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[applause]

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♪♪

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This is for the Senate!

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Bring him to the palace...

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alive.

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It's fine.

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Let him through!

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Commodus.

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Thank the Gods, you're alright.

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They came for you too?

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We stopped at the brothel
on our way to the Coliseum.

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They ambushed us.

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Saoterus?

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They moved too quickly.

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I managed to hold them off,
but Saoterus...

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Find out who was behind this.

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It doesn't matter what it takes.

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With pleasure.

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[theme music playing]

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[narrator]
For Commodus,

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the attempt on his life
and the murder of his closest advisor...

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shakes the foundation of his reign.

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[Prof. Clifford Ando]
When you think about

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somebody like Commodus growing up

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and coming into a position
of enormous responsibility.

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It's not simply that
they're an individual of great wealth

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and everybody's
gonna be jealous.

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One can suppose that
they must have felt enormously isolated.

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The number of people
whom they felt they could trust

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must be extraordinarily small.

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[narrator] Cleander knows that
to keep the trust of the Emperor...

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and eliminate any ties to
the murder of Saoterus,

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he'll have to cover his tracks.

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Starting with the Senate member
who aided in the plot...

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Quintianus.

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I've waited a long time for this.

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Convince Commodus to spare my life.

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If you do that,

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I won't say anything.

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You have my word.

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That's one option.

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Wait...

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No, wait...

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[gurgling]

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Finish him.

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[sword slicing]

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[Quintianus screams]

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[narrator] After the failed attempt
on her brother's life,

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Lucilla knows her efforts
have gone to waste...

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and her connection to the plot
could be exposed at any moment.

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He talked.

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I'll hear it for myself.

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I'm afraid that won't be possible.

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So he's dead.

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Who else was involved?

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There's one more.

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Who?

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Your sister. Lucilla.

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Bring her to me.

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[Prof. Aaron Irvin]
If you were Emperor, you would be

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the individual upon which
millions of people depended

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on a day-to-day basis.

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But of course, it's far more
than any one individual can pull off.

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You have to delegate.
You need assistance.

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You have to find other people.

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But Roman society
is incredibly competitive.

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Who do you trust?

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Bring her in.

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Senator Quintianus tried to kill me.

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He failed.

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[Lucilla]
So I've heard.

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Ask your question, brother.

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You are supposed to be
the most powerful man in the world.

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Emperor of Rome.

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Is that why your playmate
is not in chains beside me?

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Would it be too
difficult for you?

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It always amazes me the lengths
a woman will go to to cover up...

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well, anything really.

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I see you've a cut, Cleander.

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Is that from Saoterus's knife?

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Enough!

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Lies will get you nowhere.

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Just because you can't handle the answers
doesn't make them lies.

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If you want to know
why your sister wanted you dead,

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all you need do is ask.

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I've done nothing to you.

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You were born.

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And from the moment
you entered this world,

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I've been pushed aside,

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forgotten, sold into marriage.

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All for the greater glory of Commodus.

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I never asked for any of that.

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And I never asked to be
born a woman.

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To have our father turn his back
on a century of tradition.

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To have no control over
anything that happens to me.

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But here we are.

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You tried to kill me.

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You've taken my life, brother.

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I only thought it fair
I do the same to you.

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Always the strong one,
eh, Commodus?

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It seems your Emperor cares more
for your family than you do.

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He will spare your life,

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but your time here in Rome
is at an end.

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I must admit, Cleander,

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I am impressed.

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[Prof. Irvin] With her conspiracy,
Lucilla was working directly

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with members of
that inner circle.

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These were incredibly important people.

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This was not simply a minor plot,

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but this was essentially
the inner workings of the state

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moving against itself.

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[narrator] Cleander has
successfully eliminated his competition...

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and any trace
to his involvement in the plot.

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Commodus orders his sister
to the Island of Capri,

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more than 100 miles from Rome...

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where she's forced to live in exile.

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♪ ♪

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[gasping]

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[yelping]

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[Jerry Toner]
Commodus has her murdered.

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This isn't surprising.

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What else would you do with someone
who has tried to assassinate you?

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With a member of your own family
who has betrayed you?

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It's too risky
to have them alive.

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[narrator] After ordering
the execution of his own sister,

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Commodus begins to
distance himself from the throne...

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and Cleander sees the opportunity
he's been waiting for.

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It's finished then.

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There were more on the list.

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If we don't act now,
there will be others.

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They'll see it as an opening.

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Brother...

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Do we want to be
seen as weak?

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No...

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I can't have this happen again.

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You can count on me.

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Cleander...

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I won't forget this.

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[narrator]
By deceiving Commodus,

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Cleander continues to gain his trust...

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and is soon given the position
he's always wanted,

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Chief Advisor
to the Roman Emperor.

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[Prof. Irvin]
This is the biggest problem

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that Commodus faces.

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He is easily manipulated.

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He's easily manipulated by
the various groups around him.

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And rather than taking a leadership
position as the Emperor,

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he allows himself to be led.

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He allows himself to be put aside.

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And he allows individuals like Cleander
to take up a leadership position.

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More.

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Commodus, it's late.

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It's not good for you to sit here
drinking all night...

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I know it's been difficult,
but this isn't going--

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Done! Just...

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Enough.

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Just come to bed with me.

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And what would be the purpose of that?

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You have one job,

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and you have failed me...

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again and again.

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Tell me, dear wife,

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where is my son?

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Please Marcia,
clean up my husband's mess.

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[Anthony Everitt]
Crispina didn't produce any children.

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What a woman had to do
was not be sexually attractive,

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but she must be able to have children.

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She must produce sons.

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Provided she did that,

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that was her main task.

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If she didn't do that,
then that was potentially quite serious.

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♪ ♪

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[pouring]

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[narrator] As Commodus grows further
detached from his role as Emperor,

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Cleander begins to consolidate his power.

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[Prof. Corey Brennan]
One of the most important figures

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for understanding the role
of the Emperor Commodus

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is the figure of Cleander.

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Cleander was the second freedman

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that Commodus put enormous trust in.

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And Commodus had checked out at this point

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and was not interested in
the serious business of governing.

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So what happens is Cleander,

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in particular we're told,
sought to enrich himself.

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[narrator]
With his power cemented,

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Cleander can set in motion
his ultimate plan.

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Determined to win favor
among the Roman people,

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and amass a fortune of his own,

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Cleander begins selling off
high-ranking positions in the Empire...

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starting with seats

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in the Roman Senate.

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Something the matter, Dio?

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I have never heard the Senate so silent.

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I wouldn't enjoy it too much.

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It's the sound of betrayal, after all.

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[Dio]
Or the absence of it.

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For these few who remain
are as loyal as you and I,

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are they not?

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Perhaps,

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but wise men know things
are not always as they appear.

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You speak the truth, Cleander.

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You know, it really is quite impressive,
all you've accomplished,

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and there is much more to come,
I have no doubt.

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But for now, the business of the Senate
awaits us old wise men.

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You forget yourself, Dio.

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00:23:10,516 --> 00:23:12,100
Not all of the Senate are here.

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00:23:36,542 --> 00:23:38,377
[narrator] By removing the old guard,

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00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:41,713
and selling seats to his allies,

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00:23:43,841 --> 00:23:46,635
Cleander has secured
the Senate's loyalty...

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00:23:53,580 --> 00:23:56,395
and has disturbed
the balance of an institution

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00:23:56,937 --> 00:24:00,399
that has governed for nearly 700 years.

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00:24:06,196 --> 00:24:08,490
Since the founding of the republic,

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00:24:09,867 --> 00:24:13,453
seats of the Senate
have been reserved for the elite.

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00:24:15,539 --> 00:24:16,373
[Tom Holland] Traditionally,

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00:24:16,456 --> 00:24:17,624
to be in the Senate

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00:24:17,708 --> 00:24:21,253
was to attain the very pinnacle of status
within the Roman state.

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00:24:21,879 --> 00:24:25,632
It took its name
from the Latin for "old man", senex.

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00:24:25,716 --> 00:24:29,344
It embodied the great
and the good of the city.

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00:24:32,514 --> 00:24:35,580
[narrator]
Only those from Senate lineage

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00:24:35,142 --> 00:24:36,810
are eligible for service.

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00:24:39,146 --> 00:24:40,689
[Toner]
To be a Senator in Rome,

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00:24:40,772 --> 00:24:44,860
your father had to be a Senator.
So it was largely hereditary.

223
00:24:45,777 --> 00:24:48,947
Cassius Dio, he was a Senator
and later a consul,

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00:24:49,310 --> 00:24:51,450
and his father had been a Senator.

225
00:24:51,533 --> 00:24:56,288
So he's very much from the
aristocratic part of Roman society.

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00:25:06,507 --> 00:25:08,800
[narrator]
With the Senate in his pocket,

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00:25:08,884 --> 00:25:11,595
Cleander now looks to the Roman people,

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00:25:12,679 --> 00:25:16,350
and believes there's only one way
to guarantee their support.

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00:25:19,228 --> 00:25:22,648
Cleander knows the masses
are a powerful force in the Empire.

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00:25:23,941 --> 00:25:26,401
and he can solidify their dependence,

231
00:25:26,902 --> 00:25:28,612
and gain their favor,

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00:25:29,446 --> 00:25:31,573
by threatening their food supply.

233
00:25:35,118 --> 00:25:36,537
For centuries,

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00:25:36,620 --> 00:25:40,749
the survival of the Empire
has depended on imported grain.

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00:25:44,753 --> 00:25:46,171
[Toner]
The city of Rome was probably

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over one million people strong.

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00:25:48,966 --> 00:25:52,135
It's an enormous city
by preindustrial standards.

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00:25:52,761 --> 00:25:55,347
Because of that,
they ship huge quantities of grain in

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00:25:55,430 --> 00:25:58,517
from North Africa
and above all, from Egypt,

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and they give it to every Roman citizen.

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00:26:01,478 --> 00:26:03,630
It probably accounts for something like

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00:26:03,146 --> 00:26:08,902
40 or 50 percent of the family food
requirement in each year.

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00:26:08,986 --> 00:26:12,322
So it's a very significant perk
of being a Roman citizen.

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00:26:16,410 --> 00:26:17,411
[narrator]
But in Rome,

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00:26:18,495 --> 00:26:21,390
grain does more than just feed the people.

246
00:26:22,291 --> 00:26:26,300
As those in power
have used rations and shortages...

247
00:26:27,546 --> 00:26:30,700
to keep control of the lower classes.

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00:26:33,135 --> 00:26:35,846
[Holland]
Rome had vastly outgrown the capacity

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00:26:35,929 --> 00:26:37,806
to feed those who lived in it.

250
00:26:38,932 --> 00:26:42,144
So, ambitious Roman politicians
had begun to recognize

251
00:26:42,227 --> 00:26:47,357
that a way to entrench power
was to provide

252
00:26:47,441 --> 00:26:49,902
the mass of common citizens in the city

253
00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:52,700
with a bread dole.

254
00:26:52,988 --> 00:26:56,241
But if they did not supply bread
to the Roman people,

255
00:26:57,367 --> 00:27:00,370
then their own survival
might well be at stake.

256
00:27:02,456 --> 00:27:05,292
[narrator] Determined to gain
the favor of the Roman people,

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00:27:06,376 --> 00:27:09,460
Cleander devises a sophisticated plan.

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00:27:11,890 --> 00:27:13,842
He believes if he can
manipulate the grain supply,

259
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,137
he can create a food crisis in Rome.

260
00:27:22,976 --> 00:27:24,353
Take this to the Senate.

261
00:27:27,940 --> 00:27:30,692
[Prof. Irvin]
Cleander looks at his position

262
00:27:30,776 --> 00:27:34,196
as a way for him to gain his own power
and gain his own popularity.

263
00:27:34,863 --> 00:27:39,451
The rumors being of course that Cleander
takes stores of food and keeps them,

264
00:27:39,535 --> 00:27:41,495
and then purposely creates

265
00:27:41,578 --> 00:27:44,581
a famine within the city
so that he can come out as the hero,

266
00:27:44,665 --> 00:27:46,750
and popular among the people.

267
00:27:56,385 --> 00:27:59,555
[narrator] While Cleander continues
his campaign for power,

268
00:28:00,806 --> 00:28:03,392
Commodus returns to his reckless ways.

269
00:28:29,877 --> 00:28:33,297
♪ ♪

270
00:29:40,322 --> 00:29:43,242
Marcia is a slave in the royal palace.

271
00:29:44,159 --> 00:29:46,370
But after catching the eye of the Emperor,

272
00:29:47,621 --> 00:29:50,791
she becomes
his personal servant and mistress,

273
00:29:51,625 --> 00:29:54,378
known in Rome as a concubine.

274
00:29:58,465 --> 00:29:59,716
In the palace,

275
00:30:00,300 --> 00:30:03,387
the Emperor has his choice
of attractive slaves...

276
00:30:05,472 --> 00:30:09,560
servants available for pleasure
day and night.

277
00:30:11,186 --> 00:30:13,230
[Holland]
To be sure, Emperors, by and large,

278
00:30:14,231 --> 00:30:16,149
slept with as many people
as they wanted,

279
00:30:16,233 --> 00:30:17,693
used as many people
as they wanted.

280
00:30:18,610 --> 00:30:21,446
Provided that they were not
of citizen status.

281
00:30:28,579 --> 00:30:31,874
[Prof. David Levene] There was a provision
in Roman law that

282
00:30:31,957 --> 00:30:33,625
any Roman, not just an Emperor,

283
00:30:33,709 --> 00:30:35,961
could indeed have a concubine.

284
00:30:37,421 --> 00:30:41,910
Concubinage was a status under Roman law,

285
00:30:41,175 --> 00:30:44,803
but it was less common
for an Emperor to do it

286
00:30:44,887 --> 00:30:48,348
quite as openly
as Commodus took Marcia.

287
00:30:51,894 --> 00:30:55,731
[narrator] But while Marcia begins
spending more time with the Emperor,

288
00:30:56,565 --> 00:30:58,317
she's still a servant in the palace...

289
00:31:00,152 --> 00:31:02,905
alongside her husband, Eclectus.

290
00:31:08,619 --> 00:31:10,287
Hey, I thought you were
done for the night.

291
00:31:10,871 --> 00:31:13,832
The Emperor required me,
but I'm going to bed now.

292
00:31:48,700 --> 00:31:49,660
Please sit down.

293
00:31:55,749 --> 00:31:56,834
You're leaving Rome.

294
00:31:59,127 --> 00:32:00,295
Where are we going?

295
00:32:03,298 --> 00:32:04,883
[Commodus]
You'll go to the country estate.

296
00:32:06,593 --> 00:32:08,929
It'll be safe there, away from the plague.

297
00:32:10,472 --> 00:32:12,140
You'll follow later, then.

298
00:32:13,433 --> 00:32:14,977
My place is in Rome.

299
00:32:18,313 --> 00:32:19,940
How long will I be gone for?

300
00:32:21,567 --> 00:32:23,680
I'll send for you
when I think it's safe to return.

301
00:32:23,151 --> 00:32:25,737
-But I don't want to leave--
-It's best you leave immediately.

302
00:32:28,730 --> 00:32:29,157
Safer.

303
00:32:38,625 --> 00:32:40,711
-Marcia, let's go.
-No.

304
00:32:41,545 --> 00:32:43,547
Marcia and Eclectus will stay with me.

305
00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:51,555
You'll let me know
when wish me to return?

306
00:32:59,938 --> 00:33:01,640
As soon as it's safe.

307
00:33:07,290 --> 00:33:08,614
[narrator]
For Commodus,

308
00:33:08,697 --> 00:33:12,659
the Empress has failed one of
the most important roles in the palace.

309
00:33:15,780 --> 00:33:16,622
Unable to give him an heir,

310
00:33:18,457 --> 00:33:20,209
she's banished to Capri,

311
00:33:21,502 --> 00:33:23,587
never to return to Rome.

312
00:33:32,221 --> 00:33:35,570
The Emperor's focus continues to drift,

313
00:33:35,933 --> 00:33:40,103
allowing Cleander to continue
with his ruthless scheme.

314
00:33:41,688 --> 00:33:43,607
But news of the grain shortage

315
00:33:43,690 --> 00:33:46,944
soon reaches
high-ranking members of the Senate.

316
00:33:47,402 --> 00:33:48,529
[Cleander]
Now go see to it.

317
00:33:50,572 --> 00:33:52,741
[Dio] You seem to have
taken to the managing of the city well.

318
00:33:52,824 --> 00:33:54,409
All it takes is a firm hand.

319
00:33:55,827 --> 00:33:58,872
Strength. I've never lacked for that.

320
00:33:58,956 --> 00:34:01,959
I'm sure you already have a plan
to deal with the grain shortage.

321
00:34:03,126 --> 00:34:04,586
Well, it's certainly strange.

322
00:34:05,587 --> 00:34:08,841
All shipments from Alexandria
have stopped, but no one knows why.

323
00:34:08,924 --> 00:34:10,801
[Cleander]
I'm aware of the grain shortage.

324
00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:13,804
And...

325
00:34:14,555 --> 00:34:16,306
Do you intend to do anything about it?

326
00:34:16,390 --> 00:34:18,267
I intend to manage it.

327
00:34:19,309 --> 00:34:20,561
Well, within the week,

328
00:34:20,644 --> 00:34:22,855
the mills at the Aqua Traiana
will have nothing to produce,

329
00:34:22,938 --> 00:34:24,731
and then a few days after that,

330
00:34:25,607 --> 00:34:28,260
all distribution in the city will cease.

331
00:34:28,902 --> 00:34:30,362
People will starve.

332
00:34:32,322 --> 00:34:35,659
And I'm sure the Senate would resolve this
through endless discussion.

333
00:34:37,661 --> 00:34:38,829
No, Dio.

334
00:34:39,538 --> 00:34:43,250
You may talk as much as you wish.
The palace will act.

335
00:34:43,834 --> 00:34:47,462
Oh, so the Emperor is aware of
the danger to his beloved city?

336
00:34:49,131 --> 00:34:51,758
The Emperor is not to be bothered 
with trivialities.

337
00:34:57,514 --> 00:35:01,268
[narrator] Cleander has redirected
shipments of grain from Egypt,

338
00:35:02,352 --> 00:35:05,630
stashing them away
for just the right moment.

339
00:35:08,108 --> 00:35:10,680
But what he fails to predict,

340
00:35:10,694 --> 00:35:14,239
is that the food shortage,
and spreading famine,

341
00:35:14,323 --> 00:35:18,368
create the perfect conditions
for the return of the plague.

342
00:35:18,869 --> 00:35:19,786
Gentlemen.

343
00:35:20,454 --> 00:35:21,580
Try the wine.

344
00:35:22,497 --> 00:35:23,832
It's delicious.

345
00:35:31,632 --> 00:35:32,466
[narrator] Throughout Rome,

346
00:35:36,136 --> 00:35:37,888
thousands fall ill

347
00:35:40,150 --> 00:35:42,768
as the plague wreaks havoc
on the Roman people.

348
00:35:51,902 --> 00:35:54,446
[Everitt]
Large cities, like Rome,

349
00:35:54,530 --> 00:35:57,199
had poor sort of health systems.

350
00:35:57,908 --> 00:36:03,497
And so, they were sinks of
germs and diseases of one sort or another.

351
00:36:03,580 --> 00:36:07,334
And it took a very long time
for that to be shaken off.

352
00:36:10,379 --> 00:36:12,422
[narrator]
With riots breaking out around the city,

353
00:36:13,549 --> 00:36:17,261
word of starvation and disease
reaches the palace.

354
00:36:17,344 --> 00:36:18,929
[crowd clamoring]

355
00:36:36,697 --> 00:36:38,824
Cleander, thank you for coming.

356
00:36:39,491 --> 00:36:41,285
Would you mind filling my cup?

357
00:36:43,245 --> 00:36:44,246
Certainly.

358
00:36:49,418 --> 00:36:51,962
The plague. What are we doing about it?

359
00:36:54,548 --> 00:36:56,216
All that we can, of course.

360
00:36:59,928 --> 00:37:02,472
We are disposing of the bodies
as quickly as possible,

361
00:37:03,432 --> 00:37:07,102
setting up quarantines
and sick tents outside the city.

362
00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:09,479
Don't worry.

363
00:37:09,938 --> 00:37:11,523
We'll have it taken care of in no time.

364
00:37:12,816 --> 00:37:14,902
Why am I hearing
that my people are starving?

365
00:37:16,862 --> 00:37:20,574
We're having issues
with the grain shipments.

366
00:37:22,242 --> 00:37:24,661
Hungry people get sick. Sick people die.

367
00:37:25,495 --> 00:37:26,663
People need food.

368
00:37:27,122 --> 00:37:29,124
I'm afraid it's not as easy as it sounds.

369
00:37:30,250 --> 00:37:32,850
Double the subsidies.

370
00:37:32,169 --> 00:37:33,837
The shipments will
straighten themselves out.

371
00:37:35,380 --> 00:37:36,965
In the meantime, the people need food.

372
00:37:41,261 --> 00:37:43,889
Of course. You're right.
I'll double the grain shipments now.

373
00:37:50,437 --> 00:37:52,773
Is there anything else
my Emperor requires?

374
00:37:54,233 --> 00:37:55,817
Perhaps some time alone.

375
00:37:57,986 --> 00:37:58,820
[chuckles]

376
00:38:00,989 --> 00:38:03,534
♪♪

377
00:38:21,260 --> 00:38:23,262
[narrator] With his advisor at the helm,

378
00:38:23,971 --> 00:38:27,307
Commodus continues
to avoid his obligations.

379
00:38:32,145 --> 00:38:33,814
But what he doesn't realize...

380
00:38:34,565 --> 00:38:36,817
is that in the hands
of his trusted advisor,

381
00:38:38,110 --> 00:38:39,820
the fate of his beloved city

382
00:38:40,654 --> 00:38:41,905
is in danger.

383
00:38:56,420 --> 00:38:59,548
The streets of Rome have turned to chaos.

384
00:39:03,468 --> 00:39:06,346
But Cleander is determined
to stick to his plan,

385
00:39:07,139 --> 00:39:11,101
believing he still has time
to release his grain supply

386
00:39:11,768 --> 00:39:13,395
and save the Empire.

387
00:39:18,275 --> 00:39:19,568
But before he can act,

388
00:39:21,361 --> 00:39:24,698
the masses begin to blame the royal palace

389
00:39:25,282 --> 00:39:27,951
and voice their frustrations
on the city walls.

390
00:39:33,832 --> 00:39:36,543
Used as a means of communication,

391
00:39:39,460 --> 00:39:42,674
graffiti is a powerful tool
of the Roman people.

392
00:39:49,139 --> 00:39:52,226
[Toner] Graffiti was very commonplace
in the Roman Empire. 

393
00:39:52,309 --> 00:39:54,228
If you look at the city of Pompeii,

394
00:39:54,311 --> 00:39:57,648
there are 13,000 examples
of it that survive

395
00:39:57,731 --> 00:40:01,260
in a town that had a population
of probably only that size.

396
00:40:02,361 --> 00:40:04,738
Mostly the graffiti is about politics.

397
00:40:04,821 --> 00:40:08,750
It's saying, "Vote for so-and-so
in the upcoming election."

398
00:40:08,158 --> 00:40:10,577
Or they are criticizing other people.

399
00:40:10,661 --> 00:40:14,373
Or many of them are just names
scratched onto the surfaces.

400
00:40:16,124 --> 00:40:17,960
[murmuring]

401
00:40:21,213 --> 00:40:22,172
[narrator] As anger spreads,

402
00:40:23,924 --> 00:40:26,510
the Roman people demand answers...

403
00:40:31,431 --> 00:40:35,686
and begin to call for the man
Commodus trusted with the food supply...

404
00:40:36,979 --> 00:40:37,980
Cleander.

405
00:40:50,909 --> 00:40:53,370
[murmuring]

406
00:41:15,642 --> 00:41:17,227
[crowd chatter]

407
00:41:31,617 --> 00:41:34,770
[man]
That's him! That's Cleander.

408
00:41:35,454 --> 00:41:36,496
[crowd yells]

409
00:41:40,792 --> 00:41:41,835
Get away from me!

410
00:42:00,562 --> 00:42:01,647
You...

411
00:42:01,730 --> 00:42:03,190
I want two guards on every door.

412
00:42:03,273 --> 00:42:04,608
No one is to enter the palace!

413
00:42:05,526 --> 00:42:07,986
[distant crowd yells]

414
00:42:24,169 --> 00:42:25,300
Commodus!

415
00:42:29,174 --> 00:42:30,801
[crowd yelling]

416
00:42:41,603 --> 00:42:42,855
The whole city's gone mad.

417
00:42:43,355 --> 00:42:45,607
They attacked me in the streets!
I'm lucky to have gotten back here alive.

418
00:42:45,691 --> 00:42:47,234
Why would they attack you?

419
00:42:47,317 --> 00:42:48,944
Why are my people calling for your head?

420
00:42:52,614 --> 00:42:53,949
Cleander, what did you do?

421
00:42:55,158 --> 00:42:56,535
What did you do?

422
00:43:06,545 --> 00:43:09,298
[theme song playing]