TACITUS – NERO AND AGRIPPINA INSIDIAE I

But Nero, who was now becoming bolder with the length of his reign, enflamed more
and more with love for Poppaea, finally decided to kill his mother; having summoned
his ministers, he consulted them as to whether he should use poison or the sword or
some other means of force [violent means]. At first poison pleased him. If, however,
poison were given at the emperor’s banquet, death could not be attributed to chance,
for Britannicus had perished earlier by a similar death; and Agrippina herself had
fortified her body by taking remedies in advance. How the violent deed and the
murder could be hidden, no one was able to work out; and Nero feared that anyone
chosen for so great a crime might scorn his orders.
At last the freedman Anicetus, who hated Agrippina, proposed a clever plan:
that a ship could be built, a part of which, cast off [loosened] deliberately out in the
open sea [on the sea itself], would throw the unsuspecting Agrippina overboard.
Anicetus smiling said, “Nothing is as liable to accidents as the sea; and if Agrippina
dies in a shipwreck, who will be so suspicious as to ascribe to a crime that which the
winds and waves have caused? Once his mother is dead, it will be easy for the
emperor to show his filial duty by constructing a temple or by sacrificing at altars.”

INSIDIAE II

Anicetus’ cleverness pleased Nero; besides there was an excellent opportunity of

attempting the deed [of putting the matter to the test], for Nero at that time was
visiting Baiae to celebrate the holiday. He enticed his mother there; he went to meet
her on the way as she was arriving; he welcomed her with his hand and with an
embrace; he led her to her seaside villa, called Bauli. There was standing near the
house a highly ornate ship, as if to honour the emperor’s mother; Agrippina was
invited to the banquet which had been prepared at Baiae so that the crime might be
hidden by the night and the darkness. Agrippina, however, having heard a rumour of
the plot through some informer, uncertain at first as to whether she should believe it,
was finally conveyed to Baiae in a sedan chair. There flatteries removed her fear:
courteously welcomed, at dinner she was placed next to Nero himself. Nero would
now conduct himself with youthful friendliness, now he would speak in a serious
tone. Finally, after dinner had been drawn out for a long time with much
conversation, he followed Agrippina as she was leaving, lingering particularly closely
on her eyes and heart, either to complete his pretence or because the last sight of his
mother who was about to die restrained his savage spirit.
NAUFRAGIUM

The gods provided a night that was bright with stars and tranquil with a calm sea, as if
to expose the crime. The ship had not gone very far, - with two friends accompanying
Agrippina, of whom Crepereius Gallus was standing not far from the helm, and
Acerronia, lying at the feet of the reclining Agrippina, was joyfully recalling the
change of heart of her son, - when, the signal having been given, the roof collapsed,
weighed down with much lead. Crepereius, crushed, at once perished; Agrippina and
Acerronia were protected by the projecting sides of the couch. Nor did the break up
of the ship follow, with everyone thrown into confusion and because most of the
sailors, unaware of the crime, were hindering those who were its accomplices. The
latter therefore tried to lean on to one side and so sink the ship; but they lacked quick
agreement to meet the sudden crisis, and the others, leaning in the opposite direction,
gave Agrippina the opportunity to lower herself gently into the sea.
Acerronia, however, while foolishly shouting that she was Agrippina so that
help could be brought to the emperor’s mother, was finished off with poles and oars.
Agrippina silently, and for that reason less easily recognised [less recognisable] (she
received, however, a wound on her shoulder), by swimming reached some small boats
which were not far off; then she was brought to the Lucrine Lake and led to her house.
There she was considering what she should do; for she had noticed that the
ship had neither been driven ashore by the winds, nor had been dashed onto the rocks,
but that from the top downwards it had collapsed just like a machine on land. As she
observed also the murder of Acerronia and at the same time looked at her own wound,
she thought that there was only one solution for the plot, that is, if she seemed not to
understand the situation. She therefore sent a freedman to announce to her son that by
the kindness of the gods and his fortune she had avoided a serious mishap; she begged
that Nero, although frightened by the danger his mother had met, should postpone
bothering to come to visit her [should postpone his desire to…]; that for the moment
she needed rest. And so in the meantime she applied medication to her wound; she
also ordered that Acerronia’s will be searched for – this the only thing not done
through pretence.
PERCUSSORES

Meanwhile, when the danger to Agrippina had been made known, everyone, as each
had heard the news, ran down to the shore. Some climbed up the embankments,
others climbed into the nearest small boats; others still, as much as their body allowed
them, waded into the sea; several stretched out their hands; the entire shore was filled
with laments, with prayers, with the shouting of men asking different things or giving
uncertain replies; a huge multitude streamed down with lights, and when it was made
known that Agrippina was safe, they prepared to congratulate her, until they were
dispersed by the sight of a column of men, armed and threatening. Anicetus
surrounded the house with soldiers, and with the door broken down, he removed by
force those slaves who were standing in the way, with the rest terrified with fear of
those bursting in. In the bedroom there was a moderate light and one of the
slavegirls; Agrippina was becoming more and more anxious because no one had come
from her son. As the slavegirl was finally going, Agrippina said “You are also
deserting me”; then she looked back at Anicetus accompanied by the captain and the
centurion. “Who are you?” she said. “Tell me why you have been sent here.” No
reply; the assassins surrounded the bed [took up position around the bed] and the
captain was the first to strike her head with a club. Then Agrippina, thrusting forth
her womb to the centurion who was drawing out his sword in order to kill her, shouted
out “Strike my stomach” and she was finished off with many wounds.
She was cremated that same night on a dining couch and with cheap funeral
rites; whether Nero examined the body of his dead mother (as many maintain) and
whether he admired its beauty, is uncertain. Many years earlier Agrippina had
believed that this would be [how she would meet] her end, and she had scorned the
idea. For when she was asking about Nero’s fortune, astrologers replied that he would
rule and would kill his mother, and Agrippina said “Let him kill me, so long as he
rules.”
PERCUSSORES – LITERAL TRANSLATION

p. 25 Meanwhile, with the danger to Agrippina having been made known, everyone,
as each had heard, ran down to the shore. Some climbed up the embankments, others
climbed into the nearest small boats; others, as much as their body allowed, proceeded
into the sea; several stretched out their hands; the entire shore was filled with
laments/complaints, with prayers, with the shouting of men asking different [things]
or answering uncertain [things]; a huge multitude flowed down with lights, and when
it was made known Agrippina to be safe, they prepared themselves to congratulate
her, until they were dispersed by the sight of a column of men, armed and threatening.
p. 27 Anicetus surrounded/surrounds the house with soldiers, and with the door
having been broken down, he removes by force those slaves who were standing in the
way, until he could get to the bedroom door; there a few people were standing by,
with the rest terrified with terror of those bursting in. In the bedroom there was a
moderate light and one of the slave girls; Agrippina was becoming more and more
anxious because no one had come from her son. With the slave girl finally leaving,
Agrippina said “You are also deserting me”; then she looks back at Anicetus having
been accompanied by the captain and the centurion. “Who are you?” she said. “Tell
me why you have been sent here.” No reply; the assassins surround the bed and the
captain first struck her head with a club.
p. 29 Then Agrippina, thrusting forth her womb to the centurion drawing out his
sword to kill her, shouted out “Strike my stomach” and she was finished off with
many wounds. She was cremated that same night on a dining couch and with cheap
funeral rites; whether Nero examined his dead mother (as many affirm) and [whether]
he admired its beauty, is uncertain. Many years before Agrippina had believed this to
be about to be her end, and she had scorned [the idea]. For to her asking about Nero’s
fortune, astrologers replied him to be about to rule and to be about to kill his mother,
and Agrippina said “Let him kill me, so long as he rules.”