Rome, AD 54. Claudius' benevolent rule of Rome leads the populace to accepting an emperor, but he decides that Rome must come to hate its ruling family, overthrow it, and restore the Republic. To do this, he marries his niece Agrippinilla and adopts her son Nero, making him co-heir with his son Britannicus. Because of the Sibylline prophecy Livia revealed to him (in "Queen of Heaven"), Claudius knows that Nero will become the next ruler of Rome, but he still tries to protect Britannicus by sending him to Britain so that he may take over later when Nero dies. However, Britannicus does not believe in the Republic and demands that he be allowed to compete with Nero. Claudius, knowing the ultimate future, must leave his son to his fate. Ready for his end, Claudius voluntarily eats a poisoned mushroom from his wife's fork and dies. Looking for Claudius' will, Agrippinilla and Nero come upon his autobiography and burn it. Lying on his bier, Claudius and the Sibyl, knowing that Britannicus, Agripinilla and Nero will ultimately die violently, laugh over the fact that he buried another copy of his book to be found later. Claudius is told that although the Republic won't be restored, Nero will be last of the Claudians and most of the emperors that follow won't be as bad.

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