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''The Romans'' is the fourth serial of the second season in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 16 January to 6 February 1965. The story is set during the era of the Roman Empire in the reign of Nero. ==Plot== With the TARDIS stuck at the bottom of a cliff, the four time travellers have installed themselves in an unoccupied Roman villa. As the Doctor and Ian recline, Barbara and Vicki walk to a nearby Roman village. They are spotted by two slave traders, Didius and Sevcheria. When they return to the villa the Doctor announces that he is off to Rome, some miles away, and will travel there with Vicki. Later that evening Barbara and Ian, now alone, are relaxing when the two slavers burst in upon them. They are soon overpowered and taken prisoner. Ian is sold to one slave owner, while Barbara is to be traded with another and sent to Rome. The Doctor and Vicki are en route for Rome when they find the murdered body of a lyre player named Maximus Pettulian. The Doctor is holding the man’s lyre when a centurion arrives and mistakes him for the dead man who is late for an engagement in Rome. The centurion accompanies them to Assisium. Once there, the centurion contacts the assassin Ascaris, who killed the real Pettulian, and instructs him to kill the Doctor. The Doctor overpowers the assassin and drives him away. The centurion has fled, and the Doctor concludes the soldier was in league with the assassin. He decides to maintain his alias as Pettulian and head to Rome. Barbara is already there and is sold Tavius, who is highly placed in the court of the Emperor Nero. She is to be a handmaiden to Nero's second wife, the Empress Poppaea Sabina. The Doctor and Vicki arrive at Nero's court and encounter Tavius, who seems to imply to the Doctor that Pettulian is part of a secret network in which he is also a player. They find the body of the centurion who imperilled them earlier. Ian has been confined to a galley in the Mediterranean but the craft runs into rough seas and is broken up. He is washed up on the nearby shore and there is found by another survivor of the galley, Delos. They agree to head for Rome in search of Barbara. When they reach there they are captured by some centurions and taken to the arena to be trained as gladiators. It becomes apparent to the Doctor that Tavius had the centurion murdered. Nero organizes a banquet in his honour at which he must play the lyre. He also takes a shine to Barbara much to the anger of Poppaea, who decides to have her poisoned at the Pettulian banquet. However, Vicki switches the poison goblet. Barbara has just left the banquet chamber when the Doctor arrives, warning Nero that ''his'' wine is poisoned. The Doctor picks up his lyre with the warning that only those with the most sensitive and perceptive hearing will be able to discern its subtle melody. He then creates absolutely no sound but no-one wishes to make themselves out to be philistines by not appreciating the music. Nero is not convinced and decides to have Pettulian fed to the lions. At the arena Ian and Delos are set to fight each other. However, they decide to fight their way out of the arena; Ian shouts to Barbara that he will be back to rescue her. The Emperor calls off his soldiers, planning to have him killed when he returns to rescue Barbara. The Doctor has found the architectural plans for Nero’s new Rome, and deduces that since the year is 64 AD that the Emperor is planning to destroy the city. Tavius arrives and warns the Doctor that the Emperor is planning to kill him too, advising him to complete his mission and kill Nero soon - Pettulian was an assassin all along. The Doctor and Vicki decide to leave quickly but before departing "accidentally" set fire to Nero’s architectural plans. Nero notices this and decides to burn down the city, thanking the Doctor and deciding after all to spare his life. A rabble are bribed into starting the blaze and while anarchy rages Ian is helped into the palace by Tavius, who reunites him with Barbara. Under Tavius' eye the two are allowed to escape and make their way from Rome and back to the villa. Delos helps them get clear of the palace. The Doctor and Vicki also escape the city, watching it burn from a nearby hill. All four leave in the TARDIS but have barely begun to travel when a strange force starts dragging the ship to an unknown location. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Romans (Doctor Who)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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