Waiting in the Wings story
Rome, AD 3–5. Gaius has died and Tiberius has been banished to Rhodes for his mistreatment of Julia, who has used his absence to have a series of hedonistic affairs and orgies. One day in the garden, the young Claudius catches a wolf cub dropped from an eagle's claws, leading a seer to predict that he will protect Rome in an hour of need. Livia's scheming continues: knowing of the mutual attraction between Claudius's sister Livilla and Julia's son Postumus Agrippa, she arranges their betrothal to other people; she enlists Lucius' friend Plautius as a spy against Julia, and tricks Lucius into revealing Julia's infidelities. A grief-stricken Augustus banishes her from Rome. The death of Lucius in a boating accident (implied to be caused by Plautius on Livia's orders) ends Tiberius' exile and he returns to Rome to be named, along with Julia's surviving son Postumus, as co-heir to Augustus' throne.
30 total · 2 choice · 6 major · 22 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| courtly intrigues | choice | The plot turns on people of influence jockeying for power in the imperial court of Caesar Augustus. Notably, Livia plotted behind the scenes to clear a path for her son, Tiberius, to become heir to the imperial throne. In another thread, Livia compelled Plautius to betray his best friend to expose Julia's promiscuity. |
| life in Ancient Rome | choice | The drama is mainly set in 3-5 AD within the imperial court of Caesar Augustus in Rome. |
| embarrassing family member | major | The story led up to Augustus being humiliated when he found out about Julia's manifold indiscretions. He responded with rage and vindictiveness. Antonia was ashamed of her lame, stammering boy, Claudius. |
| father and daughter | major | A main storyline culminated with Julia being reluctantly banished by her father, Augustus, on account of her rampant promiscuity. |
| husband and wife | major | Livia plotted and schemed behind Augustus' back. |
| parental disappointment in a child | major | Augustus was devastated when he found out about his daughter Julia's manifold indiscretions. He responded with rage and vindictiveness. |
| promiscuity | major | A main storyline culminated with Julia being reluctantly banished by Augustus on account of her rampant promiscuity. In one notable scene, Augustus blew his top when confronting a bunch of noblemen with whom Julia had allegedly fornicated. Augustus was on a crusade to make the bachelor aristocrats in his court settle down and father legitimate children. |
| romantic infidelity | major | A main storyline culminated with Julia being reluctantly banished by Augustus on account of her rampant promiscuity behind her husband's back. |
| Ancient Roman mythology | minor | Those in the courtyard swore by Jupiter and Mars to keep secret Domitius' reading of Claudius catching the wolf cub. |
| anger | minor | Augustus flew into a rage when confronting Julia's numerous lovers. |