Reign of Terror story
Rome, AD 30–31. Tiberius has retired to Capri. Sejanus consolidates his hold on power in Rome by engineering the banishment of Agrippina and her eldest son Nero and having her other son Drusus arrested and starved to death. Sejanus has divorced his wife and approaches Tiberius about marrying Livilla. Tiberius refuses as the marriage would mean Sejanus would be elevated in rank but suggests that he could marry Livilla's daughter Helen. An outraged Livilla attempts to poison Helen. Antonia discovers letters from her daughter to Sejanus, implicating them both in several deaths and urging Sejanus to murder Tiberius. Claudius smuggles the evidence to Tiberius. At Caligula's suggestion, Tiberius orders Macro, an officer of the Guard, to carry out the execution of Sejanus, his followers, and his family. Claudius barely escapes by divorcing his wife. Meanwhile Antonia locks Livilla in her room and says she will stay there until she dies.
27 total · 2 choice · 7 major · 18 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 securing his grip on power in Rome. |
| life in Ancient Rome | choice | The drama is mainly set in 30-31 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. |
| betrayal | major | Sejanus betrayed Tiberius and Tiberius returned the favor by executing him, his followers, and his family. |
| fall from grace | major | Tiberius ordered the execution of his heir-apparent Sejanus, his followers, and his family after news of a conspiracy he had plotted was brought to the eyes of Tiberius. |
| mother and son | major | Claudius informed his mother, Antonia, about the sinister plot of Sejanus and Livilla to take power in Rome. Antonia then hatched a plot to get the word to Tiberius, and was aided by Claudius. |
| parental disappointment in a child | major | Antonia was disgusted with her daughter Livilla for having poisoned her own husband Castor, and her own daughter Helen. The story concluded with Antonia locking up Livilla inside her room, an waiting for her to die. |
| political purge | major | The story concluded with a Tiberius ordering a purge from Rome of Sejanus and all connected to him. The streets consequently ran red with blood. |
| unrequited love | major | Livilla loved Sejanus and was ready to stoop to any depth to marry him. Although Sejanus made a token proclamation of love to her, his true interest lay in using her as a pawn in her pursuit of power. |
| arranged marriage | minor | Sejanus petitioned Tiberius to marry Livilla. Tiberius refused and consented his support for his marring Livilla's daughter Helen instead. |