Please sign up on this board for the I, Claudius Drinking Game.

Players should print this page in order to keep score.


Here's how it works:

The schedule:

We will watch Augustus through Tiberius, June 20-22. During & after the viewing session, players post their experiences, sagacity, whatever, and keep track of their drinking/eating scores. However, do not post your scores. There is no race element in this game. It's all about having fun and paying attention.

The second viewing is Caligula through Claudius, June 23-25. This constitutes another rash of posts. Some overlapping of dates and episodes is permitted. The main thing is set up a banquet fit for a Caesar and watch the episodes, dining and drinking according to the rules. Highest number of quaffs wins the game. If there's a tie with the numbers, then it comes down to quality of posts to be determined by yours truly, The Empress Messalina. Remember, do not post your scores! They will be sent to me via e-mail.


Suggested Beverage: Vino, of course. Red wine. When in Rome, do as the Claudians do. If you must refrain from red wine for some reason (i.e., you're the designated charioteer or allergic to tannins or you only drink Scotch or bourbon or Jove forbid! that funny Aqua Finnea liquid), of course, the game can be played with another beverage, but for Jove's sake, use a goblet or chalice for drinking it!


Suggested Food: Olives, foccacia or rustic bread, figs, prosciutto (epicurean tip: try wrapping a little prosciutto around a fig -- trust me!), cappacola, Genoa salami, Italian cheese, marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and of course, boiled asparagus (I prefer mine broiled with a little parmesan sprinkled on top -yum!).


The Rules

For each "quaff count" below, quaff the wine like the characters do at their banquets -- a decent swig. No dainty little sips like you're afraid your wine might be poisoned or something.

1 quaff for:
Banishments in general
Executions in general
Suicide in general
Adultery in general
British slang in general (chap, cheeky, good show, etc.)


2 quaffs for:
Murders & Assassinations in general
Poisonings in particular
Incest
Omens and Sibyls
Orgies
The Winner of Messalina and Sylla's Contest


3 quaffs for:
Assassination/Poisoning of Emperors (w/accompanying appropriate food if poisoned-- see below)
Banishment of Julia
Starvation of Livilla
Livia Becoming a Goddess


Many quaffs (drain that goblet!) for:
Livia's pre-game speech to the gladiators
That thing Caligula does at the end of Episode 9 "Zeus, By Jove" (we don't want to give it away if you've never seen the series before.)
"Not my head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


Eat a Fig for:
Poisoning by Fig
Any scene where figs are mentioned

Eat a Mushroom for:
Poisoning by Mushroom
Any scene where mushrooms are mentioned


Optional:
Yell "Make it so" at Sejanus at some point. (Ask a Star Trek NG fan if you don't know why.)
Brandish Boiled Asparagus for: You'll know.

Eat anything for:
Banquet scenes
Eating in general



"Not my head!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


The whole concept of the drinking game centers around "the fun of I, Claudius." Yes, for those who have never seen the BBC series, this show is fun. I know, some of you are probably shaking your heads and wondering, what is she thinking. How can a show about Roman history, aired on that stuffy BBC Masterpiece Theater be fun?

First of all, AncientWorlds is populated by people who think history is cool. Secondly, I have this idea that the I, Claudius series attracts those of us with a bent for the literary, the historical, the dark, the twisted, etc., etc. Mass murder, incest, egomania and paranoia running amok can be humorous.