Original subtitles

Our family fought to establish the Republic,

but now, I think we'll have to fight again to keep it.

But, to restore the Republic,

we first have to destroy it.

The Republic was corrupt and lazy.

We can achieve so much more.

I want to be a god.

Today I ask you to make burning pains

in the womb of Livia Drusilla.

Let the baby of Gaius Julius in the womb of Livia Drusilla

die in writhing agony.

May I ask a favor?

The boys. You want me to adopt them.

Just look out for them.

Power must go to someone

who would give it back to the Senate.

You're not talking about me, are you?

I'm talking about Drusus.

Gaius Julius Silanus tells me that two nights ago,

you broke into his house to debauch a slave girl.

It was his daughter I was debauching.

Drusus!

I put you where you are,

and Livia kept you there!

Shame on you to get rid of her the minute she's no use!

How long have you known? Does my father know?

Of course not. Julius would never see you or Rome again.

There are rules, even for people like us.

I'm going to now adopt Marcellus

as my son and heir.

Thank you, Father.

Clarify his position to the Senate publicly.

I agree.

Well, I don't think that Gaius needs our approval.

This isn't about protecting the boys.

This is about power.

Marcellus has to go first.

He can never take power, never.

Marcellus.

No, Marcellus!

Marcellus, no, no, no, no, no.

Gaius, I have something terrible to tell you.

It's about Livia and Marcellus and Antigone and Tycho.

They killed my son.

We have to destroy her.

Do you think I killed him?

Means, motive, and opportunity, Livia.

You had all three.

Julia, you're out of mourning for Marcellus,

so obviously it's time for your next marriage.

And I can think of nobody better

than my brother, Marcus Agrippa.

Neither can I.

Marcella, you'll marry Iullus.

While I live,

Antigone will never be sent away from this house.

I will never forget you.

I'm Livia Drusilla of the Claudi.

I don't break my word, and I don't run.

I love you, Livia Drusilla.

I love you, too.

Fuck.

We made it.

I just want a bath.

About that...

It won't take long.

You want to know what's really going on?

You go to a whorehouse.

We've been away a long time.

You get things you don't get from official dispatches.

I just wanna know what the people are thinking.

Well, I don't care what the fuck they're thinking.

I just want a bath.

Just a quick drink. No one will recognize us.

You're always telling me to listen to the people.

Great.

Hey, you.

If you want to pimp your woman in here,

you have to pay the house.

You can have me for six asses,

in a private room, any way you want.

And there's boys, of course.

Just some wine, and something to eat.

There's nothing to eat here, you ass!

There's a famine. Where have you been?

There's no bread anywhere. The grain stores are all empty.

And where's fucking Augustus?

Off east somewhere the last three years.

Doesn't give a fuck about us.

If that fuck Augustus and his slut of a wife

show their faces in Rome now,

they'd be thrown in the fucking Tiber!

So now you know what the people are thinking.

Let's go.

Hey! You owe me for the wine.

- Drink it yourself. Argh! - Hey!

Gaius!

Gaius!

Livia!

Gaius!

Livia!

Get back here!

Try to fuck off without paying!

Get off me!

Break it up!

Arrest both those bitches!

- Enough! - Get off me!

- Gaius! - Uhh!

Tiberius!

Excuse me, Vipsania.

Tiberius, it's your mother.

Drusus.

Tiberius.

Fuck off!

They're back, Gaius and Mother.

What?

Oh, fuck!

She's lost.

The fuckers aren't due back for months.

Stepfather!

By the river in the Thirteenth!

We'll find her!

What the fuck are you staring at?

Have you seen a woman?!

Dark hair!

She was in a fight with a whore earlier!

Didn't see anything.

Where's my fucking wife?

The watchmen stole your bracelets.

Were they really gold?

They were my mother's.

Hey!

Hey, you! You!

I'm Livia, the wife of Augustus!

Shut your trap!

Shit!

Are you a whore?

What?! No.

I'm going to be a whore.

I'm going to have a new dress and loads to eat.

Can we send messages out of here?

If you have money.

If you don't, you'll go to the market tomorrow.

What market?

The slave market.

The watchmen sell you there.

They're not supposed to, but they do.

Unless you have money.

They can't sell me. I'm a citizen.

Can you prove it?

Me neither.

You should get some sleep, Livia.

You want to look your best tomorrow,

or you might get bought for the fields.

You don't want to end up in the fields.

Nobody lasts long there.

We're at the market.

I've never been, have you?

Hey. Hurry up.

Why are you here anyway?

I got caught stealing bread off Faustus.

He collects the poop for the tanneries.

Do you know him?

I thought there wasn't any bread.

There isn't.

Unless you know where it is.

Faustus always has bread.

Move.

Whorehouse.

Whorehouse.

Fields.

I'm sorry, Livia.

- Hey, what's your name? - Ursa!

Move.

Pretty Roman girl, native speaker.

Certified healthy virgin ready for the brothel,

light work in the house.

What shall we start with?

5,000.

5,000. Five and a half?

Five and a half. 6,000?

6,000! Six and a half?

She's still a bargain, six and a half?

Sold, 6,000.

Younger than she looks.

This one offers years of experience.

Smile, you bitch,

or I'll flog your arse right here.

Tough and scrawny,

she won't cost much to feed, always a consideration,

especially in a famine.

Treated properly, will give you years of excellent service

in the kitchen or in the fields.

What shall we start with?

- 1,000? - Too much.

1,000, anybody.

Darius. That old bag

is the exact image of Livia Drusilla, huh?

A bargain at 950.

It's incredible, the resemblance,

apart from the black eye, of course.

Seriously? 950.

I should buy her as a wedding gift

for Tiberius and Vipsania.

900.

Or maybe not.

900.

I am Livia, daughter of Marcus Livius

and the wife of Caesar Augustus.

Livia?

And I will give 50,000 in silver

to anyone who takes a message to my husband.

And a sense of humor.

800, priced to clear.

Livia...

- 500! - Livia!

- Piso! - Livia!

I am Gaius Calpernius Piso!

Cut this woman loose, now!

- Cut her loose. - What took you so long, huh?

I was waiting for the price to bottom out.

You! I want that last girl back here now!

Livia! What the fuck happened?

You wanted to know what people are thinking.

That's what happened!

We were up all night looking for you.

- Good! - Livia!

It's a full-scale fucking famine.

I can't rule Rome if I can't feed it.

I know.

I've summoned the grain prefects.

- I want you to listen in. - Well, I'll be in the bath!

Burn that fucking whorehouse to the ground!

You must be Aelina. Hmm?

I'm Livia.

Tycho.

You gave us a fright.

Oh...

She's so beautiful.

Yeah.

So like Antigone.

She left something for you.

She had a little time at the end to... well, make preparations.

She said she would wait for you by the river in the underworld,

and she wanted you to have this.

Her poisons.

Yes, she said you were bound to need them.

Ah, er, forgive me, I...

There's something that I never dared ask you in a letter.

Deep down, Gaius knows we killed Marcellus.

But he doesn't care. Not enough.

Not while I'm useful, and I will always be useful.

So we're all right?

If we weren't, we'd be dead.

Octavia still wears black for Marcellus... every day.

We had no choice.

I did.

I'm going to need your help today.

The grain prefects, Dominus,

Titus Cloelius Siculus and Marcus Cassius Elva...

I know who they are.

On behalf of the Senate

and the people of Rome, Augustus, welcome back.

I trust we find you well

after your long and glorious voyage.

The State, the City of Rome,

all of it, everything, me,

rests on a single unspoken agreement.

Half a million shit-poor Romans

agree to let a few hundred senators

live in luxury right in front of them. Why?

Because, we agree to give them

the bread they need, free,

every day of the year.

and that is why they don't tear us

and our families to fucking pieces

in our beds.

With respect, Augustus,

the autumn storms have never been this bad,

and we can't control the weather.

The transports from Sicily and Egypt are losing

six out of seven ships.

The warehouses at Ostia are empty.

As soon as anything comes into the port,

we bring it straight up the river.

It's the ship owners, Augustus. They've let us down completely.

You're the grain prefect...

an office I created after the last famine

to make sure it never happens again.

I appointed you both.

I trusted you both.

You've failed me.

Get out.

Drusus Nero, Tiberius Nero, Iullus Antonius.

Is it true the nightwatch sold mother off in the slave market?

Not a single fucking bid.

I wish I'd been there.

Where's Domitius?

Out on Octavia's estate with my sister,

but I've sent for him.

Any news of Agrippa?

Due to leave Spain ten days ago,

but the winds have been against him.

One of you should have warned me about this famine.

What could you have done?

We didn't want to worry you.

And besides, the grain prefects were constantly saying

it was about to get better.

Well, you three are the new grain prefects.

We're going to the port at Ostia,

having all the warehouses searched.

All of them?

We'll find the grain merchants there,

see what they have to say.

And, Tiberius, assemble the Senate.

Emergency session.

There's hardly anyone here.

They've all left Rome.

You should keep your doors locked.

Grain prefects, fuck.

It shows he trusts us. It's a chance to impress.

No, it isn't. If it was a chance to impress,

fucking Domitius would be here.

He's right.

Yes, he is.

...two cohorts of Praetorians into the city, my authority.

Spread them round the district. Go.

I didn't know Octavia was in Rome.

Yes, and someone's told her about Gemina.

If I were you, I'd move her out of the house

before Mother finds out.

If I were you, I'd be more worried about

what Mother thinks of your wife.

Right. And that's why you're Drusus.

- If you could just... - Right.

Octavia.

Lady.

I've chosen not to speak to my brother about this,

unless, of course, it becomes necessary.

Your son Drusus,

he's openly living with his German concubine

in the house that he bought next to mine.

Now, of course, if he were simply using a slave,

one couldn't object.

But he freed her recently.

The girl now rides around in a chair covered in jewelry,

as if they were married.

Drusus is engaged to my daughter, Antonina.

This behavior is offensive

and disrespectful to our family.

I will deal with it.

Hmm.

Unless, of course, you'd prefer to cancel the betrothal?

Did you know about Drusus?

Ah, well...

Livia, I had the watchmen flogged.

- Here are your bracelets. - Oh, thank you!

And, uh...

Ursa.

Where do you live?

In the City of the Dead.

There's an old tomb there some of us sleep in.

You told me there's bread in Rome

if you know where to look.

Do you know where to look?

Do I get to go back to my whorehouse after?

No.

Can I keep the dress?

I see your thinking.

If there's some bread we don't know about...

- Come on, this way! - ...there's some grain

we don't know about.

And if there's some grain we don't know about,

then what else don't we know about?

And why don't we know it?

Here! This is where Faustus lives.

That's him! Faustus, there!

Fuck!

Prime Egyptian grain.

Where is he getting it?

Get it handed out, Tycho, and find Faustus, now.

I'm sorry, I forget, you don't work for me anymore. Sorry.

No, I'd love to find him.

Ursa?

Here he is, finally.

We agreed, we don't meet in public.

It's an emergency. Fucking Augustus is back!

I know.

The idea was to get out clean before he came back.

It was. That's right.

We have to release the grain.

- All of it, now. - If we do that,

the price will collapse

and Augustus will start asking questions.

He's right.

We'll bring in more grain gradually

until everything goes back to normal.

We just have to hold our nerve.

It's all right for you.

Augustus hates us now. Our careers are over.

You wanted the money.

If I go down, I won't go alone.

I'm losing confidence in Siculus.

Vipsania.

You've got a black eye.

Where is she?

Ow!

Out. I'm sorry to interrupt your waxing.

What are you doing?

Who do you think you are?

My son Drusus is engaged to the niece of Augustus.

Next year, they will marry.

In the meantime, he cannot live openly with a woman.

I am the daughter of a king.

Not anymore.

And I don't take orders from anyone.

You will take them from me. Pack your things.

You will live on my estate outside of Rome

until I find you a husband.

I'm not leaving Drusus.

And I'm not leaving Rome.

Drusus set me free.

I can do what I want.

And this is his house, not yours. Old woman.

Walk with me.

As, uh, the wife of Tiberius,

you will have a high public profile.

Yeah, I don't care about any of that.

Well, you will set an example to the women of Rome

by not snooping behind curtains

and, of course, by supporting your husband in his career.

Tiberius isn't interested in that.

Neither am I.

We can't wait to leave Rome.

We're gonna build a big house in the country

without a road, so no one else can find it.

No, you're not.

You were always a weird, little kid.

I just went straight to her. That's all I did. I didn't...

Domitius, there you are! We were worried about you.

Will you send for Antonia,

tell her that her husband's here?

Guess what, Domitius.

Uncle and Livia are back, and Mother tore into her

about Drusus and his German slut.

I did not!

Oh, Antonia! I did not tear into her.

I wish I'd been there.

Darling, do sit down.

It's not the girl's fault, any of it.

I feel sorry for her.

What about Antonina, do you feel sorry for her?

As her fiancé beasts himself in front of everyone we know?

I mean, really, this perpetual niceness!

I find it insufferable,

and I don't know where you get it from.

Is Iullus here? He sent me a note.

Iullus?

Uncle made him a grain prefect,

so, obviously, the fun's as good as over.

Marcella, stop being so mean about your poor husband.

Marcella's mean about everyone.

So Iullus is a prefect now.

What else has happened?

Did you find Faustus?

No, he's gone to ground.

- And the girl? - No.

It's your move, Livia.

So, I went to the public treasury

and had a look at the last census records.

Faustus is listed at his address

as a freed man under his full name,

Titus Cornelius Faustus,

which as you know, means he was once the slave

of Titus Cornelius Siculus,

the grain prefect.

Fucking hell!

Augustus, welcome back.

Domitius.

Did you find anything?

The warehouses at the port were empty,

and the merchants are blaming the weather and each other.

Piso! What are you doing here?

Ah, just trying to stay relevant.

I've got a message from your wife.

At least one of the grain prefects is corrupt.

Siculus has been supplying one of his ex-slaves with grain.

Lots of grain.

I can't believe it.

So, what does that mean exactly?

Well, it means there's grain here,

and, if you know where it is, it means

the grain prefect has been lying to Rome,

and if he's lying to Rome about that, what else is a lie?

And if one of the prefects is lying,

how can we trust the other one?

The price of grain is astronomical.

So we have to consider the probability

that this isn't a famine.

It's a conspiracy.

With your permission, I'll have the prefects arrested.

Alive.

I need them alive, especially Siculus.

They're no good to me dead.

You two go and greet your mother.

Tiberius. You've changed.

Mother.

You, however, have not.

Nice black eye, Mother.

Should've seen the waitress.

The German is unacceptable.

All right.

I'll get her an apartment.

It's too late for that.

Get her out of Rome by dawn tomorrow, or I will.

I will find her an apartment on the other side of the city.

She is not to be touched.

I left you in charge of your brother.

What are you going to do?

Octavia's new son-in-law, what do you make of him?

- Domitius? - Hmm.

He's ruthless, ambitious, and clever.

The son you never had.

I knew his father.

Tried to kill him once.

He changed sides three times in the civil war.

No one could trust him.

He was always trying to fuck me.

With Domitius, we go carefully.

Out.

Augustus has ordered your arrest, both of you.

What? Why?

'Cause you got caught

secretly giving grain to your family dependents,

which has raised questions about your probity.

I won't say anything.

You'll betray us both.

I'll get away. I'll take a ship.

I'm afraid that won't do.

No!

Shut him up!

Shh! Shh!

An honorable suicide.

How much of the blame can he take?

You need to get out of Rome until we know.

Without you or Siculus, they have nothing.

I, er... I will not be attending

the dinner at my brother's house.

I shall be returning to the country tomorrow,

so would you please present my excuses?

- Mother? - Mmm?

Your difficulty with Olivia must be resolved.

For the family.

Your daughter's marrying her son next year.

Hmm. A lot can happen before then.

Her difficulty with Livia, as you put it,

was my brother's murder,

and unlike you, I'm not about to forgive or forget.

There's no proof that Livia had anything to do with it.

I can never work out if you're naive or just stupid, Antonia.

I won't let anything happen to you.

Ever.

I love you, Drusus.

I'm not coming to the dinner.

We are going out gambling, at Vilbia's.

That will be all.

Can I speak to you, Drusus?

What?

My very first memory,

as a tiny child, is Mother,

smashing a man's head in with a rock.

She was soaked in his blood.

Her breasts, her arms, her hands...

His face was just pulp.

I'm not giving up Gemina.

You can't not come to dinner.

Yes, I can.

No, you can't.

I have to pay my respects.

You should stay home. I won't be long.

Was that true... your memory?

She was... sublime.

That was, like, seven, maybe five years ago.

Yeah. It feels like forever ago, but it's just still so strange.

I've never seen the city like it, you know?

Oh, please stop moaning, Antonia. Even I've had enough.

- Antonia. - Drusus?

Marcella. How are we doing?

Fairly well.

Let's find something cheerful to talk about.

Vipsania!

What?

I know. Forget about it.

New fucking olives are the ones I told them...

...three years ago.

- They just taste like that. - It's a real problem, you know.

The Greeks always harvest too late, these days.

What's she doing here?

He's not bringing his slut to dinner with us.

- Drusus... - Hello. What's for dinner?

No, no, no.

Who the fuck is that?

He dishonors my sister with that whore from Germania.

Livia.

Oh, dear.

Did you know about Drusus?

I'm dealing with it.

He disrespects my niece. My family!

It's not his fault there is a famine. It's yours!

I told you three years was too long!

Don't change the subject!

This is the subject!

You lost control and you turn on my son

because it's easy and you can.

You've never been weak. Don't start now. I despise it.

Is this an enormous fucking row about Drusus?

Because I think we've got bigger problems.

Agrippa!

Father...

I've never seen Rome like this. Are we going to be all right?

Of course.

- Fuck. - Livia.

You're unpopular.

Praetorians on the streets. Mobs stoning the Watchmen.

You know the Aurelian Gate's on fire?

Just give us a minute, yeah?

Okay.

- Vipsania! - Yes?

How's marriage?

I really like sex, but I can't stand Livia.

Right.

You're right about Drusus.

But nothing has changed.

The plan is the same.

We make you a god. We train up the boys.

We kill anyone who gets in your way, together.

I wish I didn't fucking love you.

Love makes us weak.

Hmm. A luxury we can't afford.

No, not right now.

I'll deal with Drusus. You have other problems.

He's fast asleep.

Did you find them?

That fuck, Siculus,

just killed himself in a whorehouse.

And Elva's run for it.

They were well-informed.

I searched his house,

and I did leave guards there in case he returns.

I sent men to all the gates, but he might have got out.

Oh, he might have got out?

Of course he fucking got out! What the fuck?

- What was I supposed to do? - You were supposed to find them,

because without those fucking prefects,

we've got no fucking leads and no fucking grain!

At least we know who's behind it.

People can't eat that.

If we don't find some bread in the next couple of days,

you and me are fucked.

Enough. We'll be along in a minute.

They were well-informed.

Could you not have just kept your fucking mouth shut

about Drusus?

Without your marriage to me, Iullus, you're nothing.

Try and remember that.

Sorry, not disturbing you, are we?

All right, look.

We know that harvests in Egypt and Sicily were good.

Good enough.

Let's assume Elva and Siculus and whoever else

buy as much as they can and then somehow

stop it from coming to Rome.

Well, the price shoots up.

They feed it in slowly, keeping the price high.

They'd need the grain merchants in on that, the big ones anyway.

The City's paying a fortune so they don't complain.

My treasury's fucking dry.

Where the fuck are they keeping the grain?

That's millions of clay jars we're talking about.

You can't hide that in your fucking atrium.

All the warehouses at the port are empty. We checked.

And the river transports.

Then where the fuck is it? It's gotta be somewhere!

It can't still be in fucking Egypt.

I know where it is.

I mean, not exactly, but where to look.

Were you thinking of telling us?

Well, it's kind of obvious, isn't it,

if you think about it?

So, uh, the German is now a problem.

Gaius won't allow her.

Drusus won't give her up.

She has to disappear, for good.

I'll summon the Friends.

I don't want her killed.

Then how does she disappear?

Uh... It's not pretty.

It never is.

Get the fuck off her! Leave me alone!

Stay here.

Tiberius.

Mother.

Get the fuck off! Get off!

Is it always like this?

I told you. She's a monster.

We can't stay here, Tiberius. We'll drown.

We'll never escape.

Nobody does.

You don't know Mother.

I'm Mother now.

You swore an oath

to your mother and me and your fucking ancestors

to restore the Republic after Augustus dies.

If he ever sees you as a threat or a problem,

you'll be dead.

You certainly won't inherit his power,

and without that,

you'll never get the chance to give democracy back to Rome.

You put everything at risk for a girl?

Is she dead, Piso?

Yes, Drusus. She is.

800. 900.

Anybody for a thousand?

Sold! For 900.

An absolutely prime female in perfect health.

Fluent Latin speaker,

and originally descended from German royalty,

plus an expert in all the arts of love.

You don't often get something of this quality

out here in Sutrium.

The bidding starts at 8,000.

8,000. Do I hear nine?

You were right. It wasn't pretty.

Ursa, you belong to me now.

You will live with my friend Piso,

in his house outside Rome.

- Will I be a whore? - No... No!

You will learn how to read and write

and heal people with herbs.

What?

You can have a new dress.

Thank you, Tycho,

for your help and for everything.

I was thinking...

now you're back, you might need someone to look after you.

Like I did before.

But you have your estate, your new life.

After I lost Antigone, it was never the same.

I just...

I was bored to fucking tears.

Rest the horses.

Listen, I never wanted to ask in writing,

but how are you and Livia now?

What do you mean?

Well, your wife poisoned your nephew, brother.

Some men might find that irritating.

Is it forgiven?

Oh, but not forgotten, is it, brother?

It rankles still.

It itches.

We need to find higher ground.

Good to talk.

Oh, what have we here, brother?

Looks like the entire Egyptian grain fleet,

are happily at anchor.

She was right.

Livia.

Get that fucking grain to Rome.

I was just remembering when we used to be generals here,

leading our armies across the water to glorious victories

over our sisters and our dogs.

Augustus found the grain transports.

I'd have to be in on it.

I am the only person still alive

who knows that you were involved.

I'll never betray you.

I know.

My will is in the house.

It hurts.

Not long now.

Gladiators in a blonde wig!

Domitius.

Where've you been?

You just missed the big rally at the Forum.

It was packed with people,

and Uncle made a speech and everyone cheered him,

and then they threw hundreds of loaves of bread into the mob.

You should've seen the fighting. It was better than the Games.

I'm just so glad that the famine is over.

I know. Stuck indoors the whole time,

all the shops shut.

She meant all those people starving, I think.

When the dust settles,

I'd like to be part of the investigation.

What investigation?

Well, obviously we're going after

everyone involved in the conspiracy.

No. We're covering it all up.

If it got out about the conspiracy,

Augustus would look weak for letting it happen.

Yes. And foolish.

But if it doesn't,

he looks like a god for ending the famine.

- That's smart. - Yeah.

Not my idea.

Boys.

This has been on my mind for a while,

while I was away.

Iullus, Tiberius, Drusus, and now Domitius.

You are my sons.

And though it suits me to pretend otherwise...

the Republic is dead.

It's never coming back.

So, for better or worse, I am now Rome.

And when I die, Rome will come to you...

all of you...

if you want it.

But if you want it,

you need to show me you're ready.

Well, it's lucky I'm not ambitious.

Much safer to hide in the shade.

Take it from me.

Good news for you, Iullus.

I'm pregnant again,

so it's safe for us to see each other.

Goodnight, Iullus.

It's not exactly safe.

I miss you.

- The usual place, tomorrow? - The fifth hour.

You still need to manage Agrippa.

Sweet of you to let Piso and Tycho take the credit,

for Siculus.

A woman has to know her place.

Come to bed.

It might be a while.

Wake me up.

Gaius has started the race to succeed him.

It will be dangerous.

Are you sure this is what you want?

We'll need to rebuild the spy network.

Someone very smart was behind the famine,

behind the grain prefects.

Someone with vision.

He will have to be found... quietly.

Please!

Your new master's inside.