Chapter 25 Summary

The chapter's events are undated but are inferred to occur in 26 AD. The chapter relates Claudius' dinner with Livia and is full of dryly sarcastic comments. When Claudius arrives, he discovers that Caligula is also attending the dinner. Livia makes several disparaging remarks about Caligula, but she obviously holds him in dear regard. She makes some veiled references to a certain green object—the nature of the object is discussed in a later chapter of the novel when Caligula presents it to prove that it was he who had killed Germanicus, his father. Livia then dismisses Caligula and holds an incredibly frank and open discussion with Claudius. She states, based upon prophecy that is surely correct, that she will soon be dead, Caligula will be the next emperor, and that Claudius will avenge Caligula's death and then also be emperor.

Livia then...