Some Justice story
Rome, AD 19–20. Tiberius, with Sejanus' help, is ruling with an iron fist. Only Germanicus is preventing total tyranny, but when he dies in Syria under mysterious circumstances, it is widely rumored that Tiberius is behind it. Germanicus' wife Agrippina accuses Piso, the governor of Syria, and his wife Plancina of murder and treason. At Claudius' suggestion, they are tried in the Senate, so as to avoid any backroom subversion of the courts by Tiberius' agents. Martina, the poisoner, is held in a secret location before the trial by Herod Agrippa and Claudius, but she is found by Livia's agents. She reveals to Livia that Germanicus' own son, Caligula, aided her in bringing about his death by convincing him that he had been cursed. Piso blackmails Livia and Tiberius with evidence that they approved of Germanicus' murder. Livia retaliates by threatening Plancina with Martina's testimony, but the incident is enough to cause a permanent rift in her relationship with Tiberius. Plancina attempts to convince Piso to commit suicide, knowing that she will be spared by such an outcome. When Piso has second thoughts, Plancina stabs him, bringing the trial to an end, and Agrippina and her friends have to be satisfied that at least "some justice" was done. Caligula, after being punished by Antonia for being found naked with his sister Drusilla, sets fire to the family home in retaliation, burning it to the ground.
33 total · 4 choice · 5 major · 24 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| betrayal | choice | In return for his loyal service, Piso expected Tiberius to protect him. Tiberius, however, threw him to the wolves by letting the senate convict him for the murder and treason. |
| courtly intrigues | choice | The plot turns on people of influence jockeying for power in the imperial court of Tiberius. Notably, Livia's plan for Tiberius to ascend to the imperial throne had come to fruition, but the power corrupted him according to Claudius. |
| life in Ancient Rome | choice | The drama is mainly set in 19-20 AD within the imperial court of Tiberius in Rome. |
| loyalty to a subordinate | choice | Tiberius abandoned his man Piso and left him to the mercy of the senate. |
| coping with the death of a family member | major | The story turned on Agrippina's actions in response to the murder of her son. Claudius and others grieved over the death of Germanicus. |
| husband and wife | major | Piso and his wife Plancina were tried in the senate for treason and murder. Plancina requested to be tried separately when it became apparent that her naive and gullible husband was all but done for. In the end, they agreed to commit suicide together, but Piso hesitated and Plancina ran her through. |
| poison murder | major | Agrippina demanded that Germanicus' body be paraded publicly so that people would see the marks of "witchery and poison". Piso was put on trial for the poisoning of Germanicus. Plancina had instructed Martina to use belladonna on Germanicus. |
| treason | major | The story concerns Piso and his wife being tried for treason in the senate. |
| what it is like in a legal proceeding | major | Piso and his wife were tried in the senate for treason and murder. Livia and Martina gleefully discussed their favorite ways of poisoning people. |
| animal sacrifice | minor | It came to light that Germanicus had sacrificed nine black puppies to Hecate. |