Caligula

A blackbird flies into Caligula's room, which he interprets as a bad omen. He senses ill fortune looming over his ascent. The omen foreshadows the chaos to come as he is summoned toward Capri.

Naevius Sutorius Macro, head of the Praetorian Guard, informs Caligula that Tiberius demands his presence at Capri. Caligula fears assassination and hesitates to depart. His sister and lover Drusilla urge him to go, easing his fears.

On Capri, Caligula discovers Tiberius living in debauchery and ill health, indulging in naked youths and degrading shows. He witnesses embittered politics and the ruler's venereal diseases. The scene compounds Caligula's growing disillusionment with Rome.

Tiberius makes a move to poison Caligula in front of Gemellus. Nerva commits suicide, destabilizing the regime. Caligula tries to strike back but loses his nerve, and Macro ultimately kills Tiberius with Gemellus as a witness.

After Tiberius's death, Caligula is proclaimed the new emperor. He shocks the Senate by declaring Drusilla his equal and ally. The reaction is one of incredulity and alarm among Rome’s political class.

Drusilla pressures Caligula to purge Macro and consolidate power. He stages a mock trial in which Gemellus testifies against Macro, and Macro's wife Ennia is banished from Rome. The move marks the beginning of Caligula's tightened grip on the state.

Macro is killed in a gruesome public game, clearing the path for Caligula's trusted men. Longinus becomes the emperor's personal adviser, and Chaerea is installed as the head of the Praetorian Guard. Palace politics now center on Caligula's whims.

Drusilla looks for Isis priestesses to wed Caligula to deepen religious authority, but a union with her cannot occur. Caligula instead marries Caesonia, a priestess and courtesan who bears him an heir. Drusilla reluctantly supports the marriage.

Despite popularity with the masses, the Senate disapproves of his eccentricities. Caligula commits brutal acts, including raping a bride on her wedding day, and orders Gemellus's execution to provoke a reaction from Drusilla. The cruelty signals a turning point in his reign.

Caesonia becomes pregnant and Caligula falls ill with a fever. Drusilla nurses him back to health, and Caesonia bears a daughter, Julia Drusilla. Soon after, Drusilla herself dies from the fever, plunging Caligula into grief.

Caligula experiences a nervous breakdown, rampaging through the palace and destroying a statue of Isis while clutching Drusilla's body. He proclaims himself a god and vows to destroy the senatorial class. His reign becomes a parade of desecrations and tyranny.

Caligula walks the streets in disguise, reacting to mockery of his relationship with Drusilla. He imposes humiliations on senators' wives, confiscates estates, desecrates religion, and orders a bogus invasion of Britain. The state machinery bends to his whims.

Longinus and Chaerea plot to end the emperor's reign. They move to arrest Caligula in a palace coup; Caesonia and Julia are murdered in the chaos. Chaerea fatally stabs Caligula, who gasps 'I live!' as his family dies.

Claudius is proclaimed emperor by the Praetorian Guard, while the city slowly returns to a fragile quiet. The ending lingers on Incitatus, Caligula's horse, rinsing the bodies of Caligula and his kin in the stadium, a stark image of the chaos that preceded the empire's future.