What Shall We Do About Claudius? story
Rome, AD 9. Three Roman legions have been massacred in Germania at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Tiberius and Germanicus are dispatched to exact revenge. While Claudius is in the library researching his family's history he is advised by the historian Pollio to play up his infirmities to enhance his place in his family as a harmless fool, and thus no threat to anyone. Augustus has determined that Postumus will succeed him as Emperor, but Livia overhears this. She tells Livilla she knows of her affair with Postumus and that during the Republic there was civil war and that a single ruler is needed to bring peace, so the succession can't be disputed. With Livilla's help, Postumus is framed for rape. Postumus tells Augustus Livia has been killing those who could prevent Tiberius succeeding but is not believed. Before he is banished, Postumus tells Claudius his (correct) suspicions of all the people whom Livia has killed and reiterates the advice that Claudius should continue to play the fool. The episode ends with Claudius' marriage to Plautia Urgulanilla, who is so much taller than him that he becomes the butt of his family's uproarious, mocking laughter at their wedding.
34 total · 2 choice · 11 major · 21 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. |
| life in Ancient Rome | choice | The drama is mainly set in 9 AD within the imperial court of Caesar Augustus in Rome. |
| appearances can be deceiving | major | Claudius was advised to play the idiot if he wanted to save his skin. He took pains to do so most of the time. |
| blackmail | major | Livia coerced Livilla into leveling false rape accusations against her lover, Postumus. If Livilla refused, Livia would have her banished to a miserable island, as she'd previously done to Julia. |
| coping with the defeat of one's people | major | Augustus, Tiberius, Germanicus and others were devastated to hear that the 17th, 18th, and 19th legions had been wiped out to the man. Thereafter, Augustus became preoccupied with taking retribution on and recovering his precious eagles. |
| embarrassing family member | major | Claudius, a lame stammerer with a twitch, was something of an embarrassment to Augustus and his family. Notably, they arranged for Claudius to be kept out of the public eye at the games as much as possible. |
| extramarital affair | major | Livilla and Postumus were having a clandestine affair that ended when she decided to falsely accuse him of rape at Livia's behest. |
| false rape accusations | major | Livilla, at Livia's bidding, falsely accused Postumus of rape. Much of the rest of the story hinged on this key event. Postumus' political career was ruined, and he was ultimately banished from Rome. |
| history occupation | major | Claudius had just finished writing a history of Carthage. Claudius encountered and impressed himself upon the historians Pollio and Livy in the library. Narrator Claudius was writing a family history. |
| husband and wife | major | Augustus and Livia bickered like a proverbial old married couple. |