure.
Me, too.
You know what my philosophy of life is?
No, tell me.
- I don't have one. - Hmm.
Look at my brother.
He's the second cleverest person I know.
All those books he reads, Plato and the other one.
Is he happy? No. He's miserable.
Or my mother,
who is the cleverest person I know.
She's forever thinking about something or other.
Thinking away.
Does it cheer her up?
Does it fuck?
Drusus.
Here. For you.
Your time has come.
Death is waiting.
It's a trap, General! Run!
Look out!
Aelina?
I've made the arrangements.
All right.
Let's clean house.
Shh.
Get off. Fuck off!
Fuck off.
Gaius, Julilla, Agrippina, and Castor,
you will stay here for now until I say otherwise.
Your schooling will resume.
This is your tutor.
All right, good luck with that.
The children will stay with us for a while.
Right, Domitius. Let's go.
Antonia, we need to talk, too.
Iullus, please wait for Livia in her room.
What's this about?
Your husband is the next governor of Africa.
He'll be gone for some years.
Oh, does he know that?
Gaius is telling him now.
He's going to hate that.
So will I.
You will stay in Rome with your children.
Oh, I thought you'd be happy.
It's true my marriage has been extremely trying at times,
but still...
it feels disloyal.
You are too nice.
Your mother was right.
Yes, she complained about it constantly.
I suppose I should thank you.
What I need is your help...
with Julia and Iullus.
Livia has sent Julia to dry out on our family estate.
When she sobers up,
Livia wants you and I to help her remember her duties,
as her two oldest friends.
Wait, is she locked up out there or something?
Fine.
Anything else?
Yes. Marcella's pregnant.
And she wishes to keep the child.
And what?
She wants me to pretend it's mine.
It would be better for the family,
for everyone... - But not for me.
Iullus, we can't have another scandal.
I won't do it, Livia.
Not for you or the family
and never for Marcella.
Now that I finally understand how this family works,
I assume sidelining me in Africa was your idea?
This is Rome.
Women have no ideas.
As I recall, I respected your wishes
about Julia's marriage.
But then you got Vilbia's brother to kill me.
But I-I admire that. I do.
It took imagination and guts.
But where does it all end?
I think we should make up, you and I.
Your father was one of the great Romans.
I admired him very much. Yours was not.
I despised him.
Yes. It's different burdens to bear.
Mm.
What did you have in mind?
I will keep your secrets,
and support your ambitions with my husband.
And in return?
I own you.
Governor of Africa, huh?
That's practically a reward. He tried to kill us both!
It's no use being emotional.
I like being emotional!
He's more useful to us alive, and you know it.
But Marcella's not.
You're not serious?
Iullus won't raise her child.
That is an issue.
She's been a problem for years.
- I know. - And I've been very patient.
But still, the risk.
Hmm.
Tiberius Claudius Nero!
Alert the General!
Tiberius!
How did you get here so fast?
Where is he?
The wound's gone bad.
I've seen it a thousand times.
There's nothing to be done.
I'm afraid you're just in time.
And just so you know...
he can't see.
Who's that?
Antonina?
It's me, Drusus.
And your brother.
Tiberius?
Brilliant.
Just in time for the squalid and violent death
you always so cheerfully foretold.
You're not going to die.
Yes, I am.
No, you're not.
Tycho.
I'm glad you came.
Tiberius isn't going to be of much use.
I suppose Mother sent you up to drag me home.
She's going to be furious about this.
I'm glad I'll be dead.
What happened?
A German warband, random ambush.
They got a little girl to hold them up
and then attacked them from the sides.
He got a spear through the leg.
A German guide carried him home when night fell.
The others were killed.
We were coming home, Tycho. I was all packed and ready.
Hey, hey.
It's hard for you, I know.
But it's only death.
In the end, we all go over the river.
I'm looking forward to meeting Grandfather
and seeing Antigone again...
and that cunt Marcellus.
He'll still be seething Mother poisoned him.
Yes.
Don't be sad.
I did everything I wanted.
I drank, I...
I gambled, I fornicated,
and I married,
and I loved...
and I went to war.
I gave my wife children and...
brought no dishonor on my family,
which not many people would have bet on.
No.
I would've liked to see the kids grow up...
and take Livilla to her wedding.
Will you do that for me?
Of course.
And then you can finish what we started.
No.
That's over.
Without you,
the Republic...
No.
It isn't.
- Yes, it is. - No, it isn't.
- Yes, it is. - Swear to me.
Swear you'll do it.
For me.
Mother will make the arrangements.
All you have to do is turn up and smile.
Please.
I swear.
I want you to end it.
We both know where a wound like this goes.
You can't ask that of me.
Yes, I can.
No, you can't.
Yes, I can.
Tycho will help you.
Sorry I'm late.
You're always late.
You never answered my question, about adopting Tiberillus.
That's a great idea, thank you.
I think about the future a lot now.
The grandchildren,
the Rome they'll live in.
- Iullus tries hard. - Mm.
And Domitius is a good man.
- We can trust him. - We can.
But I worry about Drusus.
Yes. Well, he has no interest in politics.
Hmm.
And Tiberius has no ambition.
Hard to believe they're both yours.
I know.
Lately, I've been really feeling the weight of it all.
Maybe it's just age.
Sometimes I just think... fuck it.
I should just hand it all back,
for real this time,
restore the Republic...
retire.
Open that whorehouse in Pompeii we always dreamed of.
I could, you know.
The Senate would take it from me.
It'd make your father happy.
You want to give away everything we've built?
Fuck you.
And fuck the Republic.
If you ever talk about this again,
I'll divorce you.
Get a message to Piso.
Fuck.
I'm still here.
I'm ready.
Call Antonina.
Sleep well, Drusus.
Tycho?
Take care of everyone.
Tell Antigone I miss her.
Tiberius.
It's okay.
Please.
I welcome it.
Thank you.
Don't marry again.
Never.
Mother.
Will you write to Rome?
We should tell the men.
Daddy.
Livia. There you are, at last.
How's it going?
Julia's still pretty furious.
Keep her locked up.
I won't change my mind, so don't start.
I won't.
Then why did you wanna see me?
It's time to pay your debts, my love.
Wait here.
I'm not a slave.
Who knew?
Your message was, um, alarming.
Gaius knows about Drusus, the Republic.
He was testing me last night. Me!
If he knew, he wouldn't be testing you out.
But how can he know and not know?
Then who's the leak? Marcella?
I don't know either.
Well, we'd better find out, Livia.
Our lives depend on it.
I wanted to thank you...
for bringing my brother back.
I know he trusted you.
He trusted everybody.
That's why he's dead.
Are you telling me
that my brother's death wasn't an accident?
It was, sort of, but...
sort of not.
It was always going to end like this,
and he knew that.
Vistilius... He just said to wait.
Vistilius loved my brother.
Not just your brother.
Can someone please see to Claudius, please?
Yes, Domina.
His body is ready to go back...
when you are.
Listen, Antonina...
after your mourning period, you'll marry again, of course.
And when that time comes, I hope you'll consider me.
Obviously, that will be your uncle's decision but...
I'm sure he won't object.
Vistilius.
I want to take my brother home now.
It's about time.
I haven't seen or heard a word from Iullus.
He's out on your family estate.
I assume you dealt with him.
Well, he understands the situation.
He'll raise the child as his own?
He has conditions.
Conditions?
He expects you out there
at your convenience to discuss them.
All right.
Thank you, Livia.
Finally. He could get lost in a bedroom.
Hello, Iullus.
You look much better.
She is much better.
Antonia can't know. Nobody can.
Our secret.
Forever.
What the fuck?
I love her.
I always have.
Oh, the gods.
It was you?
- It was you all along? - It was always him.
What, and this is your condition?
That I keep your secret in return for mine?
No, Marcella.
I'm afraid not.
We know you'd never do that.
Do you feel bad?
Not at all.
This is your last chance, my love.
Get away from me.
Keep on going and never look back,
because I will destroy you and everything else completely.
I know.
But somehow...
it always seems better than the alternative.
Welcome back.
It's done,
as is our debt to you, Livia.
I've alerted the slaves that she's missing,
but... it might be days before they find the body.
And when they do, you're going to tell everyone
she came to you about her pregnancy,
wracked with guilt and shame and desperate for a way out.
I did what I could, but...
She took her own life, like a Roman.
Leave that to me.
Livia!
Uncle wants to see you.
It's Drusus.
True then?
He died of his wounds.
Father's putting it out that Drusus fell from a horse.
He feels it would be bad for morale
if people knew that their greatest general
had been killed by Germans.
But even I think that's just mean.
Where's Livia?
Well...
that's it.
It's over now.
So...
you're giving up?
You're just going to let Drusus die for nothing?
How dare you?
You made a throne for Rome
and you put your husband on it,
and you're just gonna walk away from that,
so that he can hand his tyranny on to some fucking relative?
You don't inherit Rome.
That's a fucking insult.
You have to take it,
and we are going to take it.
We are going to take it back.
You are going to end this tyranny with Augustus.
Your father died for that.
So did your son.
You don't get to walk away.
You don't.
I'm Livia,
daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus,
and I walk where I want.
From Drusus.
I'm sorry, Mother.
Don't be too disappointed in me.
I tried my best.
But Tiberius will help you finish what we started.
I made him promise.
Your son, Nero Claudius Drusus.
I have something to tell you, Mother,
but you're not going to like it.
Drusus was betrayed.
The day after Drusus died,
Vistilius proposed marriage to me.
I was shocked.
The niece of Augustus
is a startling match for Vistilius.
His family are provincial nobility,
nothing more.
Yet he told me that he was certain
my uncle would agree.
All of which naturally started us thinking
about Stepfather and Vistilius.
And then we remembered
the letter that Drusus wrote to Tiberius
about restoring the Republic.
And we remembered the courier
that Drusus trusted to deliver it.
Vistilius.
Yes, that's how Gaius knew about everything.
"Don't tell Mother or Piso," that's how it ended.
That's why you're still alive.
And that's why he sent Drusus to war
and kept him there.
It wasn't an honor.
It was a death trap.
Yes.
And Vistilius knew all along,
because he was a spy for my uncle.
And there's the dilemma, Mother.
Without Stepfather, you're nothing.
If you take your revenge,
you'll lose your power.
If you keep your power,
you'll spend the rest of your life
with the man who killed your son.
But he didn't die entirely in vain.
No.
At least I'm free,
released from your hopeless quest
to restore the Republic.
That dream died with my brother.
You should have killed me when you had the chance.
Yes.
Yes, I should.
My money's on power.
Is he right?
Which is it?
- Revenge or power? - I will have both!
And Vistilius?
I want him dead.
And I won't wait.
You won't have to.
Gaius will take care of that.
I should have brought him home years ago.
I should have asked you.
You were right,
everything you said.
Are you gonna put Tiberius on the throne after Augustus?
Yes.
Undo everything he's done, bury his legacy?
I will.
Now you're gonna have to burn the whole fucking house down
and everyone in it.
Good night, Piso.
Good night.
Oh, Tiberius, I just wanted to see if you're all right.
Tiberius?
Wait.
Oh, it's you.
If you see Tiberius, send my love.
I want to be alone with my son.
Dominus.
You're not my son, of course.
But you are Tiberillus, grandson of Augustus.
And I know you're innocent of all of it.
The lies...
the killings...
the vengeance.
Everything that made Rome great.
But life isn't fair.
But on the bright side,
you'll never have to run for Consul.
Or worry...
about restoring the Republic
of Rome.