Original subtitles

Thank you.

Not here, Mira.

Why? You be so prosaic.

A soul lacks poetry, Artie. How can I make you understand that love and poetry

know not time and place?

I like it when you say I'm your muse.

Your inspiration, too.

How often must I say it?

Well, I'll tell you one thing. You're my Circe.

Did you tell your wife that?

Octavia inspires me to one thing only. What?

That death is beauty.

Oh, but let's not talk of her now.

We'll be leaving soon and...

I took a license. Wait for us.

Have you news for us?

Pardon this intrusion, Claudius Nero, but the Emperor orders you to come to

palace immediately.

Duty calls, my dearest.

Claudius Nero is here to see you, Divine Caesar.

Show him in. Show him in.

of the court.

I'm here to command, Divine One.

Oh, yes, I had forgotten.

I would never worry about your mother, you know.

My sister tells me that she plots against me.

You think this is true, don't tell me you know not.

My throne.

Your loving mother is ambitious for you.

Father.

Britannica, you always come first. How proud I am of you.

I find my boy well.

Come, light of my life.

Come on, come on.

Nero, why don't you recite some poetry for us? You can see how Britannicus is

depressed today.

Could you think of nothing to hear us? Go on, sing.

Sing us one of your songs.

Oh, she -wolf of Rome, who suckled up for thee.

Thou art a true mother, the goddess of all.

You were a glorious life, were everyone's mother and nobody's wife.

Now I'm no more than a statue.

That stands upon capital. You began all this struggle and strife.

You gave me the mystery of eternity to conjure.

The heaven sent sun in the sky.

And the dark of the night.

Poor little Paulina.

What a shame your head contained the ambitious idea that you could stand in

way.

Lucano dared to say that Lolia Paulina had the whitest teeth in Rome.

Let the dogs feed on her now.

Out! Get out, all of you!

Does that include me?

No, of course not, Nero. Come here.

Nearer.

What troubles your dear heart?

I'm in the grips of a dark depression, Mother.

Oh, no, I don't feel like nibbling your nipples now. Why not?

I feel low because I was humiliated to find that Lolia

Paulina had indeed wider teeth than mine.

I, too, have been humiliated, Mother.

stupid husband of yours and his son. They laughed at my composition.

How outrageous of them.

Orpheus himself is envious of your music, little copperbeard. It's really

inspired. Those two Philistines could never appreciate the art of a true poet.

You alone appreciate my work, mother.

But I want to be recognized.

I leave tomorrow for Attica, an exile of choice.

Exile? You're not going anywhere. Your place is here in Rome.

My plans for your future are here.

Soon you will be emperor.

The Seven Hills will be all yours.

Yes.

All yours.

Yes. I promise. Yes.

guard effect.

This distillation of wild mushroom juice would kill even a bull, Divine One.

I hope you're right.

Fear not, lady.

Go now, Lacusta. If I have further need of your services, I'll have you brought

here.

Sweet dreams, little copper -bearded son.

Summer is drawing near.

Soon the heat of Rome will be unbearable.

So I have decided, my dear wife, to send you away to a place far up in the hill

where you will be cool.

Be protected.

Is it his husband or emperor you ordered?

His emperor.

I've had them prepare what you most

prefer. It'll put you in a good humor.

Ah, wild mushrooms.

what I dream.

take me to Attica with you?

No. My august mother is made of the plans.

Uncle Tiberius, then my brother Caligula.

And now my dearest husband Claudius has met his end.

I warned him that one day the mushrooms he so adored would do him harm.

But you know how willful he was, Britannicus.

Your father could never resist a plate of wild mushrooms.

Nobody outside the palace must find out what's happened to the emperor.

Call me musicians to perform in his honor, if you please.

And in honor of his successor.

No.

May I be allowed to offer you a taste of this wine that was grown for you?

It is truly a nectar of the gods.

Accept the offer of this humbled wine.

It must be good.

Traitor to the lion.

Hail to thee, Claudius Nero Emperor.

Why don't you come and have a swim with us?

Join my little fishes.

Your mother's waiting to see you, Nero.

My mother?

My mother.

Never leave me in peace for a single second.

My faithful Atte, I want you to come to my room tonight.

And I want you ready, willing, and able.

On your head.

At least for as long as I don't want them to.

I want you with me at the arena tomorrow.

We'll give them a show to please everyone.

the Chancellor in place of Narcissus.

As you wish.

Here we have a nomination to the Imperial Council for Senafonte.

Yes, Mother.

And this decree condemns that court as an...

must understand the workings of the state.

You must consider your wife.

You cannot prefer a concubine.

The mere idea of sleeping with that fleabag Octavia makes me sick.

But she is the Empress and you, my son, are Emperor.

Well, that's just what I'm getting at.

Come to my arms, little copperbeard.

Allow me to comfort you.

That nickname is reserved.

Only my dear mother is permitted to call me that.

She made up the name.

And I won't allow anybody else to use it, not even you.

Isn't my Nero feeling well?

I'm not your Nero.

I know what's the matter.

You've seen your mother.

She suffocates me.

I'm just an instrument in Mother's hand.

That's true.

Your mother keeps a heavy hand on you.

Snuggle up to me.

Artie will protect you and make you feel good.

party today, Nero.

What did you say, Mother?

Nothing.

Britannica.

We saw your father's assassins and knew them all.

You recognize them.

Deny it.

It was the man you executed.

He was responsible.

Varus killed a corpse, no more.

He was murdered before that.

I

am

awaiting your answer.

Santa Fantia is often mentioned.

Your order, sir.

Sigillinus, you must arrest Cenefonte and Palante.

Their servants, their friends, their children, and their slaves.

Put Cenefonte under arrest.

No, Caesar, no. I'm a doctor. I swear on Hippocrates, I have nothing to do with

it.

Thank you, Britannicus. I am indebted to you.

How

could

he do this to his own mother? I who gave him the empire.

I'm sure it's to spite me he had Xenophon decastrated.

How do you think I feel?

A married woman, four years, and still a virgin.

He's unfaithful.

He'll regret he treated me like this. I'll have him paid dearly.

You think what I'm thinking?

He dreams of Attica.

Are you not the daughter of divine Claudius, Octavia?

Praetorian guard in the army worship you.

And the Romans adore you.

Not to mention how I feel.

Over the city an eagle takes wing.

While down in the circus an emperor will sing.

While holding his harp and plucking the string, he studies his subjects

doing their thing.

No, I get no inspiration from anyone knowing you are all traitors deep down

your hearts.

You must not think such things, Nero. Pindar, Saffel, even Homer himself would

have been proud.

to have penned verses of such splendor.

I'm grateful.

I know your compliments are sincere.

But if Venus herself is unable to inspire me, what other muse may I turn

to?

Oh, life's a bore.

Why, yes, there's more.

Huh? Did you lead us?

Caesar, I want you to kill that creature.

His dreary lovemaking is getting monotonous.

To Jelena's, do it slowly. I want to study it.

Yes, yes.

What time will you be?

What form will you take when you creep into the room that

leads to the tomb?

No, no.

Not even death can inspire me.

Yet I'm on the threshold of creation.

Yes, I think birth is near.

I shall soon give birth to a creation, a masterpiece at posterity.

No. Did you mean this? Take that filthy thing away. Do it to the dog.

No.

No.

Where can I find inspiration?

From the gods.

Tomorrow we'll all go to the temple of Vesa.

I'm sure.

The sacred vestal rubria will give me inspiration.

What's wrong, Nero? It's no good.

Making love on a nuptial bed gives me no satisfaction anymore.

You always called me your nymph because I gave you such satisfaction.

The satisfaction you gave me is finished. You don't inspire me anymore,

I feel the need for divine sex.

If only I could copulate with a goddess.

And then at last I could finish an ode.

But Nero.

That'll do.

I don't want you. to ever come to my bedchamber again.

I think I'll have you exiled, Addy.

But today I'm in a good mood.

I'll turn you over to my eunuch.

But you're never to have sex with anyone else at all.

Get out of here.

I feel the call of Morpheus.

benevolent protection over the glorious fire of Vesta so that the eternal flame

will forever illuminate the sacred hills of the city.

The goddess Vesta be with you, divine one.

But you should know that I am descended of the gods.

I am not the one to say. The divine origins of Caesar are known to the gods.

If I'm a god, then I must surely copulate with a version of Vesta. The

virgins are sacred. They maintain the fire of Venus.

Even to touch one would be a sacrilege, divine one.

But you tell me that I'm a god.

How then can I, a god, be sacrilegious to myself?

Tell me that.

Thank you.

at his Cinefonte, son.

St.

Helena's.

What do you think if I were to...

is it not the reincarnation of Venus, you see? Indeed, Venus would die of

He's a beauty, but... I want to marry him, Seneca.

I will make him my new empress.

I don't think the Senate would ever permit you to do that, Seneca.

Oh, that bunch of middle -aged fools will have to wake up their ideas,

Consider what the populace will say.

The populace. The populace. It's absurd that an emperor must listen to the

crowd.

I'm always bound to the will of the people.

It's extremely unfair.

How can the spirit of a talented artist survive in the role of an emperor?

I'm the soul of an estate.

The ancient laws of Rome say you can only marry a woman, Caesar.

And these stupid laws are the only things that stand in my way.

Yes, they are.

medicine in the empire, Roman, Jewish, even Chaldean, to get together.

Give this their thought and find a solution so that I can have him.

And that's an order.

Sing to me, boy. Oh, Sporus, your joy will be mine when you're mine.

And the pain will be naught but a sacrifice wrought and forgotten when we

the wine, the wine.

blood divine.

Oh, Sporus, your sex will be no longer that of a boy. We can

marry.

Have you come here to spoil my feast, mother?

If my presence upsets you, I can easily move.

Go, stay as long as you wish.

That one there

of Rufio Crispino.

Is that her lover? The one she's with?

No, Caesar.

That's her husband, Rufio.

Oh.

Myrtle Fidelity makes me feel absolutely nauseated.

Tomorrow, we will transfer the entire court to our residence at

Andes. Where we'll be purified and make sacrifices to the gods.

Farewell, mother dear.

Britannicus.

Dearest brother.

Sit yourself down here on my throne.

Sit down. Go on.

And now, mother, kiss the face of my successor.

Thank you.

You still believe I was involved in the murder of your father?

Such a suspicion never entered my head for a minute.

You saw how Nero behaved at the field.

He wants to see both of us dead.

Both of us?

The emperors matter every day.

The legions are searching everywhere for a successor to place on his throne.

What then is your plan?

Nero is about to take his entire court down to Anzio.

Yes, I know.

He is to purify himself and pray there.

My son is superstitious, and he wants no one near him when he communes with his

gods. He's so easy.

Thank you.

Repeat after me.

I take this man for my noble husband.

I take this man for my noble husband.

I know not, I swear to you. He's not been seen here at Island Seal by anyone.

You're lying. No, it's the truth, I swear.

I swear it on the gods.

Greatest.

My mother wanted me dead.

You understand, faithful Petronius?

She wanted to kill her own son.

I'm forced to make the greatest, the most...

My entire life.

Tigellinus, at your service, sir.

Um, Tigellinus, I am pursued to end my mother's life.

He hesitated to carry out your orders.

I might find I can dispense with his valuable services.

But of the people I have around the court, I admit I had hoped he'd fit in.

This will be a chance to prove whose side he's on.

Here they come now.

The precept of the Praetorian Guard requests audience, August Jampres.

So I'm in at once.

Sigillinus, please be with you.

I'm so glad to see you.

Called out to me as she was dying.

Yes diviner Oh

Poor mother

Did you Linus your willow my sister bring my tear glass to me

I said it for you.

And I expect one from you, Tigellinus.

And another from me.

Go now, Tigellinus.

And leave me alone with my sorrow.

Punish me, Mother.

Mother, punish me.

Punish me, Mother.

Mother.

Good son.

Mother, let's continue all of my life.

I find everyone hostile.

I am betrayed on all sides.

Let us drink, Britannicus.

Let us drink to the name of my mother, the Empress Augusta. Let's fill the cup.

You refuse my toast to drink to my mother?

Well, I, uh...

Yes, I'm sure you've taken an antidote.

Yes, you have.

I'm taking medicine to protect you from Caesar.

He refuses to confess to anyone with blood less noble than his own. It's no

so than mine.

Well, little brother, have you nothing to tell me?

Affront to his person.

You think it's amusing?

As soon as his bladder's full, he'll be like a toad with his belly.

To give me love and inspiration.

You have only to give me the order and I'll bring you all the best of virgins

you desire, Caesar.

No, no, no, no.

But tonight, we'll go out on a hunt and we'll give some matron a night she'll

never forget.

sympathize with you, too, because they adore you.

How was I to know it was Nero?

What do you mean?

If you'd recognized him, you would have allowed him to continue.

You feed me to the lions.

I'll go and throw myself on his mercy.

No.

I'll go.

I'd be eternally grateful.

Does it not bother you that he may want something in exchange?

Surely he wouldn't.

He is above such things. Isn't he divine?

So he is.

In the name of divinity, anything is possible.

Caesar, the noble Poppaea wishes an audience with you.

What did you say?

Poppaea Sabina wants to see you.

Is she with her husband?

No, she is alone.

Ah, well, in that case, accompany her to my rooms, where I will receive her.

Keep my guests occupied.

I'm busy, I'm busy, I'm busy at last.

Make way.

I am to replace Caesar in his absence.

My divine one.

So, at last, Aphrodite has deigned to come down from Olympus to see me.

I wanted to be certain that no serious harm had befallen you. What are you

trying to say?

If only I had recognized you, Caesar.

My husband, Rufio, is afraid he may have struck your sacred person, Caesar.

I'm sure Rufio knows full well who it was he struck, and yet he still lives on

to recount it.

Oh, please forgive him, Caesar.

Or the heart that lies in this tender breast will burst.

You may feel how fast it's beating.

I will be magnanimous.

And have him exiled to Lusitania.

But you will remain in the palace as my guest.

As your concubine, you mean? I'd rather commit suicide. Oh, perish the thought.

Divine one, what are you doing?

Oh, just seeking inspiration for a poem I'm composing.

Oh, let me hear it.

If Octavia has left her island exile and returns tomorrow to Rome, I don't give

a fig for what she does.

Poppaea, don't leave me.

If your wife returns, what use am I here?

The divine Octavia has been away so long.

And it is she who deserves your favor, Caesar.

I'll leave you now.

Tigellinus!

May I serve you, Caesar?

Tigellinus, I want you to arrange an apartment for the noble Poppaea near me

the palace.

and send her vile husband, Rufrio, to Lusitania.

Do you understand?

I must think of some reason to put away Octavia.

She is beginning to offend us.

The people love her, and I love Poppea.

I'll put an end to her seizure.

I don't advise it. The legions in Gaul, Germany, and Spain would revolt at once.

situation anymore.

Perhaps I could accuse her of sterility.

No.

Octavia is known throughout Rome as a virgin.

Besides, it might work both ways.

The Romans might begin to doubt your virility, Caesar.

No. No, never.

She needs a lover. Of course.

I know who, so let's not gather moths.

I'm sure you must like this. Oh, wonderful.

I see fingers up and down my spine.

Are you beginning to like your emperor a little?

Well, my emperor is still tied to his Octavia.

Antrobus.

With you desire, ma 'am.

One of these days, I'll really have your balls cut off.

Could you be so cruel, Lord?

I might not. Might not?

I might not.

A way to save you from such a fate does exist.

By Jove and all the deities in heaven, I thought you were a eunuch.

No, I am not, mistress.

Well, in that case, I can find more for you to do than this.

Take me in your arms and kiss me.

That's an order.

are so powerful.

Take me.

Take me and satisfy my longing and my desire.

As you will, Your Majesty.

Mount me as the wild bull mounted Parsifal.

Give me that joy I have after a teller. But now, now, I'm yours.

Don't you see how much simpler it is to open the floodgates of desire and permit

her to do the rest? There, look.

Hold tight, milady.

What are you waiting for, Caesar?

Punish her for adultery.

Or shall I do it?

Oh, it seems a pity to interrupt such a spectacle.

A savage coupled with Aphrodite?

Go get me my lyre.

You're my first and only lover.

Tell me that you'll always be mine from now on.

I'll always be yours.

Oh, you give me such great joy.

Even when I have to endure my husband's mercy.

No!

Sacrilege!

Sacrilege! You dare to insult the greatest power in the world?

Caesar. Have you forgotten all I've done for you?

Loved and protected you as a devoted husband should.

And now you betray me with such words.

I'm sorry. My intentions were good.

I don't care.

What you do with your slaves, that's your own business. But I will not

you insulting the greatest poet in the world.

But I was only telling it.

Your words have offended even... ears of the gods.

The immortal Olympians are filled with abhorrence at your attitude towards

poetry. How can I ever forgive you for this betrayal of my art?

Did you lead us? Oh, listen to your emperor's words.

I hereby accuse Octavia of sedition and blasphemy, and I want you to cut off my

heart!

You have excelled yourself.

What do you think, Petronius?

A poem worthy only to be consigned to the fire it describes.

What do you find wrong with it? How can you ask me that?

Are you so blind to it?

Virgil or Ovid or even Homer could have conceived of this or something like it.

But we expect a lot more of you.

I don't know what it lacks exactly.

But there are no real flames in it.

You, my dear Nero, are able to produce marvelous poetry.

I have to agree with you.

There's no reality in my poem about the burning of the city of Troy.

Petronius, were you upset about the destruction of that city?

Well, I must answer, no.

Must have been a wonderful spectacle.

I wish I'd witnessed it.

Good, I'm glad you said that.

There are no values outside poetry and art.

How happy I'd be to observe a whole city hurled down into the abyss.

Some way, I'll see such things on my own.

The summer is almost upon us.

I'm not going to stay here in Rome.

It's hot as a stew.

And filthy.

We'll take the whole court down to Anzio.

I want to be always surrounded with people who are bright and gay.

And sleep well at night.

You think too much.

And that can be very dangerous.

You have nothing to fear.

I want only to be your friend.

You realize that one nod from me and you'd lose that pretty head of yours.

My head, like my body, divine one, are yours to do with as you wish.

You're home.

Okay, huh? Okay.

reconstruct Rome.

It'll be the world's most exciting city. Indeed, the eighth wonder of the world.

So modern, yet immortal.

Truly a wonder.

A great monument.

A great metropolis such as this must have a name as great.

Let's call it Neronica.

Yes, I think that would suit it admirably. What a splendid idea.

No.

I want it to bear the name

Neuropolis.

I want you to leave us.

If I need you, I'll summon you.

Androverse, come and teach me how to stay afloat in the water.

That is an order!

Take off your long glow.

After all, what is a unit to hide?

Oh, I must say, that's a real one.

I never saw one that size.

How fortunate to find one after all these years. It's quite the most

and cute.

I see the flames and fires among them.

Divine one.

Divine organ.

Well, what is it?

Forgive me, Caesar.

Rome is on fire. The center and the palatine are consumed with flames.

Oh, you bring good news. A fire.

It's what I've been waiting for. At last, I can write my poem.

Where do you get the best news?

Caesar, the city's ablaze with smoke and fire.

People are being burned alive.

These buildings are being razed to the ground, piles of rubble.

Cattle are being destroyed.

Freedom.

Don't you realize that Rome's on fire?

Anyone who doesn't watch the glorious death throes of Rome is a fool.

It's a marvelous spectacle.

How more exciting than I ever imagined.

It's wonderful.

Wonderful. Oh.

Oh, all the citizens are running away.

Nobody's staying to watch.

What use is there ruling if there's no one left to rule?

Oh, my dear glass, did you leave us?

an emperor with no robe.

Give me my lyre.

Ah, the city is flaming. The populace bleeds. The fire is

gaining.

Far more pink than orange.

You're ungrateful!

Unworthy! Save us!

Save us!

Fight for us!

Fight for us!

You hear that?

The cranes!

What have I done?

They think it's my fault all this fire and...

to escape to Greece, Caesar.

It's easy to leave, but difficult to return.

We could return with the legions from the Middle East.

And that's what we'll do.

I consider it inadvisable, Caesar.

Civil war will break out before you can reach Austria.

That ungrateful mob!

Did I not give you flour and abundance to cook your miserable bread?

In posterity, those words came spontaneously from my lips.

Did you hear the wisdom of it? They'll court you in the history books.

That mob is thirsting for revenge.

Let's tell them that Rome was set on fire by slaves.

No one will believe us.

Tutelina's too lovely.

You know I do, Caesar.

Then you could sacrifice yourself for me.

You realize that the Praetorian Guard would rebel if I took the

Don't forget, Caesar, that they know perfectly well that I acted on your

You hear that, Petronius? I've nurtured a viper!

One scapegoat for the mass is not enough. You need many thousands.

Surely you must have heard about that mysterious group here who worship the

god and call themselves...

Special torchlight that I wanted.

Everything is as you wish.

when I'm in need of him.

And where is my Praetorian God?

They've all left you at last.

You and I are alone.

One and one.

That makes just the two of us. I'll stay with you.

You will? Of course, if you want me.

You were the one who suggested I had the Christians killed.

What is that, Madame?

We must enjoy the few moments that are left.

Thank you so much.

live like an emperor.

You must at least die like one.