I, Claudius

Episode 1

A Touch of Murder

98 mins

In 54 AD, Emperor Claudius - elderly and lame from birth - is writing his biography and the history of his family. He recalls an encounter with the Sibyl, who recognizes him from his stutter and tells him that his account will be famous in 1900 years' time. Back in Rome in 24 BC, Emperor Augustus is celebrating the anniversary of the battle of Actium, when he and his friend Agrippa defeated Antony and Cleopatra. However, now Augustus is tipping his young nephew Marcellus as his heir. This displeases the emperor's wife, the formidable Livia, who wants the succession to pass to her son from her first marriage, Tiberius, even though Tiberius believes that Augustus dislikes him. Agrippa is also annoyed and leaves Rome. When Marcellus falls ill Livia insists on nursing him, and he dies soon afterward - clearly she has poisoned him. This provokes a riot among the citizens but it is quelled by the return of Agrippa, who calms the crowd down. A grateful Augustus gives Julia, Marcellus's widow, to Agrippa as his wife, which once more angers Livia, seeing the union as yet another obstacle to her ambitions - for there had once been a time when Julia and Tiberius seemed destined to be married.