Octavia is a unique play: a work of uncertain authorship and date, erroneously attributed to Seneca, it is the only surviving example of a Roman historical drama. Its story focuses on the turbulent events surrounding Nero's divorce from his first wife – Octavia, daughter of the emperor Claudius – and his marriage to the glamorous Poppaea, a move that sparks open rebellion amongst the Roman populace. With a supporting cast that includes Seneca and Nero himself, Octavia plunges its audience into the muddy waters of Julio-Claudian politics and leads them to confront difficult questions about how the past is remembered.

This companion volume introduces the novice reader to Octavia's historical background, genre, style and main themes. It combines detailed literary analysis with historical, cultural and theatrical knowledge, and concludes with a glance at the play's enduring influence on later European traditions of tragedy.