I, Claudius (TV Mini Series)

A Touch of Murder (1976)

Siân Phillips: Livia

Quotes 

• [on Marcellus] 

  Tiberius : Frankly, I wouldn't have thought you'd care whether he lived or died.

  Livia : Oh I care very much whether he lives or dies.

• [on Livia's plan to have Tiberius marry Julia] 

  Tiberius : Anyway, where does all this get us? There's not only Marcellus, there's Agrippa too. And Augustus prefers both of them to me.

  Julia : [Screams off stage]  No, *no*.

  Tiberius : Ye gods, what's that?

  Livia : It sounds as though there is now only Agrippa.

• Marcellus : [ill with "food poisoning"]  You're so good to me.

  Livia : Goodness has nothing to do with it.

• Livia : Tell me, what do you think of Julia?

  Tiberius : Nothing. Why?

  Livia : Nobody could accuse you of being devious. She thinks very well of you.

  Tiberius : What's that supposed to mean.

  Livia : Nothing. She likes you, that's all. Always has.

  Tiberius : Mother, I'm a happily married man. Julia doesn't interest me. She wouldn't interest me even if you hung her naked from the ceiling above my bed.

  Livia : She might even do that if I asked her.

• Livia : [to Julia]  You know, I remember when I first married your father, you were a little girl and Tiberius was a little boy and you used to play together. Do you remember?

  Julia : [laughing]  Yes, I do.

  Livia : And once you both grew up you seemed to fond of one another, and I had hoped that you'd both...

  Julia : [laughing]  Yes, I used to adore him.

  [pause] 

  Julia : How foolish one is when one is young.

• Augustus : Wait till you see what Marcellus has in store for us. He's got a rhinoceros.

  Livia : What on Earth is that?

  Augustus : A remarkable creature. It has a horn on its nose.

  Livia : So has Scipio's wife, he should have used her.

• Livia : [to rioting mob]  Just wait till my husband gets home!

• [on Marcellus] 

  Livia : He's very popular, isn't he?

  Julia : [Proudly]  Yes.

  Livia : And with you?

  Julia : Why'd you ask?

  Livia : Well, there are no children yet...

  Julia : There's no issue between you and father, and you've been married for *twenty* years.