Imperium: Augustus (2003) - full transcript

Did I play my part well in this comedy called life?

Was I just...

or cruel?

Did I play my part well

in this comedy called life?

Applause, please.

Augustus!

My grandson!

Gaius! Lucius!

Devils, demons, the pair of them! They take after their mother.

They do not. They take after their grandfather.



Come, boys.

Your grandfather is too busy being king to play with his grandsons.

Julia, I am not a king. Rome has no king.

Off you go with your mother, boys and boys.

Agrippa will be home tomorrow,

and then your father, you and I will make war on your mother's camp.

I will defeat you all. I'm a better swordfighter than any of you.

This is true.

One should never let a woman learn to use a sword.

People of Rome,

we have prospered in peace across the Empire for 30 years.

I demand your vigilance to preserve peace and order,

to preserve the Republic we have restored,

the Republic to which I have devoted my entire life.



Augustus!

A petition!

My land was seized unlawfully.

Take your case to a magistrate.

I am a magistrate, Julius.

Bring me your petition.

Father!

Father!

A miracle of the gods! Jupiter has saved Augustus!

Yes, thank Jupiter he taught me to be cautious.

A leather breastplate.

My secret is revealed. I'm all right, Julia.

What's the news?

Agrippa is dead!

Agrippa is dead!

Oh, later, later, later,

please, please, please.

Augustus, I'm sorry to interrupt your bath.

Lucius Tutilius, why are you wearing your uniform?

Are we old men going into battle again?

A war to win back our teeth?

I have...

bad news.

So bad you had to put on your uniform.

So bad they sent my most trusted soldier.

Bad news is best told in a sudden, painful announcement, Lucius.

Markus Agrippa is dead.

Shh! You have to look presentable when your father comes home.

Coming home! Coming home!

Yes. Agrippa will be home tomorrow.

And then your grandfather will be safe.

Julia. Father.

I didn't know you were there. Are you all right?

Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!

Boys, you're getting your grandfather all wet.

Dry them off and put them in their bed clothes.

Father!

I was so afraid. Who sent the assassin?

I love you.

And I love you.

I have terrible news. You must be strong.

Your husband is dead.

What? How?

Fever. Suddenly.

On his way home to us.

Agrippa is dead.

The gods have taken him from us.

Father, I'm calling a physician.

No. I have too many wretched physicians.

Have you always hated me for forcing you to marry Agrippa?

At first.

He was twice my age.

But, as I got to know him, I grew fond of him.

He gave you two fine boys,

and the marriage guaranteed a peaceful transition if I died.

But now he has died.

Julia, I don't know what I will do without him.

He has been at my side from the beginning.

I was so ill that day,

but nothing would prevent me from serving Caesar.

Octavius, how can you travel?

You can barely stand.

Mother, I told you.

Your father would forbid it.

My father's been dead so long I barely remember his face.

Only your uncle treats me like a son.

Yes, and if Julius Caesar knew you were sick...

He doesn't and he won't.

I'm going.

It's important for us that you come back.

You still have a fever.

When Caesar brought me to Rome, he introduced me as his nephew.

Now he calls me to the battlefield in Spain. I must go.

I can't disappoint him now.

Mother, try to understand.

If Caesar wins this battle, the civil war will end.

I can't stay here hiding.

I was raised without a father.

I don't want to lose my only brother.

The legionaries have sisters and wives and daughters,

but they follow Caesar into war

because he promised them Rome without a war.

Of course!

Now I see why the great Caesar calls you to battle.

You are obviously a fierce warrior.

A master swordsman.

A master spear thrower!

The great soldier of the future, Markus Agrippa, has arrived.

And who's already slain the heart of my sister.

Thanks for asking me to come with you, Octavius.

I would never go without you, Agrippa. Greetings, Atia.

Markus Agrippa.

Caesar's called me. I must go.

I'll come back.

I promise.

Forty years ago, we rode off from our homes.

Just country boys.

We had no idea.

Do you think Caesar will let us fight?

I don't know. First we get to Rome where we meet our escort,

Centurion Tutilius.

In Rome, the ladies will find us, eh?

Exactly.

Race you to the end?

Tomorrow we go to Munda,

but tonight I'm going to show you the greatest city in the world.

I am Lucius Tutilius.

Gaius Octavius.

I served Caesar in Gaul.

Caesar still pursues Sextus in Spain.

Through hostile territory, it will be a dangerous journey.

I will escort you.

Caesar's luck will protect us.

Well, we leave at dawn.

Sleep in my tent tonight. Let me show you the way.

Thank you, but I would like to show my friend the city.

Perhaps in the morning light. At night it's not safe.

Doesn't Mark Anthony guard the city? He's Consul of Rome.

Haven't all of Caesar's enemies in Rome been defeated?

Caesar defeated them,

and then he spared them because they're Romans.

Now they repay him with plots.

Caesar's a great general, and I'm his nephew.

Really?

Well, nephew, the civil war is not yet over.

It won't be until Caesar's enemies are dead.

You should tell Uncle Julius

to kill a few enemies before they kill him.

Who was that?

That was Mark Anthony.

Mark Anthony?

You're lucky you still have your head.

We leave at dawn. I just want to show my friend the city.

We'll stay on the main streets, I promise.

Well, I can't command Caesar's nephew.

Thank you.

Did I promise too much? Isn't Rome beautiful?

And here come the famous ladies of Rome.

Here, fine sir. Hello?

My friend would love to meet you, later.

Help us, please. Help us to eat.

Here. This is for you.

Thank you. I am sorry to beg you for money.

I had a farm and I worked hard,

but the noblemen, the pimps of Rome, took my land.

I have to feed my family, so I beg.

Here, take this. Take good care of your family.

Thank you. You are a kind man.

Thank you! Thank you.

Come.

The city stinks.

It's so poor now.

The greed of the nobles and civil war has done this.

They made this war between Romans.

We'd better get back.

Yes.

It's this way.

I'm sorry.

Did you see her? Pretty.

Pretty? She's...

What's she doing out at night alone?

Help! Help!

Let her go! Let her go!

Run!

Get back! Get back!

Stop in the name of the Consul of Rome!

Thank you.

You saved me.

You shouldn't walk alone on the streets at night.

I stayed too late at my friend's house.

Who are you?

Who are you?

You're not from the city.

No.

I'm on my way to fight beside my uncle.

We leave in the morning.

Your uncle should be honored to have such a brave soldier.

My name is Livia.

Who will you battle? Sextus in Spain.

Sextus? Who is your uncle?

Caesar.

Caesar? Then I am sorry for you.

He's a warmonger.

He leaves Rome to rot while he kills fellow Romans.

My father is a noble, and Caesar wishes to destroy nobles.

Good night, nephew.

Put him up on the cart.

Yes. Come on.

Proceed.

Let's go.

Come on.

Octavius, we're here.

Munda, Caesar's camp.

Lie down.

Get me on my horse.

You're mad. I'll not deliver you to Caesar dead.

Bad for your career?

I am not going to greet Caesar from behind a donkey's ass.

You are a donkey's ass.

Octavius!

Caesar digs?

He digs and fights beside us.

Octavius!

You're burning up with fever.

Don't let anybody see it.

Never show weakness.

Let me help you.

Let me help you dig, legionaries.

How do you feel?

I'm fine. Come.

I've been chasing Sextus all over Spain.

Will you attack tomorrow?

Sextus' men fight for nothing but their pay.

I thought when two more legions joined us from Gaul,

he would have to surrender.

I received this message.

There's been an uprising in Gaul.

The legions will never get here.

What will you do? I don't know.

I'm not a god, nephew,

just a general trying to save the lives of his men.

The camp of Sextus.

He has constructed a perfect Roman defense,

manned by the best-trained soldiers in the world: Romans.

I am tired of spilling Roman blood, Octavius.

The civil war has been a useless waste.

But you had to fight.

For Rome.

I fought for my life.

Your enemies say you want to be king.

Rome will not survive unless we change.

The entire world we rule waits.

For what?

Peace.

Safety.

Honest courts.

Government for all.

This is the new Rome I'm fighting for.

Only Caesar can create such a world.

Tomorrow we attack, Roman against Roman.

Roman soldiers,

today we will fight Romans.

If they win, you will be slaves!

Slaves of nobles

who don't care about your families and your homes.

This small group of nobles has destroyed the greatness of Rome!

Are you willing to die for freedom?

Yes!

For justice?

Are you willing to die for Rome?

Blood!

Honor!

Victory! Victory!

For Rome! For Rome!

Blood! Honor! Victory!

Blood! Honor! Victory!

You boys wait with the rear guard.

Are you not ashamed to deliver your general to these traitors?

Attack!

For Rome.

But Caesar's orders. For Rome!

For Rome.

The victory is yours, Caesar.

Victory.

Bury our men with theirs, Romans with Romans.

This blood will be the last we draw.

Octavius!

Wounded. Wounded.

You were not to fight. I ordered you to stay in the rear.

Victory for Rome?

For Rome, my son.

My son.

On that day, my destiny called me.

I stayed by Caesar's side for as long as he lived,

and Agrippa was always by my side.

I will be by your side always, Father.

Agrippa is dead.

Death is no longer an idea to me, Julia.

It is a man...

standing in the hall...

outside in the streets,

in the fields,

waiting.

He has a face.

I recognize him now,

and he is asking me questions.

Gaius, Lucius, I have something to tell you.

Your father... He's coming home tomorrow!

No.

Enemy! Attack!

Boys. Get your sword.

Enemy!

Attack! We've got you now!

Would it be too much trouble to ask you to put your sons to bed?

Stop it! Go to your room!

Livia, don't speak to my children like that.

Boys, it's time for bed.

Why haven't you told them?

You know?

Why does that surprise you?

Go tell your sons before they embarrass us in public.

How do I tell them their father is dead, Livia?

They barely knew him.

He was a good father and a good man.

Please, Julia. Don't play the young widowed woman to me.

You are a merciless woman.

Yes, probably.

It is necessary.

Where is Augustus?

I am here.

I came as soon as I heard.

There is no report yet.

The assassin was not from Rome. His employer remains unknown.

You will not be safe until it is known.

Markus Agrippa is dead.

Yes.

There is a dangerous undercurrent among the young nobility.

Did you hear what I said, Livia?

He was my dear friend and he is dead.

Yes.

Your enemies are waiting for the right moment to kill you,

and this is the moment.

Agrippa is your heir apparent. You, too, nearly died today.

Where do you think that will leave your empire tomorrow?

On the stumbling feet of your son, I suppose,

exactly where you want it.

Yes, if you acknowledge him as your successor.

Tiberius is not my son, Livia. He is yours.

My blood flows through Julia and her boys.

He is the perfect successor.

Tiberius is loved by the army.

There are those who would say that you paid this assassin.

You would profit most from my death,

they say...

to guarantee that your blood would flow

in the heart of the new leader,

your son.

It is a worthwhile prize.

Enough to start rumors, at least.

I lost the man I loved the most today.

Not just the man, Augustus.

You loved him more than any woman too.

I love you, Livia. I always have and always will.

We both fell in love with your destiny.

No.

First, I loved you.

Yes.

And then?

And then...

life became so much more difficult.

Leave me now.

I want to be alone.

You are alone.

Father, you've been in this room for more than a month now.

My children have lost their father.

Are they to lose their grandfather too?

Too much time has passed while you mourned Agrippa.

You must name Tiberius your heir.

Your son is a good soldier, nothing more. Of noble blood.

I spent my life guarding the Empire from the greed of nobles.

He is your only choice.

You know it.

He's worthy. Admit it.

You made him a general, as you did his father.

And how is your old first husband, the dullard?

Pity your son takes after his father.

Pity your daughter lacks the respectability of your first wife.

What does that mean?

Julia is going out again tonight

with her noble friends who are not your admirers.

One of them probably paid to have you killed a month ago.

I publicly nominated my two grandchildren as my heirs,

as Caesar did with me.

They are children.

The Senate will not accept them. They will accept my son.

What if her children were to die?

What are you saying?

What if they were to die before you?

Why are you saying such a horrible thing?

It's a possibility you must consider.

No!

I do not have to consider the death of my grandchildren,

and neither do you.

Where are the children? They're sleeping.

Who is watching them? Alessia, of course, as always.

Can you trust her?

Father, she's been their nurse since they were born.

What's wrong?

You haven't finished dressing.

Actually, I have. It's the current style.

Would you like me to spin the wool of my dresses

the way I did when I was a little girl?

Perhaps with a little more wool.

Now that the mourning period is over.

I have always done everything you've asked of me.

That's why these parties... You already have what you want, Father.

My sons.

Now let me live.

Attention!

Hail to our queen!

No names. We're in disguise.

We don't want your father to arrest us for scandalizing Rome.

You do scandalize Rome. Which is why you love us.

He calls us naughty children.

He's absolutely right.

Indeed.

Augustus is always right.

Who is this mysterious stranger?

I'm no stranger to you.

How do I know unless I see his face?

You'll know by a kiss.

Come! Amusement awaits us!

I love you.

I love you, Iullus, but my father...

Oh, your father, your father. Your father wouldn't approve.

What else does he demand of you?

Hasn't it satisfied him

to have forced you to marry old Agrippa

in order to obtain an heir?

I was faithful to Agrippa until he died.

But now I've found you,

and you taught me what true love is,

Iullus.

Then come to my bed.

I can't.

But you've mourned your so-called husband for months.

You have already done enough for Rome.

Kiss me.

We should abandon Rome for the island beyond Gaul

where the priests paint their bodies blue.

We'll dance with them under the moon

and be forgotten by Rome.

I have no desire to be forgotten by Rome,

or abandon it.

Your father did.

Yes, Mark Anthony abandoned Rome,

and died for it.

Augustus killed him.

Iullus, I told you, I won't listen to this again.

Come on, Julia. We'll miss the party.

Let's go.

You have her.

She will do anything you wish.

I must go slow. I can't push her too fast.

This time we cannot fail, Iullus.

I will have revenge for the murder of my father,

and Julia will be my sword.

Sit down, Tiberius.

Thank you, Mother. I will stand.

Augustus' health is weak. I don't know how long he's going to live.

It must be a very difficult time for you.

Difficulties lie ahead. Difficulties?

Who will succeed Augustus, of course.

Agrippa was his choice.

But now that he is dead, factions will arise.

Men who would gladly undo our entire life's work.

Mother.

Augustus managed to keep the balance

between the two souls of Rome, the Senate and the people.

But if that balance is upset, there will be another civil war.

Mother, he doesn't want me.

We must act quickly,

and show everyone that you will be ruler after Augustus.

I am your son, not his.

As Julia is his daughter, not yours.

Exactly.

You are the man of my family, of noble lineage.

That is why Julia must marry you now.

Mother, no! I don't love her.

Love has nothing to do with this. I love my wife.

I always have.

Yes, Tiberius.

You told me that when you married the stupid little thing.

I indulged your foolishness then. Now I cannot.

You will divorce her and marry Julia.

I'm a soldier, not a politician.

You will be emperor. I don't want to become...

These events are not determined by what you want,

or what I want.

They are necessary to preserve the Empire.

Which always seems to revolve around what you want, doesn't it?

Augustus has already nominated his two grandsons as his heirs.

They are weak children. They may die.

Mother, you wouldn't.

Wouldn't what?

I was just saying they always had colds and fevers.

They are weak.

Yes,

and so is your son.

The temple is beautiful in the moonlight, Father.

When I dedicated it, I hoped to remind Rome of Caesar's dream,

but I think it has already forgotten.

This city can be monstrous

if you're not stronger than it is.

Father, don't.

Julia, I love you with all my heart.

Don't ask this of me, Father.

Livia is right.

For your own good, for the good of your children

and for the good of Rome, you must marry Tiberius.

Father, no!

If my successor is not beyond question when I die,

your sons will be murdered, there is no doubt in my mind.

You cannot ask this.

There is no other way.

Marriage between the son of Livia and the daughter of Augustus

would guarantee an immediate successor.

You will be safe, your sons will be safe

and Rome will be safe.

Safe?

My life will be lost.

The marriage will be for show.

I'll keep Tiberius far from you.

He'll be in the furthest corner of the Empire, defending Rome's borders.

I love Iullus.

I choose Iullus!

No. He is the son of my enemy.

Mark Anthony is dead.

His ideas are not.

Civil war would break out immediately.

Iullus believes I destroyed the Republic.

He thinks I am a tyrant.

You are a tyrant!

Come to me.

Sit. Sit with me.

Rome will be assured of stability while your sons grow up.

In ten years, Lucius...

Ten years? What if you die?

I will not die.

I will live to see your sons rule in Rome.

And watch me grow old in misery.

This destiny was laid upon me by my divine father,

Julius Caesar.

Have I ever been anything but an instrument

to fulfill your destiny?

I have never loved anyone as I love you.

Then why are you taking my life from me?

If your life is taken,

it is not by my hand but by the same hand

that took my life from me.

Rome is not just a state, Julia.

It is the hope of the civilized world.

If Rome falls, civilization will fall.

Caesar knew it.

When we rode into Rome after the victory at Munda,

it was as though we had saved the world.

Mark Anthony met us at the gates. He looked like Mars himself.

Hail to Mark Anthony!

Have you left me a cup of wine to celebrate my return?

We needed every drop of it.

We've been stuck here in this wretched city.

You took off and had all the fun.

Mark Anthony, I want you to meet my nephew Octavius

and his friend Markus Agrippa.

They fought bravely at Munda. Yes.

We have met.

The fame of your courage has preceded you both.

Don't be charmed by Mark Anthony's flattery, boys.

She's watching me.

Who?

The girl I will marry.

Where?

Somewhere.

Quick, open your wounds so that your hero's blood is easier to see.

Caesar, I told your nephew,

the time has come for you to cleanse the city.

These are the names of your enemies.

What would you solve by killing them?

What purpose does it serve for them to strut around the city,

plotting and scheming against you?

Clemency. Clemency will be our weapon.

You will put down your arms.

Your enemies will not.

Sextus, I don't claim your life.

I grant you the same clemency as your men.

None of those who fought against me will be subject to revenge!

I proclaim an amnesty!

The civil war is over!

This is your decision. I'm a simple military man.

Tell me what victory we seek next.

This is the end of all wars.

Peace and justice for everyone.

My son speaks the truth.

"My son."

Caesar! Caesar! Caesar! Caesar!

Honored guests,

the Queen of Egypt

and Rome's great ally, Cleopatra!

Hail, Queen of Egypt.

Caesar, I see some of your enemies here.

You should have invited them all

and sent them home as corpses.

Listen to those who love you.

Your name is Octavius. I am Livia Drusilla.

I didn't rise for Caesar because my parents did not.

One cannot shame one's parents in public.

Doesn't your presence beside me shame them?

They think I'm spying.

Your humble birth is as known as my ancient nobility,

so I could only be trying to pry secrets from you.

Don't certain noble ladies find amusement

in lowborn paupers?

Actors, freedmen, even house servants.

Exotically low.

You, however, are simply modestly low.

Obviously, modesty isn't one of the famous noble virtues.

But I am modest.

An actual virgin.

Oh, that wasn't modest, was it?

Caesar will crown himself king

and she will be his queen.

Never.

Will you stop it?

We will have a queen for an enemy.

And you are just a boy.

A queen?

But she's just a girl...

like you.

Yes.

Just a girl.

And a boy.

Thank you, nephew, for bringing the case of this farmer

to my attention.

Who is that? That is the great Cicero.

Your farmer doesn't have a chance.

It is easy to comprehend

that this farmer wishes to retain his ancestral lands.

A contract was signed

by one of the most honorable noblemen,

Gaius Cassius Longinus.

A loan was made.

Sadly, the loan was defaulted.

Therefore, the property in question

is now the legal property of Cassius.

But the property was burned.

Which can certainly not be blamed on my client.

There is a witness who claims the contrary. A witness?

Yes, he set fire to our house,

and then ran away before I could catch him!

Is it true? Why did you do this?

Were you paid? Yes.

By whom? By whom?

Liar!

My client, Cassius, rebuts this slander.

He's not a Roman. He can't give evidence against me.

Cicero, kindly inform your client, Cassius,

that anyone who lives under Roman law has rights.

We live in a new Rome now, my friends.

A Rome where every citizen and subject

will be treated fairly under the law, not just the nobles.

Cassius is to indemnify the damages

in the amount of 10,000 sesterces.

I also declare null and void his claims on the land

and on the farm.

You have your land back.

Wait here.

Thank you!

Thank you for giving me back my life.

Please stand up. I just asked for justice.

My life was ended and my family was starving.

Get up. Get up.

He didn't do it. Caesar did.

But Caesar would have never known of me

if it wasn't for you.

You cared. You cared from your privileged place.

You cared about me, my family.

Yes, I will pray to the gods for you.

But they know you. They know you already.

They have touched you.

Octavius, you are a great man,

and soon the world will know what I know.

You let him kiss your feet. What?

You liked it. I did not!

You called for me, Uncle?

Yes, Octavius. Come outside.

It's a beautiful morning.

A beautiful city. The most beautiful in the world.

But you've not seen the world yet, nephew, and you must.

You are to leave for Greece tomorrow.

Agrippa will go with you. What?

There you will study oratory

and train with the legions of Macedonia.

Why do you send me away?

At Munda, I told you of a world that doesn't exist.

That world must be created, or Rome is lost.

You can do it, Uncle.

I have chosen to do it, Octavius.

The gods called me and I followed their voice.

Now it's up to you to choose.

The gods don't dictate our lives.

If you want this dream, it can be yours now, my son.

But you must be prepared.

Study, learn,

win the legions

and trust them.

Listen to their voice.

Love them. Live for them.

They'll die for you.

Because, one day,

some of them will have to do exactly that.

I am asking for your life, Octavius.

Nothing less.

Are you prepared to give your life, son?

Eager.

I tried not to show him, but I was in utter confusion.

Octavius.

I turned to one in whom I hoped I could trust.

Thank you for meeting me.

She was beautiful.

You look frightened.

Tell me what you know. Caesar hides the truth from me.

I only hear rumors.

He's ordered me to leave Rome.

Obey his command. Why?

There are plots.

There are always plots. You can do nothing to help him here.

What can I do to help him there?

Learn to be a soldier,

an orator, a politician.

I don't want to be a politician.

Then you don't love Caesar.

Even he knows he can't rule with force alone.

But you hate him, fear him.

Yes.

Then why do you help me?

Our insignia bears the inscription S.P.Q.R.,

Senate and People of Rome.

This unity made us great...

but we allowed the factions to tear us apart.

Now the civil war is over,

but the factions continue to devour us from within,

spreading corruption!

To reestablish unity between the Senate and the people,

I have no choice but to accept the office and powers

that no man has held before.

As the Dictator Perpetuo,

I will devote the remaining years of my life

to the concord and the welfare of Rome!

Caesar! Caesar!

Cleopatra's made him crazy.

Rome has never tolerated power in the hands of only one man.

He claims to act in the name of freedom,

but he crowns himself king.

It is our duty to act now.

Brutus, are you suggesting violence against your friend, Caesar?

Save your sarcasm for others, Cicero.

Your words are harsh,

but you speak the truth, occasionally.

It's not against the law to kill a tyrant.

It is our noble duty.

Caesar steals our privileges for his own throne.

Rome will not crown a king.

Dictator for life?

I don't think it will be a long one.

To train with the Macedonian legions. I'll never be able to repay you.

Who's our traveling companion?

The son of a friend of Caesar's. Caesar ordered it.

Must be a military man. I think so.

Don't you dare drop that trunk!

Octavius!

Gaius Maecenas, reporting for the lovely expedition.

Welcome, weary warriors.

I have prepared lovely food and wine for your bodies.

What did you do all day? Sleep?

I am recuperating from the grievous wound

I suffered in combat yesterday.

Cutting yourself throwing your own sword is not combat.

Such mockery from a great soldier cuts deeper than his sword.

Careful with your mockery. It's not mockery.

Anyone can see how the commanders of the legion

recognize your talent.

You are effortlessly brilliant as a soldier.

Get used to praise.

More will come.

I have discovered a surprise.

Agrippa, the great soldier,

is really an architect.

Give me those!

He doesn't only want to fight and kill, he wants to build.

And they are very good.

Have you seen these drawings?

Canals, bridges, aqueducts, grand buildings.

He will someday build them all.

Stay out of my things!

We are three kings:

Octavius, the leader,

Agrippa, the soldier,

and Maecenas, the...

Mouth.

Maecenas, the politician.

Arise.

A toast to us,

for we shall rule the world.

To the world! The world.

Swear that we never let anything destroy this friendship.

Never!

What happened? I think his ribs are broken.

Take his armor off. Lift his arms.

I can't stay in this tent. If it's a direct hit, you're dead.

He's right. He can't stay in here.

What would you know? You never leave this tent.

I am not Caesar's nephew.

Don't let anyone touch him.

He just has to make an appearance.

Appearance is everything.

You're right.

Am I really? Ooh.

High praise from the general.

Hurry up. Looking at you naked is beyond the call of duty.

Octavius.

This just arrived from Rome.

Caesar has been murdered.

Your life is in danger.

Caesar's will and testament declares you his only heir.

They will kill you.

Octavius.

Something happened to me.

It was not a thought I had, nor a feeling.

I passed beyond the world of thought and feeling.

Even in the company of my two sworn friends,

I knew I was now utterly alone.

I'm going to Rome.

When I became the son of my divine father,

it separated me from my friends and from all men forever.

Caesar's dream had become mine.

Was it Caesar's dream or your pride?

The gods chose me.

It's convenient, isn't it,

to be chosen by the gods?

You can move lives around without thought

because you are chosen.

And the mission comes first, no matter who you have to destroy.

Many had to be destroyed. It was necessary.

If the gods chose you,

then it was you they chose, not me.

They gave me you.

My only child carries the same burden.

I love Iullus.

Son of Mark Anthony.

When I came back to Rome,

it was not the murderers of Caesar I feared,

it was Mark Anthony.

Killing served him. He embraced it.

Exactly the kind of man that was needed, but dangerous.

Quickly. If we're seen...

Dressed like this? I'll never live it down.

I had a plan, a wild plan.

I didn't know if it would work, but the first step

was to get Mark Anthony out of Rome.

Lepidus, Mark Anthony.

Why didn't you inform me of your return to Rome?

I believed it was too dangerous.

That's true.

You've taken Caesar's house?

He would have wanted me to.

You saw him die.

Twenty men with daggers.

I don't know why I'm alive. They must have not wished you dead.

Cassius, Decimus and Brutus have fled.

When will you pursue them?

The Senate is still full of their friends.

They won't give me the charge of chasing them.

It is the people who demand vengeance.

Decimus has six legions in Gaul.

I didn't know you were afraid to go to battle.

Another civil war? Is that what you want, boy?

My name is Gaius Caesar.

I would advise you to be careful the way you use his name.

He bequeathed me his name.

And now my inheritance.

It will take time for the Senate to ratify his will,

if it does ratify it.

In the meanwhile, I suggest you return home.

I am home.

The second step of the plan

was to get the support of the people.

People of Rome.

People of Rome!

The son of Julius Caesar speaks to you!

I speak in honor of Julius Caesar.

He served the Senate and people of Rome as Consul and Proconsul.

He conquered all of Gaul.

On his own initiative,

he built a house for the Senate of Rome.

But he dreamt of more for Rome.

He sought justice and prosperity for all men...

but his life was cut short.

Thus, as his legal heir, I, Caesar,

shall disperse half of my inheritance

to the people of Rome.

Now that's good writing.

You wrote it. Of course.

Your words moved me deeply, Octavius Caesar.

My grief was wicked.

Caesar and I had our differences, it's true,

but surely you know I did not murder him.

How could I think such a thing?

Now Rome is threatened

by one who will not even honor

Caesar's last wishes.

Mark Anthony says it's only a matter of time

until he asks the Senate to execute my father's will.

It's you he will execute.

Then you must leave Rome. No.

Mark Anthony's away chasing Decimus in Gaul,

and the Republic needs you.

That's why I will aid your cause.

So, what do you want? What you do need?

We have no place to live.

Now you do. I'll give you a house.

You and I can do a great deal for each other, Caesar.

Gaius Caesar. Livia!

No.

It's too late.

Too late? Too late for what?

I'm to be married

to Claudius.

What? Why?

My father demands.

The marriage is an important alliance.

Alliance?

He protects his family.

The death of Caesar, Mark Anthony's power...

it's all very dangerous for my family.

What about me?

Octavius, you were courageous to come back.

But to attain your goals,

you must use every weapon at hand.

What are you talking about?

If you are to succeed, you need money.

Marry it.

Thank you for your advice.

It's all I can give you.

Yes! Forgive a stupid country boy for thinking you might care for him!

Why did Cicero give us this house?

He thinks he can use Octavius in his legions

against Mark Anthony.

Why? Do you have the loyalty of the Macedonian legions to give him?

I don't know.

So, not a single sword behind us!

We need money more than swords.

You can't be in politics without it.

Politicians are ruled by swords, legions.

That is the only language Rome understands.

You know nothing of Rome, country boy.

And you know nothing of life outside your pillows and wine!

Stop it! We need money to pay for the Macedonian legions.

So there's only one thing to do.

Marry Scribonia Flavia's money. Who's Scribonia Flavia?

A lovely girl who's enchanted with a brokenhearted hero.

Kill me if you wish! Take Agrippa's sword.

Are you a leader?

This is not a time to stop halfway.

Our lives are at stake in this game.

Yours is, right now.

Destiny.

You speak endlessly of your destiny.

If you want it, you have to take it.

It won't be delivered on Livia's gold plate.

We need Caesar.

Caesar is dead.

Long live Caesar.

Make up your mind, Agrippa.

Are you ready for a new Caesar, or not?

Are you ready to take back Rome from the greedy nobles, or not?

Do you stand for the people,

or not?

Long live Gaius Caesar.

It is time.

I stayed in Rome and married Scribonia Flavia.

Maecenas wooed the nobles.

And Agrippa returned to the legions.

If they were to fight for me, they had to come now,

and when all was ready, we struck.

Today we ratify the final will

of Julius Caesar

and grant his last wish,

the posthumous adoption of his son,

Octavius Caesar.

Thank you for granting the wish of my father...

against the wishes of the Consul Mark Anthony...

who has brought shame on us all by leaving Rome,

neglecting his seat in the Senate

and waging unlawful war against Decimus, the governor of Gaul.

But Decimus was one of Caesar's murderers.

No one wishes him brought to justice more than I do.

But did the Senate charge Decimus with the crime,

or Cassius or Brutus?

No.

Anthony acts on his own initiative.

He marched out without consulting even one of you!

This is a grave matter.

No man stands above the law of the Republic,

whatever the cause.

Caesar courageously exposes a dangerous tyrant.

I charge Mark Anthony

as enemy of the Republic.

I declare Consul's chair empty.

And in this time of peril,

I'm willing to make a...

personal sacrifice.

And... Cicero, may I?

Thank you.

Allow me to place before the Senate

the name of the next Consul of Rome.

I declare the Consul of Rome to be...

Gaius Caesar.

Son of Julius Caesar!

On what authority do you dare...

By the authority of the Macedonian legions

under the command of Markus Agrippa,

loyal to Caesar and now loyal to his son.

The plan had worked,

but now we needed an alliance with the real power.

Mark Anthony.

The head of the table is yours, son of Caesar.

So, boy, you asked for this counsel.

Now tell Lepidus and me why we shouldn't kill you.

Anthony,

Lepidus...

I come to seek your aid to avenge my father.

Now you're Consul of Rome

and you command the legions of Macedonia.

Why do you need us?

You know I cannot do it on my own.

While you were stealing my seat in the Senate,

Decimus escaped with his legions to Macedonia.

Brutus and Cassius joined him.

But you beg for my help.

They control the grain supplies.

They can starve Rome anytime they want.

We must destroy them.

You cannot do it without me.

The Senate was eager to declare you enemy of the state.

You have few friends left, Anthony, and you know it.

But if I, your accuser, stand up in the Curia

and declare you a hero,

they have no choice but to reinstate you.

Attack Decimus? Yes.

But first we must control Rome.

We can take the city, but we can't hold the city.

Without leaving half of our troops there.

Unless...

we do what your father refused to do.

Proscription.

Every man who is our enemy would be marked for death

at the hands of any citizen of Rome.

Legal murder? Julius Caesar refused.

That is why we sit here today!

Write the names of your enemies on this list. I have no names.

You have no balls!

Men die for many causes,

but lack of courage is always fatal.

Kill or be killed, Caesar.

It's very simple.

It was the most tragic moment of my life.

In order to fulfill my father's dream,

I had to betray him.

The men Anthony wished to kill

had not raised a hand against me.

But you didn't write any names. Everyone knows that.

Yes, I did.

I removed Livia and her family from the list,

but I left her husband's name on it.

Remove his name.

You want his wife.

Here's your chance.

Men awoke to find their death sentences

posted in the Forum.

And the killings began.

Anthony's killings were brutal,

to announce his fury to all Rome.

Cicero, come out!

Here's my neck, Mark Anthony!

Use your sword!

It worked.

Terror quenched every hint of opposition in the city.

May the gods forgive us.

Agrippa, poor Agrippa,

wiped out the names on my list one by one.

It was the price I had to pay for Rome,

and I paid it.

I still carry the burden.

All this will happen again if Rome is left without an emperor

worthy of the name Caesar.

But this will not happen.

You and I will give birth to history tonight.

We will guarantee that your sons will rule this empire.

Your sons, not Livia's son.

You gave life to your sons once, Julia.

Now give it to them again.

To them and to the Empire of Rome.

Octavius!

Do you know how to build a new world?

By destroying the old.

It is done.

No.

It's only begun.

Caesar's murderers have escaped.

Either we attack Cassius, Brutus and Decimus,

or the men we have killed here mean nothing!

Will you declare war, Caesar?

It was the price I had to pay for Rome...

and I paid it.

Lucius.

Lucius, wake up. Wake up.

Your grandmother has medicine. Drink.

Some more.

There. Good boy.

Gaius. Gaius, awake.

Wake.

Grandma has some medicine for you.

Good boy. Have some more.

What are you doing?

Lucius.

Lucius, wake up. Wake up.

Your grandmother has medicine. Drink.

Some more.

There. Good boy.

Gaius. Gaius, awake.

Wake.

Grandma has some medicine for you.

Good boy. Have some more.

What are you doing?

Herbs.

Herbs? For what?

The fever that killed their father.

We must guard against it.
Get out.

Don't speak to me like that, Julia.
Get out!

There! It's Augustus!

What happened? Move aside!

Augustus!

You murderer! You murderer!

Julia! Julia, what are you talking about?

You tried to kill them, Livia.

What do you mean?

You poisoned them with this!

Herbs?

Liar.

You're a fool, Julia.

Why would I want to kill your sons?

So Augustus will have no heir.

So your son will be Emperor.

I want my son to be Emperor,

but I'm a mother, and I don't murder children.

They'll be fine. Let them sleep.

Augustus needs you.

He was found collapsed in the Forum.

What?

Octavius, I'm here. It's Livia.

Julia's here. Musa, your physician, is here.

I must put him in the ice to break his fever.

Ice? Are you mad? Old fool!

Your Greek medicine will kill him.

If we do nothing, he will die from the fever.

We must try.

Why? So you could kill him and my children the same day?

Kill?

She tried to poison Gaius and Lucius, Father,

but I made them vomit it up.

Poison? With this.

Give it to me.

Why?

Give it to me.

Father!

Valerian mixed with orange peel.

Good for a fever.

You should have been an actor.

You always loved the dramatic.

I am an actor.

In this life, we all are.

Musa, prepare the treatment.

Poison?

Julia...

are you surprised your stepmother didn't kill me?

I am. No, Father.

You haven't given your empire to her stupid son yet.

So Livia needs you alive.

Actually, I was just waiting for this.

Musa insists that his treatment

will ensure that the fever does not return.

Ridiculous!

Father, don't do this.

I must appear in public as soon as possible.

The rumors are spreading like wildfire.

Which rumors? That I am dead.

Which is why you must marry Tiberius.

I can't stand your son. I'm not asking you to love him.

Be quiet, both of you.

Livia.

What is it, Octavius?

Get in.

We haven't taken a bath together

for quite a while.

But if I did, my body would melt the ice.

Julia...

if I die, nothing will be left.

Civil war again.

Your sons will be killed.

Unless you marry my son and guarantee

that the Empire will continue as your father has created.

Then your sons will take their rightful place at the head,

and carry on his peace for decades.

Father, I love Iullus.

He is Mark Anthony's son.

He seeks revenge on Augustus for the death of his father.

He betrayed me.

Iullus will betray you.

There is no other way.

I trusted him.

Together, we defeated Julius Caesar's murderers.

We were heroes to all Rome.

Today we honor the great victors

of the battle of Philippi!

Gaius Caesar.

Lepidus.

The hero of Philippi, Mark Anthony!

I ask...

for a unanimous declaration from the Senate

granting complete authority to the Triumvirate!

Conscript fathers...

at last Rome has true peace

and its honor has been restored.

The murderers of Julius Caesar

have paid with their lives.

We accept your appointment...

over the Empire.

I leave Rome in the able hands of Gaius Caesar.

Lepidus will govern the provinces of Africa.

And I will return to the East,

where soon I will undertake...

Julius Caesar's last dream,

the conquest of Parthia!

Hail, Mark Anthony!

Mark Anthony's taken all the good legions

and the navy of Rome with him?

To wage war against Parthia and guard the Bay of Alexandria.

We are left with nothing but a few recruits.

He is showing Rome that he is Caesar's true heir,

not you.

We are a Triumvirate. We govern the Empire equally.

Hmm. Really?

Why does Lepidus have all the grain-producing nations of Africa

and Anthony has the richest country in the Empire?

Egypt.

I have Rome.

Which is surrounded by farms that were destroyed during the wars.

How do you plan to feed your people, Triumvir?

With the grain from Lepidus.

Let's hope it keeps coming.

Hunger turned my most precious ally against me.

The people.

The Triumvir of Rome addresses you!

Lepidus denies us our grain!

It is a declaration of war!

But I, as a Triumvir, will defeat him

as I defeated Caesar's murderers!

From Triumvir Octavius Caesar.

"In the name of our friendship,

"I ask you to assist me

"to buy grain to pay the soldiers.

"This crisis threatens us all.

The Triumvirate cannot survive."

Ah. He is begging for a few million sesterces.

Surely you're not thinking of aiding him.

If the mob turns against the Triumvirate,

I could lose my authority.

Not if we sail to Rome

and place the scheming boy's head on a stick.

A few million means nothing to me.

But if Octavius succeeds in controlling Rome?

How?

Caesar himself failed.

Rome will swallow the boy.

And you along with him.

I'm a god, remember?

Gods are not defeated.

You're only a god in Egypt, General.

You've learned the local customs too quickly.

My teacher is a goddess on Earth.

The more time I spend between her legs,

the more divine I become.

Corruption and betrayal.

That was Anthony.

His son will betray you.

He is using you to gain revenge on your father.

No.

I will not turn Rome

into the hands of a man

who hates me and all I stand for.

I will not.

Julia?

Do you love me?

Yes. What's wrong? I'm to marry Tiberius.

But why? My sons. They will kill them!

What do you mean? Who?

I love you.

I love you. I can't live without you.

But my sons are my life.

I can't.

I can't.

I must do it, Iullus.

I must marry Tiberius.

According to the ancient tradition of marriage,

as this spear is the symbol of the power of arms,

you will be submissive to my commands.

Julia, submissive?

Let us now receive the bread of life.

What's the matter? I love her.

She's our way to get to Augustus, and nothing more.

May the gods bless your womb.

You are tired?

Get out of my room.

I'm in love too with another,

as you are.

We're both making a sacrifice for the good of Rome.

The Germani. It's always the Germani.

We must secure our border.

That is indeed my intention when I return to my troops.

You leave tonight.

There's no time to waste.

The people call you a god,

but they are wrong.

You destroy everything you love.

You have not changed your gown.

If I sleep in it, perhaps when I wake

it will be gone like a bad dream.

I've sent him away, Julia.

Am I supposed to thank you, Father?

Well, I'll be content if you don't hate me.

Why shouldn't I?

Because you did what was right for Rome?

For Rome, for you, for all of us.

Agrippa, Maecenas and I

once defended her against her own citizens.

The city's quiet at last.

Were there any casualties?

Only civilians.

We have been in worse situations before, and triumphed.

When we had a just cause. But what do we fight for now?

If I'm not mistaken, our lives.

I'm afraid it has come to that.

Exactly! We've become the men we despise.

Or does killing starving civilians make us heroes?

No. It makes us alive.

Or would you rather they kill you?

You convinced me that we had to create this Triumvirate.

We've given life to a monstrosity.

It defies every law of Rome,

and we are on the brink of war again.

Then what would you have us do, Agrippa?

The people need peace!

Go to Mark Anthony. Restore the Consuls and Tribunes.

Create a true Republic.

We could begin to build streets, temples, aqueducts

for them, for the people.

I have written to Mark Anthony asking for more money.

He won't give you money.

Mark Anthony has taken up where Caesar left off,

in Cleopatra's bed.

He's thrilled to see you fail.

I have failed. Don't be ridiculous.

Caesar knew that the only way Rome could survive

would be under the rule of one man.

What if I'm not the man? Spare me your false modesty.

Do you have a plan, or are you just blabbering as usual?

We don't need any more of Mark Anthony's handouts.

We need the nobility on our side.

That's all you care about. Your pathetic noble pretensions.

I have no pretensions or illusions.

They are still Rome,

and they are where Mark Anthony's power lies.

But they will never embrace me.

We are not asking them to raise their tunics for you.

Then what are you asking me?

Put on some decent clothes.

Tonight we are going out to make some new friends.

I'll let Scribonia know. Your boring wife's best left at home.

Big bad men with swords

will not win this battle, Agrippa.

This is Plancus' house.

Rather grand, isn't it? The man is filthy rich.

He is Mark Anthony's legate.

And tomorrow he could be yours. Charm him, country boy.

Show him that you are the one to follow, not some queen in Egypt.

And while we're at it, you're not to mention Cleopatra's name.

This is hopeless.

Plancus' excessively ornate furnishings are a cause for despair,

but make sure to praise his fine taste.

Here he comes.

Triumvir Gaius Caesar!

You do me great honor by visiting my home.

Mine is the greater honor to accept your hospitality.

The finest sweet dates from Egypt.

Sent by Mark Anthony himself.

Did the Queen of Egypt have them picked for you?

These goblets are truly an Egyptian marvel.

Also from the Queen of Egypt? Or are these from the King?

There is no king in Egypt.

Are you sure? Kings are easily crowned.

My apologies.

Fifty lashes.

Fifty lashes usually kills a man.

If you would kill a slave for breaking a gift,

I wonder what else do you treasure from Egypt?

Do you treasure their queen?

Do you treasure her ambition?

Do you want to be a subject of hers

just because of a few pieces of glass?

Enough!

The slave will not be flogged.

I had no idea that Gaius Caesar

was so concerned about slaves.

A slave cannot be executed

without a trial by a magistrate.

I would not have wished you to transgress a law unwittingly.

Or do you ignore the law, Plancus? Of course not.

So you don't follow the lead of your friend Mark Anthony and ignore Rome's laws?

No.

So you would agree with me that Mark Anthony

is breaking the laws of Rome?

I...

Yes.

So perhaps you could appeal to your friend

to send us the funds we need

instead of spending them on an Egyptian queen.

I was not aware of your gift for theatrics, Triumvir.

Livia.

I didn't know you were here.

I only arrived for the final act.

It was no act.

Act or not, your strategy is impressive.

How is your son? Tiberius?

And what lies in your wife's belly?

Do the soothsayers predict a boy or a girl?

Do you care?

Why did you marry her? She's twice your age.

I followed your advice, Livia.

I married for her noble connections,

and her money.

You're running out of both, and time.

Anthony will take it all.

Anthony will not attack me.

He waits for me to fail.

Cleopatra's the only danger to him.

Women are often dangerous.

But they can be useful.

My compliments, country boy.

We were trying to make allies, not enemies.

I have been negotiating an incredibly advantageous marriage.

Are you mad? I'm not marrying a...

For me.

Livia Drusilla.

I've loved her since the day I met her.

You will become a member of one of the noblest Roman families.

And so you used my mother too!

You had a baby from her,

then threw her away to marry Livia!

I loved your mother.

No! You loved her money!

She gave me you.

When you laid down with her were you thinking,

"I wonder how I can use this child for my destiny"?

No!

I was wondering how I could stop the nobles of Rome

from destroying the world.

I was wondering if bringing a child into that world

was not torturing it.

I was trying to find a way to stop the daily killings

and starvation of innocent people.

Do you think you are the only one who has suffered for Rome?

I wish I had never met Julius Caesar!

I wish I had stayed on a farm and raised goats!

No, you don't.

You know the gods chose you.

You believe it was my destiny?

It doesn't matter, does it?

It matters.

It is the measure of my life.

Only you can answer that, Father.

I know what I have asked of you, Julia.

I don't want you to live in misery.

If you and Iullus...

could be discreet...

Father. I can't watch you in torment.

As Virgil said,

"Not every soil can bear all things."

You won't be able to endure the thought, Father.

No.

I will not.

You are not just a woman now, Julia.

You are the daughter of the Emperor.

My prayer is that you will soon realize what you must do,

and find your own way to live without Iullus.

I can change him, Father.

Perhaps.

He is the son of Mark Anthony.

A woman changed Mark Anthony.

She changed him...

just as she changed Caesar.

You are a coward! Coward!

Oh, Cleopatra!

This came to me directly from Rome.

Copies of it hang on every wall in the city! What is it?

He calls me the Egyptian Whore!

He paints me coupling with a goat.

He says my children have hooves!

It's just lies.

Of course it's lies! Kill Octavius.

It's not Octavius who writes this nonsense.

It's the little girl Maecenas.

Kill him! Kill them all.

No one believes what they say.

I won't wait any longer, Anthony.

You will attack Octavius, or I will become your enemy.

Don't threaten me, Cleopatra.

You must choose, Anthony. Do you fight my army or his?

I love you.

Then defend me against this little boy of Rome...

coward.

He brought 200 warships filled with legionaries

to Brundisium to destroy me.

My trust of Mark Anthony was crushed by his ambition.

Once again, Roman was about to slaughter Roman.

The peace Julius Caesar dreamed of was about to die.

Attack!

Forward!

The gods are angry.

There's my brother, right there.

My brother.

He's my brother!

Claudius.

Markus.

That's my friend Markus.

He has the farm next to mine.

Look, it's Flavius.

My wife's brother!

Lucius.

I cannot fight against Lucius.

Kill! Now!

Field guard, attack!

Kill every man who refuses to attack!

That's an order!

He's my brother.

Kill him!

I will kill every man who does not attack!

Madness.

I will kill you myself.

My sword is in my sheath. Strike.

The soldiers are wiser than their generals.

These are not two armies. This is one nation.

No more Roman blood, Anthony.

An alliance.

I will give you half of my men to defeat Parthia.

You swore before the Senate that you would conquer Rome's enemy.

Can I trust you?

Can I trust you?

No one will believe it.

True.

We need a sign.

A demonstration of our pact.

Will you give up Cleopatra?

Rome fears her most. No.

But I will take a Roman wife to show my loyalty.

My sister.

There is no better woman to demonstrate our alliance.

Greetings, Mother.

You're looking well.

As do you, Octavius. Are these your men?

Half.

And the others?

Mark Anthony's.

The mighty warrior! The fearless general!

Please slay the mice who ravage our grain bins!

Please! Please!

My darling sister.

I will, of course, follow your wishes.

You are now the head of our family.

Octavia, I'm the head of all of Rome.

Either way...

I am going to marry the man whom you choose for my husband.

I will convey the good news to Mark Anthony.

How could I have raised a son who has no sense of shame?

The alliance with Mark Anthony is necessary.

This marriage will seal it. For whose glory?

For Rome. Rome?

I don't know him.

Who is he? Does he have a sister too?

My sister learned to love Mark Anthony

and he loved her too, in his own way.

Something good was born out of that marriage,

even if it was a forced one.

Her marriage stopped Roman killing Roman.

Would I have been a better man

if I had been driven by my pity for my sister?

Would the Empire have lived in peace for 40 years

without the alliance?

The new aqueduct leading to Rome will rise from this spring.

It will be the largest ever built.

Three levels of arches placed on top of each other.

From here to the center of the city.

Ooh. You finally get your chance, architect.

This water will quench the thirst of 40,000 citizens every day,

and it will irrigate the fields to the south of Rome.

Thanks, but no.

I do prefer something more lively.

To future harvests!

No one can blackmail Rome again by starving its people.

Well, Agrippa, at least we can get some beautiful fountains

out of it, if nothing else.

Oh, no!

You were not even mentioned in his victory proclamations.

Is that a surprise?

He has raised ten new legions.

Has he sent you one of the many promised?

Obviously the treasure of his sister

was payment in full for your assistance.

It's only a demonstration of the alliance.

You sleep with her every time you're in Athens.

Why did you move her to Athens? So her bed could be closer?

That is according to custom.

She's a boring little thing.

She's of no interest to me.

Unlike your Egyptian whore? Oh, Cleopatra!

You will never see Octavius' men

until they face you across the battlefield.

If you help me, we'll have enough men to conquer Parthia.

That will remind Rome who rules the Empire.

If our most powerful ally

fights beside me.

I will not fight as your ally, only as your wife.

You know I can't marry you.

I would. I would!

But you're a foreign queen.

Custom forbids it.

Then the custom must change.

If I divorce Octavius' sister, a Roman woman, to marry you...

A foreigner? I could bring the entire city down on me.

And the Senate!

Throw her out of your house today.

The decline of Rome would have begun on this very day.

Mark Anthony was giving away the power of the Empire

because of his selfish desires.

He would set himself above the well-being of his people.

Octavia.

Why are you walking? I sent the carriage.

I prefer to walk.

Why?

I want everyone to see the woman who was betrayed by her brother.

I didn't betray you. Mark Anthony did.

No. He simply completed your plan.

I had no plan. Yes.

You hoped he'd betray me for Cleopatra. Octavia...

So now you can go before the Curia

and raise all the Senators against him.

You finally have your excuse to declare war on him.

Why are you blaming me? He deserted you.

I love him. Love?

And he loves me. I know he loves me.

You don't know him, Octavia.

Cleopatra has poisoned his mind.

She wants me dead. Is that what you want?

This was your plan all along, wasn't it?

No! Yes.

You must use this.

No.

He betrayed my sister with an Egyptian queen.

The Senate will be enraged.

It's not enough to declare war on him.

Use this.

Even possession of that is a high crime.

A man's will and testament is held in sacred trust

in the Temple of the Vestal Virgins.

It cannot be read or opened until his death.

Use it.

If I use it, I risk my life.

Don't you understand that you have to risk your life

to fulfill your promise to me and to Caesar?

You promised him his dream.

Now seize it.

If you send your legions against Mark Anthony,

you'll start another civil war, and more Roman blood will be spilt.

Do you want him to ignore the betrayal of his sister? To ignore this?

Do you want him to be the one to bring Roman against Roman again?

Don't go in there without a plan, country boy.

My warnings to the Senate

concerning the conduct of Mark Anthony have gone unheeded.

He has betrayed my sister, a woman of Rome.

He has declared the foreign Queen of Egypt

to be his wife.

This is against the rules of Rome.

This isn't working.

They'll never go to war against Mark Anthony.

But now, men of Rome, you have a choice to make.

To save Rome, yes.

To save Rome itself from extinction,

I must present you with evidence

which no defender of the Republic can ignore.

The last will and testament of Mark Anthony!

"I, Mark Anthony, bequeath to my wife,

"Cleopatra, Priestess of Isis, Queen of Egypt,

"my entirely worldly fortune.

"I, Mark Anthony, regard my sons, the sons of Cleopatra,

as my sole heirs."

Mark Anthony has betrayed Rome.

How could Mark Anthony do this?

One of such nobility.

I say he could not.

This abomination cannot be the act of a Roman.

This can only be the act of the foreigner,

a sorceress,

a woman that declares herself goddess on Earth,

one who would be Queen of Rome!

She is our enemy!

Rome must make war upon Cleopatra!

War! War! War!

Brilliant. Declare war on Cleopatra.

And Mark Anthony will defend her with his legions.

A politician is born.

Mark Anthony came to a place called Actium,

with Cleopatra by his side.

They had only one thought in mind.

To kill me.

Ancient history.

Not to me.

The smoke and flames of the burning ships were terrible.

And then,

just for a moment,

the smoke cleared.

There was Mark Anthony standing on the deck of his ship.

He was defeated and he knew it.

The bow of the boat turned,

and he disappeared into the smoke.

His queen had deserted him.

She had turned her fighting ships and had fled.

He had nothing left.

Because he had deserted Rome.

I'd spare your life if I could, Mark Anthony.

I was not begging for your mercy.

I insulted the dignity of Rome.

I understand my crime, Octavius.

I have lived well.

I have neither hatred nor envy for Caesar's son.

I wonder if your divine father, Julius Caesar, foresaw this end.

No.

And neither did I.

The Egyptian religion declares that death by snakebite

will secure immortality.

Did you know that?

History.

History will never forget this moment.

At last, every legion of Rome

answers to the command of a single man.

The peace of Rome is assured...

to the one absolute ruler

of the Roman Empire.

So that was your plan all along, Octavius?

To wear a crown on your head?

How else can you keep the nobility from tearing each other apart?

He must be king.

He will be declared...

Augustus.

I will never be king.

Why?

I will command the legions,

and I will never allow a Roman

to raise his sword against a Roman,

but without a crown.

Without a crown, you will be destroyed.

I am sorry, my friend.

I love you.

But I will not watch them destroy you.

So, it's over.

No.

The biggest battle is yet to come.

What is that?

Peace.

Are you with me?

Yes.

What of Anthony's son by his first wife?

My sister, Octavia, asks me to send him to her.

She wishes to raise him as a Roman.

A Roman who will have vengeance upon the man

who caused his father's death.

No more killing, Agrippa.

Send him to Octavia.

I can't deny her that.

What is the boy's name?

Iullus.

I spared his life.

But not mine.

Vergil wrote,"If I cannot bend heaven, I will move hell."

I have not been able to do either.

But you have shaped the world, and now it's time to rest.

I thought the measure of a man's life

was what he had accomplished,

but...

Judging one's own life is a futile exercise.

Livia.

When did you stop loving me?

My love hasn't died.

It has just evolved.

From desire...

to what?

Duty.

Life's passions die slowly away, don't they?

Yes.

I'm not sure that I can endure a life without passion.

Rest now, my husband.

Peace has reigned in the Empire for 30 years now.

The Republic is restored.

No greater gift could we give to its citizens.

I have thought of little else of late.

Rome is the greatest city in the world.

Great aqueducts to bring us water

with over a hundred gushing fountains,

170 baths for the people,

and the crowning glory of the Pantheon,

all built by my beloved Markus Agrippa.

We found a city of brick and we will leave it marble.

But I ask myself,

how long will Rome continue to be the leader of the world?

We have built all this.

We have defeated our enemies,

but we are killing ourselves.

We are the enemies now.

I beg the noblest men of Rome

to indulge an old man's curiosity.

Those who are unmarried, step over there.

That's it.

Right there.

Yes, yes, yes.

Thank you. Good.

Now,

those who are married but have no children,

would you join the group?

I see.

Is the marriage in name only?

Does the man not even share his wife's bed?

But why would he?

If she is only 12 years old,

she brings the richest of dowries.

Senators of Rome, you who are indeed fathers.

But can any of you swear an oath

that the children of your wives are indeed your own?

No doubts?

I have doubts.

Grave doubts about the future of Rome.

And not merely over who will govern this empire,

which we take for granted.

The danger to Rome is no longer visible unto our eyes

unless we gaze into a mirror,

a mirror that penetrates into our hearts and minds,

for there lies the danger.

We lack the will

to forego the pleasure and luxury of the moment

for the lasting good of all.

If we cannot summon this resolve,

then Rome will fall in a way we cannot imagine.

I have no power to decree,

but I beg you, fathers of the Senate,

to consider these new laws concerning marriage.

The defeat of the family will be the defeat of Rome.

What was formerly the guiltless conduct of adultery

should now be called a crime,

punishable by banishment from Rome.

I fear for Rome also.

I fear an emperor

who destroys the foundation which Rome was built upon:

Her nobles.

Would you return to the civil wars, Iullus?

I would return to a time

when the Empire wasn't run by the will of the mob.

The"mob," as you call them, are the people.

The people who now live in peace.

Because you eliminated all of their enemies,

took the wealth of the nobles

and placed yourself on the throne.

And now he's going to tell you how to live your lives?

Is he going to tell you who to marry?

What other powers are you going to give this man,

this old man,

who rules by forces of the legions and the mob?

Now, why do the soldiers follow him?

Because he promises them land.

But where did the land come from?

It was stolen from you and your fathers.

Iullus!

Your heart beats because I spared your life.

The water you drink comes to you because of Agrippa.

The food you eat is grown by the mob you want to destroy.

The servants who bathe you come gladly from foreign lands

just to be in the glory of Rome.

Why?

Because of the peace which these men,

these Senators, have labored so hard to preserve.

I am one of them!

And I am proud to be a Roman!

Hail Tiberius!

Tiberius!

I was not informed that you were returning to Rome.

You mean warned?

Why would I need to be warned?

The northern border is as far away as he could send me,

but reports of your affair with Iullus arrive regularly,

in explicit detail.

Our marriage is a sham to serve their interests,

not yours or mine.

It's our duty.

My duty is to maintain authority over Rome's legions.

You undermine that with your adultery,

which you don't even attempt to conceal!

I cannot live with that.

Then do us both a favor and fall on your sword.

You've wanted to do that for a very long time.

Go.

I'll find this Iullus and kill him!

No. You will go back to playing soldier,

or my father will have you thrown in prison as a deserter.

Get out!

Get out!

No!

He raped me. It was terrible.

I will kill him.

I cannot live like this, pretending all the time.

As long as your father lives, this is our only choice.

Sometimes I wish he were already dead.

Are you sure?

I cannot live like this any longer.

I love you.

How much do you love me?

How can you ask such a question?

With my entire heart.

No matter what happens?

She blames her father.

She even said she wants him dead.

But I don't believe her. She would never do anything to hurt him.

Well, she doesn't have to. I love her.

Stop telling me that. It's true.

Really? Yes.

Then if you truly love her, there's no choice.

Well, of course there's a choice.

Are you going to abandon her?

Augustus will not yield,

and our position grows more tenuous every day.

Now, we would be fools to think that he won't act against us soon.

Of course not. Your nobility will not protect us from him.

Your father made that mistake.

We will not.

He must die.

I would lose her. She would never forgive me.

You'd be saving her.

If you think Livia's ever going to let Julia's children

rule over the Empire when Augustus dies...

The children will be killed too.

You know it's inevitable.

It's the only way to save their lives,

and when she understands that,

she will thank you.

We failed once.

We were stupid. Out in the open.

We know now.

Will she let you into his house for the night?

Tonight.

Then the gods have handed us our opportunity.

Iullus.

Why were you following him? I'm going to kill him.

No. Not now.

He's playing directly into our hands.

Jealousy serves you well, Tiberius.

What are you going to do?

Nothing. Nothing?

Absolutely nothing.

But he's plotting to kill Augustus.

What if he is successful?

Yes?

What if he is not?

We will make sure that Iullus is caught

with his accomplice, Julia.

No, my son. You will do nothing.

And nothing will make you Emperor.

Guards!

Guards!

Help!

Guards!

Guards!

Help!

Help!

Guards!

Guards! Guards!

Tiberius!

Help him.

Guards!

Guards!

Guards!

Who are they?

Scipio.

Iullus!

It was for you.

Take them away.

Question them.

I owe you my life.

Get me a doctor, please.

I'm wounded.

Julia...

did you know?

He's your lover.

Answer me.

Did you know?

The decrees of the Senate

are unyielding throughout the Empire.

For the crime of adultery, the penalties are specific.

I stand before you...

formally to denounce...

a citizen for this crime.

Here is the written confession of Iullus Antonius,

confessing his adultery with Julia,

wife of Tiberius,

for which I demand the full penalty

of the law of Rome!

Nobody's above the law!

You will obey me!

You lost control.

Were Maecenas alive...

he wouldn't allow it.

Banishment? Why?

Father, I didn't know.

I didn't know. I'd never, never!

Either way, you must go.

When the plot on my life is revealed,

you will not be able to live in this city.

Let me see him. I must see Iullus.

He is dead.

No.

I have only loved two men in my life:

Iullus and you.

You drove me into his arms!

I forgot one of the most important laws for a leader.

Weakness is not allowed,

no matter how much pain there is for me or for others.

You will be taken to Brundisium.

You will sail to a place where you will be safe

to live.

My sons.

You cannot.

Monster! Tyrant!

You are a tyrant! You cannot have them!

You cannot have my sons! You are a monster!

They are the only hope for the future of Rome.

They will stay with me.

I will protect them.

And who will love them? You?

You are not capable of love.

Only your dream, your perfect Roman Empire.

You should have killed me when I was born.

But instead you tortured me slowly

with never-ending pain.

They call you Augustus, but you are not a god.

I am doing what I believe is right.

For who?

For the Rome that will live after me.

For the peace.

You are not the master of the future.

You conquered the world,

but you lost your soul.

My sons will never be like you.

I have already taught them how to love.

You don't believe the rumors, do you?

My grandsons are dead, Livia.

First Lucius, and now Gaius.

It will be your blood in the emperors of Rome now.

I could never have harmed Julia's children.

No.

Even you are not that cruel.

Fever took them both. The gods wanted it that way.

And I am tired.

I have done all I could do.

I can control nothing.

I am master of nothing.

Not my life, not my death.

I am in the hands of the gods, like any mortal.

And if the gods have sent someone to save the world,

I am not that one.

It is a lesson you should have taught me a long time ago.

I wonder how happy we might have been if you had.

Don't worry.

Your son will not have long to wait to take my place.

Octavius, I...

Forgive me.

Forgive you?

For what?

You did what you believed was right.

And I know you have loved me.

I grieve for your losses.

The price of long life seems to be loss.

Julia?

The Empire took both our lives, daughter.

Forgive me.

It was a noble cause.

Your father had a dream...

and so did mine.

Did I play my part well

in this comedy called life?

The gods will tell you, Father.

Applause, please.

Guided by my hand,

Rome extended its empire

to boundaries never before imagined,

reaching the heart of Germany to the north

and the edge of the Sahara Desert in the south.

To the east,

it extended to the banks of the Euphrates River,

and to the west, the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

The roads I built covered hundreds and hundreds of miles

to connect Rome to the furthest cities in the provinces.

The aqueducts constructed under my reign

surmounted hills and crossed valleys

to bring water to 700 new fountains

lining the streets of my capital.

After a century marked by civil wars,

my political reforms were destined to bring the Empire

the most precious gift of all. 300 years of peace.

In the 23rd year of my reign,

in the province of Judea, Jesus of Nazareth was born.

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