Queen of Heaven story
Rome, AD 23/29. Claudius is invited to a dinner where the hostess, Lollia, unexpectedly relates how she was forced to prostitute herself to Tiberius, and then stabs herself. Tiberius now only lives for his perversions, in which Caligula is only too happy to join. Sejanus effectively rules the empire, overseeing continual treason trials of notable citizens and seizing their property for the crown. He is having an affair with Livilla, who becomes so enamored of him that she poisons her husband, Tiberius' son Castor to be able to marry Sejanus. Sejanus manipulates Claudius into marrying his adopted sister Aelia, after telling him his wife is pregnant by another man. Unexpectedly, Claudius receives an invitation to dine with his now-elderly grandmother Livia, who has not spoken to him in years. Anticipating her coming death, Livia reveals to Claudius that an unpublished Sibylline prophecy claims that both he and Caligula will one day become Emperor, and makes each of them promise to make her a goddess so she can escape torment for her many misdeeds. Claudius agrees on the condition that she reveal to him the full scope of her crimes, which she does. On her deathbed she receives a visit from Caligula, who rescinds his promise and reveals that he plans to become the greatest god the world has ever known. Claudius, however, renews his promise to her, and Livia dies peacefully.
37 total · 3 choice · 5 major · 29 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| courtly intrigues | choice | The plot turns on people of influence jockeying for power in the imperial court of Tiberius. Notably, Sejanus was busy consolidate his power and Castor suspected he was plotting to succeed Tiberius as emperor. |
| human aspiration | choice | Alluded to in the title is Livia's burning desire to become a goddess, on which the story hinged. She extracted a promise form Claudius to deify her down the road when the opportunity presented itself. |
| life in Ancient Rome | choice | The drama is mainly set in and around the years 23 to 29 AD within the imperial court of Tiberius in Rome. |
| abuse of authority | major | Tiberius and Sejanus persecuted their political opponents by leveling trumped up treason charges. |
| appearances can be deceiving | major | Claudius' strategy of keeping alive by playing the fool was recurringly highlighted. Livia explained to Claudius that she'd been wrong in thinking that he was the biggest fool in the family. Herod stood up for Claudius, explaining that Claudius was not a "blockhead" for consenting to marry Sejanus' sister. Rather, it was by this means that Claudius would live to see another day. |
| poison murder | major | Livia confessed all the murders by poison she had perpetrated. In one story line, Livilla poisoned her husband, Castor, at Sejanus' behest. |
| power corrupts | major | Tiberius became exceedingly decadent as emperor, going so far as to have had a wild sex party in the palace. |
| romantic infidelity | major | A key component of the story is that Livilla cheated on Castor with Sejanus. Claudius found out that his wife was pregnant by means entirely unknown to himself. |
| Ancient Roman mythology | minor | Claudius commented on how Jove overthrew his own father, Saturn, and took his own sister in marriage. |
| animal sacrifice | minor | Tiberius sacrificed a peacock to Augustus. |