As the first man to establish the Principate in Rome, Augustus nears death. Who will he choose as successor: his stepson Tiberius or his grandson Agrippa, who is in exile?
Tiberius stalls with Rome's consuls and senators whether he will become the next Emperor. Army mutinies break out in Colonia on the Rhine and Pannonia, testing Germanicus, Drusus and Sejanus.
The Emperor miscalculates by transferring Germanicus, to set up a puppet ruler in Armenia, and in creating a confusion in command with Syria's arrogant governor Piso. This error results in tragedy for Germanicus, Piso and Tiberius himself.
Retreating to Capri, Tiberius trusts Praetorian Guard captain Sejanus to run Rome but finds the latter is using his post to eliminate rivals in the Agrippina party. The Emperor devises Sejanus' precipitous downfall.
Macro uses Caligula's romance with his wife to advance and helps end Tiberius's rule. What Macro hadn't expected was that, after a charm offensive, Caligula would call himself a god and terrorize many in court.
The impulsive Emperor threatens everyone around him with sudden death and ramps up a campaign to squeeze funds, from not just rich Senators but also from common Romans. Will someone stop him?
