Historian Dr Emma Southon and comedian Cariad Lloyd join Greg Jenner to discuss the life of Agrippina the Younger, the overbearing mother of Emperor Nero in first-century Rome. They explore Agrippina's survival as a woman in the Roman Empire, her terrifying boat incident, and how she tried to control her legacy despite misogynistic accounts.
Agrippina the Younger strategically positioned her son Nero as the future heir to the Roman Empire despite Claudius having a son from a previous marriage.
Limited and biased primary sources make it challenging to fully understand Agrippina the Younger's life and the truth behind the events.
Deep dives
Agrippina's early life and family background
Agrippina the Younger, born in 15 CE, was the daughter of Germanicus, a descendant of the Claudian family, and Agrippina the Elder, a descendant of the Julian family. She was born into the Roman Empire during the early first century CE, when the imperial system was just beginning. Her early life was marked by the reign of Tiberius, the second emperor, and her family's prominence and influence in Roman politics. Agrippina's family connections made her an important figure in Roman society, but she also faced tragedy and turmoil, with the suspicious death of her father, exile of her mother, and the deaths of her two eldest brothers.
Agrippina's rise to power and influence
Despite the challenges in her early life, Agrippina managed to secure a position of power and influence in the Roman Empire. She married her uncle Claudius, who became the new emperor after the death of Tiberius. Through this marriage, Agrippina positioned her son Nero as the future heir to the throne, despite Claudius having a son from a previous marriage. Agrippina proved to be a formidable figure, using her connections and influence to secure important roles for Nero and herself within the Roman government. However, tensions grew between Agrippina and Nero as he sought to assert his own power and distance himself from her control.
Agrippina's ultimate downfall
As Nero's reign continued, the relationship between Agrippina and her son deteriorated. Nero, influenced by his advisor Seneca, began to assert his independence and sidelining his mother. Agrippina's attempts to maintain her position and influence failed, and Nero gradually distanced himself from her. Ultimately, Nero conspired to have Agrippina killed, attempting various methods such as poisoning and staged accidents. Finally, he succeeded by orchestrating a collapsible boat accident, but Agrippina's swimming abilities saved her. Nero then resorted to hiring assassins to kill her at her home, where she bravely faced her death. Agrippina's death marked the end of a powerful and influential woman in Roman history.
Historical challenges in understanding Agrippina's life
Studying Agrippina's life poses challenges due to the limited and fragmentary primary sources available. The main sources, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, wrote about Agrippina decades after her death, often with biased perspectives. These sources tend to manipulate events to fit their own narratives, depicting Agrippina as an evil woman. Additionally, Agrippina herself attempted to shape her own legacy through an autobiography, but only limited excerpts remain. As a result, understanding Agrippina's life requires careful analysis of the available sources and considering the limitations and biases inherent in historical accounts.
Greg Jenner is joined by historian Dr Emma Southon and comedian Cariad Lloyd in first-century Rome to meet Agrippina the Younger.
Empress, overbearing mother of the Emperor Nero and murderess, but how much of what has been written about this extraordinary woman is true? What does it really take to survive as a woman at the top of the Roman Empire?
For the full-length version of this episode, please look further back in the feed.
A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4.
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