It was one of the bloodiest, most vicious eras of history; the birth of the Roman Empire. Ultimate power of life and death over millions of people rested in the hands of one man... or did it? Behind the scenes, pulling the strings, were a line of cunning, ruthless women. These dangerous wives and mistresses were the real power behind the throne. Narrator Dame Sian Phillips returns to the role that chilled the nation's blood in TV's I, Claudius, as the calculating cold-blooded empress Livia Drusilla. In this edition: Livia Drusilla, the first Empress of Rome, ruthlessly ensures her son becomes emperor through poison, murder, and political cunning. As Augustus secures the throne, Livia eliminates rivals, including her daughter Julia, and manipulates her way to power-setting the stage for a dynasty marked by terror and depravity.