4.856 minSeason 2 • Episode 8
LatestLivia must reassert control of the family. News from Germany has devastating consequences.
The extraordinary rise of Livia Drusilla, who overcame adversity to become the most powerful woman in the world. Follow Livia’s journey from a naïve young girl whose world crumbles in the wake of Julius Caesar’s assassination, to Rome’s most powerful and influential Empress.
Acting
Kasia Smutniak ages Livia across decades with terrifying precision.
Production
Dirt, sweat, and marble—Rome looks lived-in, not polished.
Writing
Simon Burke treats Livia's villainy as inevitable, not born.
Creator
Simon Burke
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kasia Smutniak is Polish-Italian and learned Latin phonetics specifically for ceremonial scenes—most actors just winged it.
The show deliberately mirrors I, Claudius but centers Livia as protagonist rather than villain, reframing Robert Graves's misogynistic portrait.
GB
