Emperor: The Rise & Fall of a Dynasty

Emperor: The Rise & Fall of a Dynasty (2024)

EndedDocumentary showHistory

The assassination of Julius Caesar plunged Rome into chaos, leading to the rise of one of history's most notorious and scandal-ridden dynasties. Over the next century, this twisted and incestuous family relentlessly pursued power, establishing the world's first hereditary dictatorship. For the first time in history women altered the Western World and the puppet master behind these power games was one ruthless woman, Livia Drusilla, the wife of Augustus and matriarch of the Caesar clan. This arch manipulator will go to any length to ensure the survival of her dynasty.  

Told through the eyes of Livia Druisilla, Emperor: The Rise & Fall of a Dynasty will narrate the saga of five power-hungry rulers - Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero - each embroiled in a brutal struggle for supremacy, driven by the primal urges of sex and violence. 

Network
Scheduleevery Saturday (60 min)

Last Episode

Episode 3
Season 1Episode 360 min

Episode 3

Livia Drusilla's 100-year imperial dynasty reaches its brutal and bloody conclusion. Her bumbling grandson Claudius surprises everyone by taking Rome to its greatest heights yet, only to be brought down by ‘The Whore Empress' Messalina and the seemingly unkillable mother of his successor, the psychopathic Nero.

The aged and infirm Claudius has only survived by posing no threat to previous emperors, but the ailing runt of the imperial litter transforms himself from laughing stock to living god by successfully conquering Britain. His greatest threat, however, is his insatiably unfaithful wife Messalina, "The Whore Empress". She earns the dubious honour of being the first empress to have her throat slit, and the only woman left for Claudius to marry next is his own niece Agrippina. Ruthlessly ambitious, Agrippina persuades the emperor to adopt her own son Nero as next in line above Claudius' son. Claudius is then promptly poisoned by mushrooms… and fingers point at Agrippina. Livia would be proud.

Agrippina's sixteen-year old son Nero is now emperor to 60 million subjects. He establishes his uniquely cold brand of psychopathy by poisoning Claudius' son as they celebrate his fourteenth birthday, and when Nero tires of his mother's guiding hand, he hatches a bizarre Bond villain plot to crush her in a collapsing boat. She survives long enough to order executioners to stab her in the womb, "The origin of the evil".

Then Nero alienates the people by using the devastation of the great fire of Rome to build an enormous golden palace for himself. Bleeding the coffers dry, he is finally declared an enemy of the state, and kills himself to avoid being dragged through the streets naked. Livia's dynasty may have died with Nero, but by carving out a role for women to steer their emperors to greatness, she has changed the course of history.

Dec 7, 2024

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S01E03Episode 3Dec 7, 2024
S01E02Episode 2Nov 30, 2024
S01E01Episode 1Nov 23, 2024
View all episodesView all seasons

Cast

Siân Phillips

Siân Phillips

plays Livia Drusilla
View all cast

Characters

Livia Drusilla

Livia Drusilla

played by Siân Phillips
View all characters

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