Thread by @annalesbelli

- Agrippina the Immortal 🧵-

Agrippina is known in history to have been an incredible political strategist and for being the main reason of Nero’s rise to Emperor (1/14) #svagaiature #SPQR #History @SNicotinus @ItaliaStoria @Varangian_Tagma #Roma #Rome #Historia @ancientwarfare

She was known as a poisons expert and was believed to have assassinated her husband Claudius with a poisoned mushrooms’ soup to open the road to the throne to his son Nero (2/14)

Agrippina had planned his son’s entire life, she even find him a wife, Octavia, who came from an important family and would’ve been fundamental in the political games of power. Of course Nero wasn’t happy of his mother’s interferences (3/14)

The tipping point was reached when Poppea, Nero’s favourite mistress, threatened to leave him if he wouldn’t marry her after repudiating Octavia. Nero knew that agrippina would’ve never accepted that but he didn’t want to go against her will (4/14)

Nero knew that such decision could’ve lead to him making the same end of Claudius, so there was only one thing to do: kill her before she could kill him. At first Nero tried using her favourite weapon against her, but Agrippina survived three poisoning attempts (5/14)

So Nero’s men opted for more devastating methods, sawing the roof beams of Agrippina’s bedroom. The roof fell on her while she was asleep but the woman miraculously survived the "accident". At this point she was starting to be suspicious (6/14)

The next attempt was planned in every detail. Nero organised a party on his seaside villa, acting as the perfect son and closing the party with an incredible gift to his mother: a magnificent ship worthy of being the flag ship of the Roman Navy (7/14)

He of course immediately encouraged his mother to take the maiden voyage and she didn’t refuse the offer. Soon after reaching high waters the sailors put a hole in the hull of the ship and left with a small raft when agrippina and her guests noticed it was late (8/14)

They jumped in to the sea and started swimming towards the coast. Agrippina didn’t call for help cause her suspects were almost confirmed at this point. But one of her guest wasn’t so smart and started shouting: “ I am Agrippina! Help, help the emperor’s mother!” (9/14)

She managed to get the attention of the sailors on the raft, but she didn’t get the help expected. Instead the sailors started hitting her over the head with their oars till the night was silent. Seeing this Agrippina had no more doubts and stood silent (10/14)

She managed to reach the shore with an injured shoulder and hide. Arrived at the villa she sent a messenger to inform her son that, miraculously, she had just survived a shipwreck, though not to come visit her. She needed time to heal. . . and plot (11/14)

Nero couldn’t be more scared, he summoned his most faithful advisor: Seneca. During their meeting they even thought about sending the Pretoria to guard to kill Agrippina but in the end opted to send an assassin and stage the death as a suicide

The assassin reached Agrippina’s villa and when he attacked her she cried her final words: "strike me here!" she said, pointing to her stomach. "Smite my womb!" If Nero was to kill his mother, the fatal blow should be dealt in the spot where he was created" (13/14)

The same night her body was cremated on one of her dining couches, after Nero could definitely confirm her death
(14/14)