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[ominous music playing]

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[music intensifies]

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[slicing sound]

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[gasps, pants]

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[narrator] In 39 A.D.,

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Caligula is one of the most powerful men
in the world.

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But he will come to be known

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as Rome's mad emperor.

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[theme music playing]

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[narrator] In just over a century,
the Roman Empire has doubled in size.

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Now stretching nearly
two million square miles

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from the Atlantic Ocean to Egypt.

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The city of Rome is rapidly expanding,

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[Tom Holland] Rome was an enormous city,

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even by the standards of today.

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And there was a sense in which

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infrastructure had been key to its growth,
right from the very beginning.

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And the engineering feat was

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indeed formidable.

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[narrator] Roadways now connect Rome
to places like Northern Africa,

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modern-day France, and Spain.

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And advancements in design,
like aqueducts...

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sewer systems...

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and amphitheaters...

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have turned Rome into one of the most

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advanced civilizations on the planet.

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[Mike Duncan]
Rome was as powerful as it had ever been,

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and was continuing to grow in power.

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They were at the zenith of their power.

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So...

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when it came to its position

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relative to other foreign powers,
Rome was the biggest power in the world.

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[narrator] Rome's rise to global dominance

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is in part
thanks to its powerful military,

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made up of nearly 300,000 soldiers.

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The Roman military dominated
the Western world.

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There was nothing to match
the Roman military.

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[narrator] The Roman army has been waging
a war against barbarians in Germania,

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hoping to keep their borders secure.

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[screaming]

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Rome has spent years and years fighting
on the German frontier,

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to ensure that the German tribes were
not able to come and march into Gaul

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or into other parts of the Empire.

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So it's a very big operation.

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[man] Here, take this.

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Hold it high and strong.

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Feet apart.

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[narrator] On the sidelines
of the battlefield...

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One, two...

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...a young Caligula is growing up.

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For the first years of his life,

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Caligula was pretty much on the road,

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going from military camp to military camp.

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His playground was, effectively,
the most violent arena of war.

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Caligula is brought up in a household
of great privilege, great expectations.

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Because he was the son of a great general.

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And not only was his father
a great general,

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a man of honor, but he was the nephew
of the ruling emperor of Rome.

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[narrator] Caligula's father is the most
beloved leader in the Roman army,

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and next in line
to become emperor of Rome.

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His name is Germanicus.

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[Germanicus] How many men to a cohort?

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Four hundred and eighty.

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How many to a legion?

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One thousand.

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Five thousand.

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Led by?

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Six tribunes...

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[Amanda Ruggeri] Germanicus was
a blue-blooded Roman prince.

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The guy was handsome,
he was charming,

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he was well-educated.

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[Amanda Ruggeri] He was, at the time,
the most respected general in Rome.

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So Caligula as a child would have been
growing up

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as the son of this incredibly popular guy,

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and he is traveling around
with his father

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all throughout his young childhood.

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Are you tired,
or should we move onto weapons?

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Weapons.

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-Javelins are made of...
-Wood and iron.

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-Short swords?
-Steel.

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[narrator] Germanicus trains Caligula
to be a great warrior,

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forming a close bond
between father and son,

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but that's all about to change.

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While Germanicus protects Rome's borders,

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nearly a thousand miles away,

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the reigning emperor, Tiberius,
works to protect his legacy.

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Tiberius was not a natural politician.

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Anything but.

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He was charmless in many ways,

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he had many enemies,

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he clashed with the Senate.

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He ended up leading the trial
and execution of numerous senators.

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Under Tiberius, Rome underwent
a reign of terror.

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[narrator] Tiberius is only
the second emperor Rome has ever had,

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but he spends much of his reign
in the shadow of his predecessor.

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[crowd cheering]

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[Adrian Murdoch]
The previous emperor, Augustus,

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was the greatest emperor
that Rome ever had.

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He managed to do the impossible.

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He brought Rome together,

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he brought the provinces together,

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but on the other hand, the emperor
Tiberius was the emperor of austerity.

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There was none of the glamour of Augustus,

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he didn't want to push the Empire forward.

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[indistinct chatter]

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[narrator] Caligula's father, Germanicus,

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may be next in line
to be emperor of Rome...

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[inaudible whispers]

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...but Tiberius wants to pass on
the throne to his son.

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So he makes a move to take out Germanicus.

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[soldier] Guards!

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[ominous music playing]

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[soldier 1] Don't touch him.

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[soldier 2] What happened?

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[narrator] Caligula is only
seven years old

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when his father dies suddenly,

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leaving him, his two brothers,
and three sisters without a father.

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And the Roman Empire

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with no designated successor
to the throne.

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Germanicus, Caligula's father,
was very, very popular,

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and he's often regarded as
the greatest emperor that Rome never had.

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When Caligula's father died,
life became a lot less comfortable.

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It doesn't take
a professional psychologist to realize

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quite what a damaged boy
Caligula must have been.

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[narrator] After his sudden death,

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the family of Germanicus is convinced
that he was poisoned.

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[Anthony Everitt]
His wife, Agrippina, was enraged,

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and she was convinced
that the emperor had assassinated

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her much-loved husband,
and she wouldn't keep quiet.

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[indistinct chatter]

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Caligula's mother was a master
of mobilizing public opinion.

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[Corey Brennan]
One of the things that she did

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was she worked Rome into hysteria

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after the alleged murder
of her husband, Germanicus.

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And, in fact, she was viewed
as very dangerous.

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[chattering]

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[narrator] With Agrippina spreading word
that Germanicus has been murdered,

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the people of Rome begin to turn
on their emperor.

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[man] I've already paid off
servants in their household.

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They'll testify they heard
the sons commit treason.

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Once the Senate finds them guilty...

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We'll have them executed.

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Imprisoned

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is what I was going to suggest.

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It'll lessen suspicion,
and as their uncle you'll appear merciful.

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Shall I move forward?

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Yes.

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[narrator] Fearing a revolt,

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Tiberius knows he has no choice

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but to keep Agrippina quiet.

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[Caitlin Gillespie] Tiberius felt
threatened by Germanicus' family,

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who was regarded as the better heirs

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to the throne than the family
of Tiberius himself.

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And Agrippina gained pity
over their family for his premature death.

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[indistinct chatter]

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-[loud thud]
-[soldiers clamor]

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[Agrippina] Run! Run!

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There's a third son.

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Find him.

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He's not here.

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Where is he?

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[heavy breathing]

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[Agrippina whimpers]

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[man] Take her, too.

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[gasps]

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[music intensifies]

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[narrator] Caligula's mother
and older brothers

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are rounded up by imperial guards,

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and subjected to one of Tiberius'
most infamous policies,

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the treason trials.

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If you had to put your finger
on just one aspect of Tiberius' reign

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which made him more unpopular
than any other one,

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it was the treason trials, which was
anyone who criticized the emperor,

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even verbal insults, not diminishing
the state or treason to the state,

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but just any criticism of the emperor
was punishable in a court of law.

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This is how Caligula's entire family
was eliminated.

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Caligula's mother was sent into exile.

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His older brother was imprisoned
and his other brother was executed.

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All because, essentially, they are seen
as potential threats to Tiberius.

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[narrator] Caligula
and his three younger sisters

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are sent to live with their grandmother,

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under the close watch
of Tiberius' soldiers,

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never sure when the emperor will decide
to eliminate them.

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It's hard to work out quite what a
difficult childhood Caligula must've had.

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In one sense, he was a marked man
at every stage.

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His father was dead,

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he was being kept effectively
under house arrest in Rome.

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So he will have grown up
his entire life thinking,

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"At midnight, there could be
a knock on the door,

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and someone with a knife could kill me."

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[intense music playing]

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[narrator] As he grows into a young man,

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Caligula manages to keep his distance
from Tiberius.

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But an unexpected death

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00:17:27,838 --> 00:17:30,466
is about to bring him face-to-face
with the emperor.

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00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:48,567
In 23 A.D.,

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00:17:49,819 --> 00:17:52,280
Drusus, Tiberius' son,

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dies suddenly, at the age of 35.

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00:18:01,789 --> 00:18:04,625
Drusus was the next in line

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00:18:05,100 --> 00:18:06,711
to assume the throne.

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00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:09,505
And after Drusus' death,

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00:18:09,797 --> 00:18:12,425
Tiberius was shocked to the core.

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00:18:37,116 --> 00:18:38,784
There's not much new to report.

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00:18:39,577 --> 00:18:41,996
But there is a grumbling

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00:18:42,955 --> 00:18:45,499
about who now is to be considered
the next in line.

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00:18:46,334 --> 00:18:47,752
I know this is difficult,

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00:18:49,211 --> 00:18:52,890
but it's time to start thinking about
naming a new successor.

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00:18:55,343 --> 00:18:58,679
I'd be willing to step into that role
if you decide it's necessary.

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00:18:59,305 --> 00:19:00,723
[suspenseful music playing]

210
00:19:03,851 --> 00:19:05,144
Let me think about it.

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00:19:12,693 --> 00:19:13,694
[scoffs]

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00:19:15,154 --> 00:19:17,114
[narrator] While the cause of death
is unclear,

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00:19:19,116 --> 00:19:22,703
there's only one man who will benefit
from Drusus' demise,

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00:19:23,954 --> 00:19:25,873
the head of the Praetorian Guard...

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00:19:29,627 --> 00:19:30,711
Sejanus.

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00:19:32,213 --> 00:19:33,839
[Aaron Irvin] Sejanus presented himself

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00:19:33,923 --> 00:19:38,469
as nothing more
than a loyal ally and servant of Tiberius.

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00:19:39,845 --> 00:19:43,150
And he did so
through cultivating a friendship,

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00:19:43,990 --> 00:19:45,559
a personal relationship with Tiberius,

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00:19:46,352 --> 00:19:50,731
but he was far more ambitious
than perhaps Tiberius had in mind.

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00:19:52,525 --> 00:19:55,270
It took Tiberius completely by surprise.

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00:19:55,111 --> 00:19:58,531
He had never, it seems,
expected that Sejanus would be capable

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00:19:58,614 --> 00:19:59,865
of such a betrayal.

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00:20:01,534 --> 00:20:03,350
[narrator] With his son dead,

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00:20:03,119 --> 00:20:04,787
and no one left to trust,

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00:20:05,579 --> 00:20:08,958
Tiberius begins to grow paranoid
of everyone around him

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00:20:09,625 --> 00:20:11,919
and decides he needs to get out of Rome.

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00:20:19,301 --> 00:20:21,846
[intense music playing]

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00:20:31,772 --> 00:20:35,985
Anybody would've been paranoid
in the emperor's palace at this stage.

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00:20:36,694 --> 00:20:39,989
So Tiberius puts himself into
a self-imposed exile

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00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:41,449
on the Island of Capri.

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00:20:41,532 --> 00:20:45,494
And he never sets foot
in Rome again, for the rest of his life.

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00:20:48,247 --> 00:20:51,709
[narrator] Tiberius works quickly
to select a new successor.

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00:20:58,174 --> 00:20:59,133
Caligula.

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00:20:59,925 --> 00:21:00,801
Find him.

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00:21:01,343 --> 00:21:02,178
Bring him to me.

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00:21:04,847 --> 00:21:05,723
Macro.

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00:21:07,349 --> 00:21:08,267
Tell no one.

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00:21:16,660 --> 00:21:19,528
Tiberius needed an heir
because the Empire needed an emperor.

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00:21:21,739 --> 00:21:24,700
The Empire needed somebody at the top,

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00:21:25,534 --> 00:21:27,453
and after Drusus' death,

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00:21:27,536 --> 00:21:31,832
and the removal of the children
of Germanicus apart from Caligula,

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00:21:32,625 --> 00:21:35,461
Caligula was the only person
to fit the bill.

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00:21:45,540 --> 00:21:46,388
[narrator] Now out of Rome,

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00:21:46,931 --> 00:21:50,768
Tiberius hides out
in his luxurious villa on Capri.

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00:21:55,940 --> 00:21:58,670
Located in the Tyrrhenian Sea,

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00:21:58,526 --> 00:22:01,695
Capri is over 100 miles
removed from Rome,

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00:22:02,655 --> 00:22:07,243
leaving Tiberius completely
isolated from the Empire he runs.

249
00:22:10,496 --> 00:22:14,458
[Barry Strauss] Tiberius lived in a villa
modestly called the Villa Jovis,

250
00:22:14,625 --> 00:22:16,460
"the Villa of Jupiter,"

251
00:22:16,544 --> 00:22:19,338
as if Tiberius was some sort of god.

252
00:22:19,505 --> 00:22:23,676
This villa is perched at the edge
of a cliff at one end of the island,

253
00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:26,530
it's a very beautiful and dramatic spot.

254
00:22:26,136 --> 00:22:30,182
And Tiberius engaged in a life
of great decadence.

255
00:22:38,899 --> 00:22:40,359
[narrator] Once settled in Capri,

256
00:22:41,485 --> 00:22:44,572
Tiberius has full control over
who may enter the island,

257
00:22:46,198 --> 00:22:47,908
and spends the next few years

258
00:22:47,992 --> 00:22:50,661
taking advantage of his newfound privacy,

259
00:22:51,996 --> 00:22:54,707
by indulging in an excessive lifestyle.

260
00:22:58,294 --> 00:23:01,630
The decadence was quite spectacular
on Capri.

261
00:23:02,298 --> 00:23:05,301
There was the finest food,
there was the finest wines,

262
00:23:05,384 --> 00:23:08,637
there were the most beautiful prostitutes.

263
00:23:09,138 --> 00:23:12,600
It was a very open and free lifestyle,

264
00:23:13,309 --> 00:23:16,895
but it became quite debauched,
on every possible level.

265
00:23:20,524 --> 00:23:24,403
The stories that we hear coming out
of Capri are very much a reflection

266
00:23:24,486 --> 00:23:27,865
of how much the Roman people
disliked Tiberius.

267
00:23:27,948 --> 00:23:33,537
In these stories,
he is presented as weird and bizarre.

268
00:23:33,996 --> 00:23:38,876
He watches people have sex around him
in various and sundry ways.

269
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:51,639
For a 12-year period,

270
00:23:51,722 --> 00:23:57,610
Caligula's life was filled with watching
his closest family members become exiled

271
00:23:57,144 --> 00:23:59,438
and killed for speaking out
against Tiberius.

272
00:23:59,521 --> 00:24:04,680
So in 31 A.D. when Caligula was called
to the Island of Capri,

273
00:24:04,485 --> 00:24:06,946
we can only imagine the fear,

274
00:24:07,290 --> 00:24:10,366
the apprehension that he must have felt
at that time.

275
00:24:15,496 --> 00:24:17,498
[guard] This is the son of Germanicus.

276
00:24:19,625 --> 00:24:20,584
Is that true?

277
00:24:22,169 --> 00:24:23,300
Yes.

278
00:24:30,427 --> 00:24:33,180
You blame me for your father's death,
don't you?

279
00:24:36,517 --> 00:24:37,685
Your mother always did.

280
00:24:39,937 --> 00:24:44,441
So you've spent your entire life
believing that I was the one responsible.

281
00:24:47,736 --> 00:24:49,446
I didn't kill your father.

282
00:24:51,281 --> 00:24:52,199
He did.

283
00:24:54,451 --> 00:24:56,912
[Tiberius] This is the man
responsible for your father's murder.

284
00:24:58,330 --> 00:25:00,416
The man who poisoned my son.

285
00:25:01,625 --> 00:25:02,668
[grunts]

286
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,171
[choking noises]

287
00:25:06,255 --> 00:25:08,882
Sejanus thought himself
worthy of the throne.

288
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,385
So, one by one,

289
00:25:12,219 --> 00:25:14,722
he got rid of everyone
who stood in his path.

290
00:25:16,223 --> 00:25:18,225
I am not the man you think I am.

291
00:25:28,444 --> 00:25:29,528
See him to his room.

292
00:25:30,863 --> 00:25:32,322
[intense music playing]

293
00:25:37,911 --> 00:25:41,165
Certainly, that early relationship
between Caligula and Tiberius

294
00:25:41,790 --> 00:25:45,377
would have been fraught
with suspicion, with paranoia...

295
00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:47,796
Caligula, a young man,

296
00:25:48,460 --> 00:25:52,801
who now has to live with the guy
who has ruined his life up to that point.

297
00:26:02,478 --> 00:26:04,630
[narrator] Confined to his room,

298
00:26:04,730 --> 00:26:07,775
Caligula finds himself
forced to stay on Capri.

299
00:26:09,318 --> 00:26:13,614
Now, all he can do is wait
to see what Tiberius has planned for him.

300
00:26:16,330 --> 00:26:18,577
[Adrian Murdoch]
Caligula was a hostage on Capri,

301
00:26:19,328 --> 00:26:22,915
and if the emperor had had any problems,
he could've been got rid of.

302
00:26:23,248 --> 00:26:26,710
It's part of the old dictum of "Keep your
friends close and your enemies closer."

303
00:26:26,794 --> 00:26:28,670
Tiberius could keep a close eye with him,

304
00:26:28,754 --> 00:26:30,589
and would have no compunction
about killing him

305
00:26:30,672 --> 00:26:32,299
at the slightest drop of a hat.

306
00:26:40,140 --> 00:26:42,518
[narrator] With Tiberius
isolated on Capri, 

307
00:26:43,685 --> 00:26:46,104
the Roman people are left
without their leader,

308
00:26:48,565 --> 00:26:52,277
causing irreversible damage
to his reputation as an emperor.

309
00:26:56,730 --> 00:26:59,952
Tiberius decided to disappear
to the island of Capri

310
00:27:00,350 --> 00:27:01,411
and rule from a distance.

311
00:27:01,495 --> 00:27:06,250
However, his retreat to Capri
was not well-received.

312
00:27:06,834 --> 00:27:10,170
And then all the rumors
of the strange goings on at the island

313
00:27:10,254 --> 00:27:13,590
didn't really do his reputation
much credit either.

314
00:27:14,675 --> 00:27:16,301
[crowd clamoring]

315
00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:17,553
[whip cracks]

316
00:27:18,530 --> 00:27:22,140
Tiberius ruled in a way that he thought
was what the Empire needed.

317
00:27:22,766 --> 00:27:26,144
But he didn't go out of the way
to look after people.

318
00:27:26,228 --> 00:27:27,813
[Adrian Murdoch]
It was this common touch

319
00:27:27,896 --> 00:27:30,232
that Tiberius missed
at every stage of his career.

320
00:27:30,983 --> 00:27:32,901
And when he retired to Capri,

321
00:27:32,985 --> 00:27:35,195
it was a "screw you" to the Senate.

322
00:27:43,495 --> 00:27:44,913
[narrator] Removed from Rome,

323
00:27:45,747 --> 00:27:48,625
Tiberius needs someone
to keep the Empire running.

324
00:27:53,839 --> 00:27:58,594
So he makes one of his most loyal soldiers
the new head of the Praetorian Guard.

325
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,473
His name is Macro.

326
00:28:05,517 --> 00:28:09,146
Macro was responsible for the security
of the fabric of Rome.

327
00:28:09,229 --> 00:28:10,689
He knew every corner.

328
00:28:10,772 --> 00:28:12,357
He knew all the shortcuts,

329
00:28:12,441 --> 00:28:15,485
he knew all the factions
and where everyone was going to be.

330
00:28:15,569 --> 00:28:18,363
When he was promoted
to the Praetorian Guard,

331
00:28:18,447 --> 00:28:22,117
this simply added
another layer of power to him,

332
00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:26,204
and he was, by the time he'd been
promoted, a very, very powerful man.

333
00:28:36,173 --> 00:28:37,758
[narrator] Unsure of his fate,

334
00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:43,180
Caligula has no choice but to wait out
his time on the island as a prisoner,

335
00:28:46,850 --> 00:28:49,811
but he's not the only person staying
in the emperor's villa.

336
00:28:51,188 --> 00:28:56,526
Tiberius' 12-year-old grandson,
Gemellus, also lives in the palace.

337
00:28:57,527 --> 00:28:59,404
Do you know why Caligula is here?

338
00:29:01,406 --> 00:29:03,867
I brought Caligula here
because you're not ready.

339
00:29:04,534 --> 00:29:06,954
-But I'm your grandson!
-It doesn't matter.

340
00:29:07,955 --> 00:29:11,208
All anyone would see is a spoiled brat
sitting on the throne,

341
00:29:11,291 --> 00:29:13,502
-incapable of ruling an empire.
-I'm capable.

342
00:29:14,544 --> 00:29:18,382
You think if Caligula comes to power,
he will let you live?

343
00:29:22,302 --> 00:29:24,846
You no longer have
the luxury of childhood.

344
00:29:27,391 --> 00:29:28,350
[sighs]

345
00:29:30,227 --> 00:29:32,854
[narrator] While Gemellus could continue
the family reign,

346
00:29:34,481 --> 00:29:37,484
Tiberius knows that by handing
the throne to a child,

347
00:29:39,270 --> 00:29:42,197
he'd be putting the entire Roman Empire
in danger.

348
00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,373
[Tiberius] The Senate is expecting me
to name a new heir.

349
00:29:52,124 --> 00:29:54,459
Your cousin, Gemellus,
is the obvious choice.

350
00:29:55,752 --> 00:29:56,753
But he's young.

351
00:29:57,629 --> 00:29:59,297
And even when he comes of age,

352
00:30:00,424 --> 00:30:02,342
he was raised as my grandson.

353
00:30:02,426 --> 00:30:04,469
Spoiled. Soft.

354
00:30:06,221 --> 00:30:08,682
The Senate might prefer
the son of Germanicus.

355
00:30:10,517 --> 00:30:12,352
You're naming me next in line?

356
00:30:15,220 --> 00:30:16,314
I'm considering it.

357
00:30:19,151 --> 00:30:20,986
Will you release my mother?

358
00:30:27,242 --> 00:30:28,493
You earn my trust,

359
00:30:29,661 --> 00:30:30,620
and I will.

360
00:30:30,746 --> 00:30:32,831
[suspenseful music playing]

361
00:30:33,957 --> 00:30:37,586
[Amanda Ruggeri]
Caligula was incredibly intelligent.

362
00:30:37,669 --> 00:30:39,870
He was very savvy.

363
00:30:39,171 --> 00:30:41,465
So when he's brought to Capri,

364
00:30:41,548 --> 00:30:44,134
the entire time you have to imagine
he's trying to figure out,

365
00:30:44,217 --> 00:30:46,219
"How do I survive this?"

366
00:30:55,145 --> 00:30:58,732
[male aide] There's been reports of
ongoing unrest along the border of Gaul.

367
00:30:59,149 --> 00:31:03,700
Germanic tribes from east of the Rhine
have been crossing into the territory.

368
00:31:04,112 --> 00:31:05,322
[Tiberius] Gemellus,

369
00:31:06,310 --> 00:31:07,407
what would you suggest?

370
00:31:08,992 --> 00:31:11,703
Can't we just send an army
and attack them?

371
00:31:14,456 --> 00:31:16,458
Caligula, do you agree?

372
00:31:21,421 --> 00:31:24,299
[Caligula] The last thing we want is
a full scale war with Germania.

373
00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:27,552
We could send a legion
to patrol the border,

374
00:31:27,636 --> 00:31:31,348
stationing them on the west bank
with strict orders not to cross.

375
00:31:33,350 --> 00:31:37,395
Their presence should be enough
to deter the tribes from raiding.

376
00:31:40,857 --> 00:31:42,984
See to it a legion is sent to the Rhine.

377
00:31:44,861 --> 00:31:47,948
With strict orders not to cross.

378
00:31:52,828 --> 00:31:55,205
There was a process
on the Island of Capri,

379
00:31:55,288 --> 00:31:56,790
I mean, it was a dynamic,

380
00:31:56,873 --> 00:32:01,586
in which Caligula and Gemellus were
auditioning for the role of emperor.

381
00:32:04,631 --> 00:32:08,593
It's hard not to feel sorry for Gemellus,
Tiberius' grandson.

382
00:32:08,677 --> 00:32:12,514
He should have been the natural successor
to Tiberius,

383
00:32:12,597 --> 00:32:17,769
but it's notable also that Gemellus wasn't
trained in the same way that Caligula was.

384
00:32:23,775 --> 00:32:26,319
[man] Capri's an interesting place,
isn't it?

385
00:32:28,530 --> 00:32:30,282
I don't envy your position.

386
00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:32,330
It's all right.

387
00:32:34,161 --> 00:32:35,745
You really do remind me of him.

388
00:32:36,872 --> 00:32:37,789
Your father.

389
00:32:41,626 --> 00:32:42,878
You knew my father?

390
00:32:44,870 --> 00:32:45,881
I served with him when he was Consul.

391
00:32:46,673 --> 00:32:50,930
He would have made a great emperor,
had he gotten the chance.

392
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,555
The throne belonged to your father.

393
00:32:54,681 --> 00:32:55,807
It belongs to you.

394
00:32:56,308 --> 00:32:58,101
It was what Augustus wanted.

395
00:32:59,436 --> 00:33:02,981
Instead, we've been left
with a demented old man,

396
00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:05,942
driving the Empire to its ruin.

397
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:11,239
If the Senate has any say in the matter,
it'll be you who inherits the throne.

398
00:33:11,489 --> 00:33:12,449
The sooner, the better.

399
00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:19,956
Our sources are full
of deliciously horrible stories

400
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:22,209
about Tiberius on Capri.

401
00:33:22,292 --> 00:33:27,881
Tiberius supposedly had his enemies tossed
from the top of the cliff into the sea.

402
00:33:28,548 --> 00:33:32,969
So Caligula could only have known
how uneasy his position was,

403
00:33:33,530 --> 00:33:36,181
how dangerous it was
to betray Tiberius' trust.

404
00:33:56,785 --> 00:33:58,203
Come. Sit.

405
00:34:15,950 --> 00:34:16,596
[Tiberius] Would you like to join them?

406
00:34:17,806 --> 00:34:19,766
If you want to be emperor one day,

407
00:34:20,892 --> 00:34:23,561
you must learn what it means
to live like an emperor.

408
00:34:29,359 --> 00:34:30,277
Go on.

409
00:34:32,737 --> 00:34:33,655
I insist.

410
00:34:42,872 --> 00:34:45,834
[Anthony Everitt]
Caligula was summoned by Tiberius

411
00:34:45,917 --> 00:34:48,878
to train him up and to give him
a little bit of his wisdom.

412
00:34:50,297 --> 00:34:55,302
Tiberius encouraged Caligula
in all kinds of vices around sex.

413
00:34:58,763 --> 00:35:01,141
[Anthony Murdoch] The Romans were
much more sexually liberated

414
00:35:01,224 --> 00:35:05,103
than certainly we were, or anyone
rediscovering them in the Renaissance.

415
00:35:05,645 --> 00:35:10,942
Also, the Romans tended not to care
about sexual mores.

416
00:35:23,371 --> 00:35:25,707
Listen to me very carefully.
Are you listening?

417
00:35:25,790 --> 00:35:26,708
Yes.

418
00:35:26,791 --> 00:35:28,668
Do not speak unless spoken to.

419
00:35:28,752 --> 00:35:30,300
Tell the truth.

420
00:35:30,628 --> 00:35:32,880
And do not show any emotion.

421
00:35:33,381 --> 00:35:35,425
-Understand?
-Yeah.

422
00:35:41,473 --> 00:35:43,350
I'd never speak out against you!

423
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,602
Ever! I swear!

424
00:35:46,978 --> 00:35:48,396
She's lying!

425
00:35:49,230 --> 00:35:50,106
I'm not.

426
00:35:51,983 --> 00:35:53,360
What did he say to you?

427
00:35:58,114 --> 00:35:59,115
[yells] What did he say?

428
00:35:59,199 --> 00:36:01,951
He said-- He said that you're
a demented old man.

429
00:36:04,287 --> 00:36:06,247
And that if it were up to the Senate,

430
00:36:07,290 --> 00:36:09,417
I should be the one to inherit the throne.

431
00:36:13,630 --> 00:36:15,480
The sooner, the better.

432
00:36:26,976 --> 00:36:27,894
Kill him.

433
00:36:29,521 --> 00:36:30,730
[gasps, mutters]

434
00:36:32,399 --> 00:36:33,900
-[slicing noise]
-[man groans in pain]

435
00:36:34,526 --> 00:36:38,710
[man screams]

436
00:36:38,780 --> 00:36:39,989
[squishing sound]

437
00:36:42,117 --> 00:36:46,955
The one thing we're told about how
Caligula was able to ingratiate himself

438
00:36:47,380 --> 00:36:50,333
to Tiberius was not showing
any emotion whatsoever.

439
00:36:50,417 --> 00:36:54,295
Tiberius was known for his dissimulation,
for his hiding his emotions.

440
00:36:54,379 --> 00:36:56,840
And Caligula tried
to out-Tiberius Tiberius.

441
00:36:56,923 --> 00:37:01,886
Living under the emperor Tiberius,
there was every single reason to fear.

442
00:37:10,937 --> 00:37:12,147
[coughing]

443
00:37:13,356 --> 00:37:16,317
[narrator] Six years after bringing
Caligula to Capri,

444
00:37:17,110 --> 00:37:18,653
Tiberius has fallen ill.

445
00:37:22,323 --> 00:37:24,576
But he still hasn't named a successor,

446
00:37:25,535 --> 00:37:27,495
and now time is running out.

447
00:37:34,836 --> 00:37:36,588
Tell me, honestly.

448
00:37:37,881 --> 00:37:39,257
He doesn't have much time.

449
00:37:39,382 --> 00:37:41,843
[Tiberius coughing]

450
00:37:47,932 --> 00:37:49,767
[narrator] With the emperor
on his deathbed,

451
00:37:50,435 --> 00:37:53,396
Macro knows he has to get Caligula
on his side.

452
00:38:02,655 --> 00:38:03,907
[Macro] I'm sorry to interrupt.

453
00:38:04,407 --> 00:38:06,409
Yes? What is it?

454
00:38:12,457 --> 00:38:13,458
Your mother.

455
00:38:17,420 --> 00:38:18,838
She's passed away.

456
00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:25,940
When?

457
00:38:26,554 --> 00:38:27,514
A few years ago.

458
00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:29,474
I've just found out.

459
00:38:30,934 --> 00:38:32,268
[Caligula exhales sharply]

460
00:38:35,630 --> 00:38:38,441
[Amanda Ruggeri] When Caligula finds out
what happened to the rest of his family,

461
00:38:38,525 --> 00:38:41,270
his mother, his two brothers,
he doesn't react.

462
00:38:41,778 --> 00:38:43,530
He has no emotional reaction.

463
00:38:43,696 --> 00:38:47,200
He had simply learned that to react poorly

464
00:38:47,283 --> 00:38:52,121
was almost certainly to bring
some kind of punishment down on him,

465
00:38:52,205 --> 00:38:55,291
whether that was exile,
imprisonment, or execution.

466
00:39:07,345 --> 00:39:09,514
[narrator] When Caligula arrived in Capri,

467
00:39:10,181 --> 00:39:14,686
Tiberius' grandson, Gemellus,
was a spoiled 12-year-old

468
00:39:15,520 --> 00:39:17,772
who believed he was entitled
to the throne.

469
00:39:25,530 --> 00:39:28,741
But now, at 18, Gemellus' bloodline

470
00:39:28,825 --> 00:39:32,495
is the only thing keeping Caligula
from becoming the next emperor.

471
00:39:34,539 --> 00:39:38,376
The reality is that Caligula is beloved
by the Roman people.

472
00:39:38,459 --> 00:39:40,440
Caligula has the ancestry,

473
00:39:40,128 --> 00:39:44,799
he has the history, and all he really
has to do is show up.

474
00:39:45,425 --> 00:39:48,970
And Caligula is immediately going to be
better liked, more influential,

475
00:39:49,530 --> 00:39:51,347
and more powerful than Gemellus will be.

476
00:39:52,682 --> 00:39:55,435
By considering Gemellus as his heir,

477
00:39:55,518 --> 00:39:59,522
Tiberius is essentially trying to buy time
for his grandson.

478
00:39:59,689 --> 00:40:03,151
Because the reality is is that
if he doesn't become princeps,

479
00:40:03,401 --> 00:40:06,154
that Gemellus could be killed
because he is a liability.

480
00:40:18,833 --> 00:40:20,460
[narrator] In 37 A.D.,

481
00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:22,920
Tiberius makes his decision.

482
00:40:36,851 --> 00:40:40,438
Tomorrow, in the Senate,
there will be a reading of my final will.

483
00:40:41,939 --> 00:40:45,680
So there can be no confusion
about my intentions.

484
00:40:46,527 --> 00:40:47,820
I have decided...

485
00:40:48,988 --> 00:40:51,240
the two of you shall rule together,
as brothers.

486
00:40:56,913 --> 00:40:59,666
I'm naming you co-heirs to the throne.

487
00:41:00,958 --> 00:41:02,960
[suspenseful music playing]

488
00:41:11,219 --> 00:41:14,972
Tiberius must have known
that you can't split an empire in half.

489
00:41:15,473 --> 00:41:18,518
I think he just decided to kind of
leave it up to fate

490
00:41:18,601 --> 00:41:21,104
and hope that something
would work out.

491
00:41:22,522 --> 00:41:24,649
[narrator] Caligula now has a choice:

492
00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:28,569
respect Tiberius' wishes
and share the throne,

493
00:41:30,710 --> 00:41:35,201
or take out the one person
standing in his way of becoming emperor.

494
00:41:35,410 --> 00:41:37,412
[music intensifies]

495
00:41:39,163 --> 00:41:41,165
[theme music playing]