Emperor: The Rise & Fall of a Dynasty

It was one of the bloodiest, most vicious eras of history; the birth of the Roman Empire. Ultimate power of life and death over millions of people rested in the hands of one man... or did it? Behind the scenes, pulling the strings, were a line of cunning, ruthless women. These dangerous wives and mistresses were the real power behind the throne. Narrator Dame Sian Phillips returns to the role that chilled the nation's blood in TV's I, Claudius, as the calculating cold-blooded empress Livia Drusilla. In this edition: Livia Drusilla, the first Empress of Rome, ruthlessly ensures her son becomes emperor through poison, murder, and political cunning. As Augustus secures the throne, Livia eliminates rivals, including her daughter Julia, and manipulates her way to power-setting the stage for a dynasty marked by terror and depravity. 

Livia, Rome's first empress, comes to regret the scheming that placed her son Tiberius on the throne. Tiberius, paranoid and ruthless, begins the Tiberian Terror, executing anyone who speaks against him. He isolates himself on a private island, where horrific rumours of his depravity spread. Tiberius's heir, Caligula, smothers him to gain power but quickly spirals into madness. His reign is marked by incest, cruelty, and insanity, culminating in his assassination. One unlikely figure survives the butchery though - Claudius, his uncle - who becomes the next emperor.