This is one of my favorite scenes in television history. Hurt is so utterly fantastic as the mad Caligula (and funny in a scary sort of way.) Equally great is Jacobi trying to placate and appease him as the "foolish" Claudius. Such a wonderful, brilliant scene, and each time I watch "I, Claudius" I look forward it. Classic!
By the way, if one wonders why so many people have the same of similar names, the Romans, brilliant as they were, weren't very creative when it came to naming themselves. E.g. If Gaius Julius Caesar has a daughter, she is known as "Julia." If he has another, she is "Julia Minor" or perhaps "Julilla." A third daughter might be cognomenated simply, "Tertia" as she is the "third" daughter. Pretty boring lot in that respect.
@desertswo Such a detailed answer! Thank you, but many people believe there's more to a person's personality than genetics (hard point to argue when discussing a family). Altho that could be a possible reason due to all the inbreeding that goes on. Didn't/doesn't England's royal family have a genetic disposition for a medical condition that causes temporary insanity. I vaguely remember about that from the movie "The Madness of King George".
(Continued from below) Agrippa was a great soldier, general, engineer, architect, etc., etc.; he is often considered to be as brilliant as the divine Caesar himself. Perhaps there was a wild strain from Scribonia or Agrippa that poisoned the well and led to Caligula, but my bet is on the Claudian strain from Livia’s first husband, Tiberius Nero. (Continued above)
(Continued from below) Not much is known about Scribonia except that she came from a good family and was by all accounts a good wife to Augustus. He just wanted something else and so divorced her and married Livia. Even less is known about Agrippa’s family as it was rural, plebian, and undistinguished. Agrippa was a true “homen novus” or “new” or “self-made man.” (Continued above)
(Continued from below) The Claudians had been known for producing some madcap characters long before Gaius Julius Caesar made his mark on Rome. Meanwhile, on his mother’s side, Caligula is descended from Julia the Younger, daughter of Augustus and Scribonia (Augustus’ wife before Livia) and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa; Augustus’ right hand man, and in the eyes of most, the true power behind the “thrown.” (Continued above)
@desertswo Julia the younger was the daughter of Agustus and Scribonia's daughter, she like Julia the elder was banished for adultery and Augustus ordered the illegitimate child of Julia the younger to be exposed.
(Continued from below) Likewise, Octavia is considered by all the sources to be the female star in the Roman firmament; the quintessential Roman matron; kind, loving, and a superior mother. Unfortunately, their daughter, Antonia Minor married Drusus the Elder, son of Livia by her first husband Drusus Nero, and so I think sealed the fate of the first Imperial family, because Drusus Nero was a Claudian. (Continued above)
@Memoria777 I suppose that is a question professionals have pondered more than a few times; but don’t stop with Germanicus and Agrippina as forbearers. It’s painful going given all of the adoption common among the bred out patrician class, but a review of the Julio-Claudian family tree shows Caligula is descended by blood on his father’s side from Mark Antony and Octavia, sister of Augustus. Antony was many things but a lunatic wasn’t one of them. (Continued above)
@Silvireiel And they said a certain sweetener mixed in a lead bowl was the culprit. However, Claudius drank a lot of wine but probably not with the sweetener as Caligula did or he would have suffered the same effects as well and behave just as horribly.
Claudius: He's become a god...@ Drusila - oh,you're a god too! @ Herod - We're not! Herod: A god, which one? Claudius: He thinks he's Zeus! Herod: Sounds bad for us mortals! LOL!
@GhostWritersDragon Brain damage from a near-fatal illness. One guess is lead poisoning from a sweetener mixed with wine. A good flavour but the Romans never knew the toxic effects of mixing sweet things in boiling water in lead bowls.
@praguephotog the only thing more disturbing than hearing Caligula talk of killing his own family and his incredible narcissism is that John Hurt plays this part so extraordinarliy well. Truly mesmerizing.
The Herod in this series is Herod Agrippa, best remembered for his exceptionally zealous Judaic rule. One of the errors of this series is referring to him as "Herod" when in his own time he was referred to as "Agrippa", and later "Agrippa the Great".
The Herod of Jesus fame was Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa's uncle. Herod Agrippa took over after him, and is prominent in the Bible for ordering the execution of the Apostle James and the imprisonment of Peter.
This is one of my favorite scenes in television history. Hurt is so utterly fantastic as the mad Caligula (and funny in a scary sort of way.) Equally great is Jacobi trying to placate and appease him as the "foolish" Claudius. Such a wonderful, brilliant scene, and each time I watch "I, Claudius" I look forward it. Classic!
Grubbo 5 months ago
"He wants to see you. He's become a god. Oh, you're a god too." Looks to Herod. "We're not."
koolbens1991 11 months ago
Love this part must have watched this whole thing about 20 time on my dad's DVD set.
alexlancer11 1 year ago
RAWRRRR. I'm quite upset that Livilla's gone. )=<
fuzzystar56 1 year ago
Claudius is really fast on the uptake. Admirable reflexes...
talamioros 1 year ago
Claudius needed all his wits to survive the lunacy before him.
JESSJUSTJESS 1 year ago
By the way, if one wonders why so many people have the same of similar names, the Romans, brilliant as they were, weren't very creative when it came to naming themselves. E.g. If Gaius Julius Caesar has a daughter, she is known as "Julia." If he has another, she is "Julia Minor" or perhaps "Julilla." A third daughter might be cognomenated simply, "Tertia" as she is the "third" daughter. Pretty boring lot in that respect.
desertswo 1 year ago
@desertswo Such a detailed answer! Thank you, but many people believe there's more to a person's personality than genetics (hard point to argue when discussing a family). Altho that could be a possible reason due to all the inbreeding that goes on. Didn't/doesn't England's royal family have a genetic disposition for a medical condition that causes temporary insanity. I vaguely remember about that from the movie "The Madness of King George".
Memoria777 1 year ago
(Continued from below) Sorry for the "history lesson" but it's a complicated geneology.
desertswo 1 year ago
(Continued from below) Agrippa was a great soldier, general, engineer, architect, etc., etc.; he is often considered to be as brilliant as the divine Caesar himself. Perhaps there was a wild strain from Scribonia or Agrippa that poisoned the well and led to Caligula, but my bet is on the Claudian strain from Livia’s first husband, Tiberius Nero. (Continued above)
desertswo 1 year ago
(Continued from below) Not much is known about Scribonia except that she came from a good family and was by all accounts a good wife to Augustus. He just wanted something else and so divorced her and married Livia. Even less is known about Agrippa’s family as it was rural, plebian, and undistinguished. Agrippa was a true “homen novus” or “new” or “self-made man.” (Continued above)
desertswo 1 year ago
(Continued from below) The Claudians had been known for producing some madcap characters long before Gaius Julius Caesar made his mark on Rome. Meanwhile, on his mother’s side, Caligula is descended from Julia the Younger, daughter of Augustus and Scribonia (Augustus’ wife before Livia) and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa; Augustus’ right hand man, and in the eyes of most, the true power behind the “thrown.” (Continued above)
desertswo 1 year ago
@desertswo Julia the younger was the daughter of Agustus and Scribonia's daughter, she like Julia the elder was banished for adultery and Augustus ordered the illegitimate child of Julia the younger to be exposed.
redbayly 1 year ago
(Continued from below) Likewise, Octavia is considered by all the sources to be the female star in the Roman firmament; the quintessential Roman matron; kind, loving, and a superior mother. Unfortunately, their daughter, Antonia Minor married Drusus the Elder, son of Livia by her first husband Drusus Nero, and so I think sealed the fate of the first Imperial family, because Drusus Nero was a Claudian. (Continued above)
desertswo 1 year ago
How in the world did Germanicus & Agrippina produce such a pack of degenerates?
Memoria777 1 year ago
@Memoria777 I suppose that is a question professionals have pondered more than a few times; but don’t stop with Germanicus and Agrippina as forbearers. It’s painful going given all of the adoption common among the bred out patrician class, but a review of the Julio-Claudian family tree shows Caligula is descended by blood on his father’s side from Mark Antony and Octavia, sister of Augustus. Antony was many things but a lunatic wasn’t one of them. (Continued above)
desertswo 1 year ago
@Memoria777 They didn't, Tiberius nurtured them through his paranoia and ambitions for his own family.
3baxcb 1 year ago
Is i just me or when Caligula enters the room do the horns play the first notes of "Oh Canada" (7:45)
nanomouse 1 year ago
@nanomouse sort of but reaching
RICKANDDIANNE 1 year ago
@nanomouse Yeah, similar.
janecote 1 year ago
Caligula "By the way Senator, I'm calling in that favour you owe me. Do you prefer slit throat, thrown into the flames or from the walls?"
3baxcb 1 year ago
@Silvireiel And they said a certain sweetener mixed in a lead bowl was the culprit. However, Claudius drank a lot of wine but probably not with the sweetener as Caligula did or he would have suffered the same effects as well and behave just as horribly.
3baxcb 1 year ago
OK, John Rhys-Davis announcing his transformation, that's pricless.
MeAndMeYT 1 year ago
@MeAndMeYT And his face says, "And that's how it's going to be. My gladius at my side will drive that point across if you disagree.".
3baxcb 1 year ago
To see Derek Jacobi and John Hurt working together is really a gift from gods!
TrotskyP2 1 year ago 4
"Did you become a god? Oh my God!" LOL
sondano 1 year ago
Claudius: He's become a god...@ Drusila - oh,you're a god too! @ Herod - We're not! Herod: A god, which one? Claudius: He thinks he's Zeus! Herod: Sounds bad for us mortals! LOL!
LadyGem68 1 year ago 4
WTF happened to Caligula?? Like in real life? He got a fever and went mad??? Brain damage in some weird way?
GhostWritersDragon 1 year ago
@GhostWritersDragon Brain damage from a near-fatal illness. One guess is lead poisoning from a sweetener mixed with wine. A good flavour but the Romans never knew the toxic effects of mixing sweet things in boiling water in lead bowls.
3baxcb 1 year ago
John Hurt is simply chilling; saying in that light, pleasant voice, "I was thinking of killing you, but I changed my mind."
praguephotog 2 years ago 2
@praguephotog the only thing more disturbing than hearing Caligula talk of killing his own family and his incredible narcissism is that John Hurt plays this part so extraordinarliy well. Truly mesmerizing.
jpd66 1 year ago
its creepy that Caligula was quite "normal" before his fever, and that he completly changed after that
IvanBeSerious 2 years ago 4
7:12 Stupid question
7:33 Stupid statement and BRILLIANT answer!
mxstilgar 2 years ago 3
He wants to see you. He's become a god. Oh, you're a god too. We're not.
That's just rich!
echock89 2 years ago 6
That cracked me up, the way he said it.
imasinnerimasaint 2 years ago 5
"Posterity will call you an ass"
Herrod is the man Too bad he got a bad rap for the whole Jesus thing
SWEP2AOTC2002 2 years ago 7
The Herod in this series is Herod Agrippa, best remembered for his exceptionally zealous Judaic rule. One of the errors of this series is referring to him as "Herod" when in his own time he was referred to as "Agrippa", and later "Agrippa the Great".
The Herod of Jesus fame was Herod Antipas, Herod Agrippa's uncle. Herod Agrippa took over after him, and is prominent in the Bible for ordering the execution of the Apostle James and the imprisonment of Peter.
reeve1991 2 years ago 6
Was it just me or did Claudius sound remarkably like Augustus when he was talking with Herod after seeing Caligula?
Oirishmartin 2 years ago 3
"How could I not know you're a god, how could I be so blind?!?!"
"Well, I'm still in mortal disguise, how could that help you?"
LOL
nolaughingmatter 2 years ago 28
This comment has received too many negative votes show
"Your face shines like a lamp!" ?
They had lamps? I doubt they would call their torches lamps.
QuagMireFG 2 years ago
Lamp like an oil lamp.
ClarinetMadeofSteele 2 years ago 5
4:47 HA!!!
plezurhounds 3 years ago 2
This is one of the best acted TV series ever.
Unreal.
Arkady63 3 years ago 8
this sounds like mormonism.
billjesusgates 3 years ago 3
Hilarious!
eliza26 3 years ago
This sounds a little like schizophrenia involving delusions of deification as the pagan Greek god Zeus
philsaspiezone 3 years ago
"He's become a god. Oh, your a god too.
We are not."
An innovative class system.
Hypatia4242 3 years ago 26
LOL!~ Best line of this skit.
Arkady63 3 years ago