Calm, rational and kind, Octavia is one of the most morally decent characters. As the elder sister, surrogate mother and conscience of Gaius, Octavia is a woman who has lived the life of the Roman matron to the fullest, earning the respect of her brother as she moved from one marital union to the next in order to suit his shifting political alliances. Well-meaning and at times naïve, Octavia only wants the best for her children and to protect them from harm. But she will go on to discover that this isn’t always possible – and sometimes tragically unavoidable.