Links: The full text A simplified family tree

1. THE POISONING OF CLAUDIUS Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 On each slide click for a question and click again for a possible answer; this presentation does not try to ask every possible question; it is designed to give you a flavour of the sorts of questions you may get asked. The presentation assumes you know what the Latin means! • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree

2. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree M. Asinio Manio Acilio consulibus mutationem rerum in deterius portendi cognitum est crebris prodigiis. signa ac tentoria militum igne caelesti arsere; fastigio Capitolii examen apium insedit; biformes hominum partus et suis fetum editum cui accipitrum ungues inessent. Why does Tacitus start his account of these events with reference to the consuls? Tacitus is writing annalistic history ~ history that narrates events year by year; traditionally that kind of history writing marks the years in this way, by reference to the two consuls for the year. Furthermore, this was the normal way to specify year dates; until Christianity became established, the other way was to count years from the founding of the city (Ab Urbe Condita). The temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline. How does Tacitus signpost to his readers the events he is going to describe? As soon as he has specified the year, he states that “it was learned that a change for the worse in affairs was being portended”; the phrase is in pole position and this sets the reader up for the “murder and mayhem” that is going to follow. How was it learned that things were going to get worse? There were large numbers of prodigies: events that were out of the ordinary, if not downright bizarre, and believed by most Romans to be signs from the gods which could be interpreted by priests and soothsayers.

3. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree M. Asinio Manio Acilio consulibus mutationem rerum in deterius portendi cognitum est crebris prodigiis. signa ac tentoria militum igne caelesti arsere; fastigio Capitolii examen apium insedit; biformes hominum partus et suis fetum editum cui accipitrum ungues inessent. Comment on the prodigies which Tacitus describes and the order in which he describes them. For Romans a prodigy is still significant in communicating something of the gods’ intentions, even if it is a fairly ‘ordinary’ occurrence. Tacitus lists prodigies from the more usual (lightning strikes) to the decidedly unusual – half human, half animal births and a pig born with the claws of hawks embedded in it. Through the list, he gives a graphic illustration of what he started the year with, a statement that things took a turn for the worse. How does the order of the prodigies mirror the order of events that Tacitus is going to describe. Just as the prodigies go from the rare but not unexpected to the decidedly unnatural, events in Rome go from the murder of Domitia Lepida, “rare but not unexpected”, via a lot of upset and anxiety to the most unnatural and against the accepted order murder of Claudius by his wife and servants

4. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree M. Asinio Manio Acilio consulibus mutationem rerum in deterius portendi cognitum est crebris prodigiis. signa ac tentoria militum igne caelesti arsere; fastigio Capitolii examen apium insedit; biformes hominum partus et suis fetum editum cui accipitrum ungues inessent. Discuss Tacitus’ use of verbs, - arsere, insedit, editum, - in the second sentence; what is the effect he is aiming to achieve? The shortened form of arserunt and the editum without its accompanying est help to make the list short and sharp as a way of communicating that both with the prodigies and with events in Rome, one disaster quickly followed on another. That effect is also helped by the asyndeton – the lack of connectives between the different parts of the sentence (remember that semi colons are a modern convention!). An Etruscan haruspex Augustus as an augur Roman priests

5. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree numerabatur inter ostenta deminutus omnium magistratuum numerus, quaestore, aedili, tribuno ac praetore et consule paucos intra menses defunctis. Suggest why Tacitus puts these facts at the end of, and included them in, his list of prodigies (ostenta). He is making the point that not only are there disturbances to the order of the natural world by which the gods may communicate something of the future, but that there is disturbance also in the very fabric and order of the Roman state and its traditional structure of government; if there is disturbance in the traditional order of government, no wonder, he implies, that there is also disturbance in the new order of government – the imperial family. What is significant about the order in which he lists the officers of state? The list goes from the less important to the most important; it reflects the ‘cursus honorum’ – the ladder of offices by which men could slowly advance to the highest offices of the state. Even when ultimately power rested with the emperors, the offices of state were still sought after. (for further information on the Cursus Honorum, go here)

6. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree numerabatur inter ostenta deminutus omnium magistratuum numerus, quaestore, aedili, tribuno ac praetore et consule paucos intra menses defunctis. Comment on Tacitus’ use of ac and et in this passage. The lesser offices (quaestor, aedile, tribune) are listed without any connectives; by putting in the ac (the same as atque) Tacitus is implying that even the greater offices of praetor and consul were not immune to deaths; to further highlight that he does not list praetor and consul without any connective but joins them as a pair by means of the et. How does this section ‘set up’ the audience for what is to follow? Tacitus shows first, by listing prodigies, that things are going from bad to worse, even to being against the natural order of things; he then in listing the officers of state who died implies that the worsening is not just in nature but is also affecting the whole of the Roman state; having created an atmosphere in these two ways, it will come as less of a shock to the audience that even right at the top of the state things are going from bad to worse and ultimately will result in events which go against everything that is, in Tacitus’ view, in the proper order of things.

7. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree sed in praecipuo pavore Agrippina, vocem Claudii, quam temulentus iecerat, fatale sibi ut coniugum flagitia ferret, dein puniret, metuens, agere et celerare statuit, perdita prius Domitia Lepida muliebribus causis. Who is Agrippina? She was a great-granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus, great-niece and adoptive granddaughter of the Emperor Tiberius, sister of the Emperor Caligula, niece and fourth wife of Claudius, and mother of the Emperor Nero. Why is she scared/nervous? Her husband, the emperor Claudius, had said when he was drunk that he was fated to put up with the misdeeds of his wives and then punish them. Claudius divorced his first wife, Plautia Urgulanilla, for adultery and on suspicion of murdering her sister-in-law. He divorced the second wife, Aelia Paetina, for slight offences but more importantly because her adoptive brother, Sejanus, commander of the Praetorian Guard, had fallen from power under Tiberius. The third wife, Messalina, had an affair with Gaius Silius; they plotted to kill Claudius, the plot was discovered and she was executed. The activities of his fourth wife, Agrippina, are the subject of your readings.

8. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree sed in praecipuo pavore Agrippina, vocem Claudii, quam temulentus iecerat, fatale sibi ut coniugum flagitia ferret, dein puniret, metuens, agere et celerare statuit, perdita prius Domitia Lepida muliebribus causis. How does Tacitus emphasise the fear that Agrippina feels? He uses the word praecipuo (especial) to describe the fear she feels. He uses alliteration of ‘p’ to underline his phrase. He places the phrase right at the beginning of the sentence in an emphatic position. Comment on the juxtaposition of praecipuopavore and Agrippina. Agrippina the Younger The earlier section has talked about the general fear that was felt as a result of the prodigies. Tacitus now turns from the general to the specific, to describe the role of powerful individuals in the events which follow. Therefore he specifies a particular fear and immediately follows it with the name of the chief protagonist of the story he is going to tell. It ‘sets the scene’ powerfully for the story of dark fear filled intrigue and personalities that is to follow. What word does Tacitus use that indicates his view of Claudius? He describes him as temulentus – ‘intoxicated’, a point he makes again later on.

9. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree sed in praecipuo pavore Agrippina, vocem Claudii, quam temulentus iecerat, fatale sibi ut coniugum flagitia ferret, dein puniret, metuens, agere et celerare statuit, perdita prius Domitia Lepida muliebribus causis. Comment on the position of metuens. Its position reflects the course of events: Claudius’ drunken speech comes before, is the cause of, the fear. It is also placed directly before agere et celerare, making a close connection between the fear and Agrippina’s subsequent and immediate reactions. Who is Domitia Lepida? She was the mother of Messalina, Claudius’ third wife. After Messalina was accused of adultery and plotting against the emperor, her mother Lepida supported her as she was executed. Agrippina, who had been her sister-in-law, became Claudius’ fourth wife; she was jealous of the influence that Lepida might have on her (Agrippina’s) son, Nero, whom she was working to have made emperor. Agrippina allegedly arranged for the trial and execution of Domitia Lepida. (the section abridged from your reading gives details on all this – for a translation of this passage, go here). Domitia Lepida

10. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree sed in praecipuo pavore Agrippina, vocem Claudii, quam temulentus iecerat, fatale sibi ut coniugum flagitia ferret, dein puniret, metuens, agere et celerare statuit, perdita prius Domitia Lepida muliebribus causis. What were the muliebres causae for which Domitia Lepida was destroyed? In a nutshell, bitchy power hungry jealousy. Tacitus has a dim view of human nature generally and of Agrippina in particular, in our readings. Agrippina wants her son Nero to be emperor so she must maintain influence over him and her husband Claudius. Lepida was the mother of a previous wife, Messalina, and was Nero’s aunt, so she is very much part of the scene and could therefore be seen by Agrippina as a potential rival What is the effect of putting mulieribus causis right at the end of the sentence? It emphasises that what is going on and what is going to happen in the story is not in the end high matters of state but simply the result of female jealousy. Its position provides an immediate bridge into the results that flow from that female jealousy. What allegedly had Domitia Lepida done? She had allegedly made attempts on the life of Agrippina with magical incantations and was disturbing the peace of Italy by not keeping a firm control on the gangs on slaves on her estates in Calabria.

11. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree sed in praecipuo pavore Agrippina, vocem Claudii, quam temulentus iecerat, fatale sibi ut coniugum flagitia ferret, dein puniret, metuens, agere et celerare statuit, perdita prius Domitia Lepida muliebribus causis. What were the consequences of Agrippina’s fears? Narcissus (Claudius’ secretary) worked against Agrippina by encouraging Britannicus (the son of Claudius and Messalina) towards becoming emperor after Claudius. Agrippina wanted her son Nero to become emperor. When Narcissus had to go away to recuperate from stress, Agrippina seized her opportunity and engineered the poisoning of Claudius so that her son, Nero, could succeed. What are the various ways in which Tacitus in this passage shows us his viewpoints on events; comment on choice of words and choice of facts. He shows his low view of Claudius by noting that he was intoxicated (temulentus) when he made his threats. He uses flagitia, a very pejorative word, to describe the activities of Claudius’ wives. He chooses to remind his audience of the totally unaccceptable behaviours of Claudius’ wives and finishes by giving his viewpoint that what happened particularly to Domitia Lepida was to do with personal jealousies and rivalries, rather than high matters of state. These are themes which can be followed throughout this story.

12. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree ob haec mors indicta, multum adversante Narcisso, qui Agrippinam magis magisque suspectans prompsisse inter proximos ferebatur certam sibi perniciem, seu Britannicus rerum seu Nero poteretur; Who has been condemned to death? Domitia Lepida, the mother of Claudius’ third wife, Messalina, and the aunt of Britannicus who in Agrippina’s view is Nero’s rival to be the next emperor. What is being referred to with haec? These are the charges made against Domitia Lepida: she had plotted with magic the death of Claudius’ wife, Agrippina, and had failed to keep proper control over her slaves, thus disturbing the peace of Italy. Who was Narcissus? He was Claudius’ secretary for correspondence. Claudius had a number of freedmen (ex slaves) to run different areas of his administration. They were very powerful figures within the Roman power structures. He owed complete loyalty to Claudius. Tiberius Claudius Narcissus

13. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree ob haec mors indicta, multum adversante Narcisso, qui Agrippinam magis magisque suspectans prompsisse inter proximos ferebatur certam sibi perniciem, seu Britannicus rerum seu Nero poteretur; Why was Narcissus scared of what Agrippina might do? Why did he fear for himself whether Nero or Britannicus became the next emperor? He had opposed her in regard to the death of Domitia Lepida – not a good move. He was completely loyal to Claudius and therefore suspicious of what Agrippina might be planning; that he had information on her put him in the firing line. If Nero became emperor with Agrippina’s backing then she would have the power to hurt him; if Britannicus became emperor, Narcissus would still have lost his protector (Claudius) and therefore would be open to attack by Agrippina who would remember that it was Narcissus who had “shopped” Messalina and might well do the same to her. Coin with Claudius and Britannicus Coin with Agrippina and Nero

14. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree verum ita de se meritum Caesarem, ut vitam usui eius impenderet. Translate this sentence. (he said that) indeed Caesar deserved such duty from him that he would devote/sacrifice his life to his service. Why did he owe so much to Claudius? Narcissus was a freedman (an ex-slave); Claudius used Narcissus along with a number of other freedmen to head up departments of his administration – Narcissus was the secretary for his correspondence. He was called Tiberius Claudius Narcissus which tells us he had been freed by Claudius. Therefore he owed everything he had, status and wealth, to Claudius and without Claudius’ support and protection he was nothing. Why does Tacitus report so specifically that Narcissus said this? It is a theme of Tacitus’ narrative of these events that what happened hinged around the desires and decisions of individuals; for him therefore it is perhaps significant and illuminating of this period of Rome’s history that Narcisssus owes loyalty to Claudius for intensely personal and selfish reasons, whereas Tacitus might possibly see true loyalty as loyalty to the state and to its officers.

15. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree convictam Messalinam et Silium; pares iterum accusandi causas esse, si Nero imperitaret;   Britannico successore nullum principi metum: Who was Messalina? Valeria Messalina was the daughter of Domitia Lepida, whom we met earlier; she was the third wife of emperor Claudius. She was the mother of Britannicus and Octavia. What had she been convicted of? She started an affair with a Roman senator, Gaius Silius. They allegedly plotted to kill Claudius. Narcissus betrayed the plot to Claudius. “pares iterum accusandi causas esse”: what is Narcissus referring to here? ‘now again there were similar grounds for accusation’; Narcissus had accused Messalina of adultery and plotting against Claudius. He now knows that there are allegedly similar grounds against Agrippina, Claudius’ current wife – she was having an affair with Pallas, the freedman in charge of Claudius’ treasury and since also Agrippina was desperate for her son, Nero, to become emperor it was not a big jump to conclude that she might be plotting against the emperor. Messalina and her son Britannicus

16. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree convictam Messalinam et Silium; pares iterum accusandi causas esse, si Nero imperitaret;   Britannico successore nullum principi metum: Why was there nullum principi metum in Britannicus succeeding? Narcissus seems to be saying that if the future is Nero as emperor then Claudius needs to watch his back because Agrippina clearly will do anything to make sure her boy gets the top job; if on the other hand Britannicus becomes front runner for the top job Claudius need have no fear since Britannicus is “one of the good guys” and as Claudius’ natural son, rather than son by adoption like Nero, he has a pre-eminent claim to becoming emperor. Who was Britannicus? He was the son of Claudius and his third wife, Messalina. Because he was very young, Claudius made Nero, his step-son, a joint heir with Britannicus. As Britannicus approached adulthood his father Claudius began to favour him again over Nero. How does Tacitus heighten the sense of dark intrigue in this passage? He reminds his audience of the plotting that has gone on in the past, he then hints at possible further plotting going on, hints at a possible reason for that plotting (Nero) and finishes by reminding the audience that the motive for the plotting is partly around whether Britannicus or Nero has the better claim to be next emperor.

17. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree at novercae insidiis domum omnem convelli, maiore flagitio quam si impudicitiam prioris coniugis reticuisset. quamquam ne impudicitiam quidem nunc abesse Pallante adultero, ne quis ambigat decus pudorem corpus, cuncta regno viliora habere. Comment on Tacitus’ use of at at the beginning of this section. at provides a strong contrast: Tacitus has just reported Narcissus’ view that all would be smooth if Britannicus were the successor; now he turns to the upset being caused by Agrippina in the imperial household. Who is the noverca? Comment on Tacitus’ use of the word here. The noverca is Agrippina: she was step mother to Britannicus whom the previous sentence was discussing. In many cultures including Rome stepmothers have a particularly bad reputation (think of the Cinderella story). If you are interested there is an interesting article on stepmothers in Roman culture. Tacitus’ use of the word here underlines his view of Agrippina as a deeply nasty person. It possibly also reflects how her enemies referred to her. Who is the prioris coniugis referred to? Who was Pallas? The prior coniunx was Messalina. Pallas was another of Claudius’ freedmen, in charge of the treasury. Allegedly he was the lover of Agrippina.

18. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree at novercae insidiis domum omnem convelli, maiore flagitio quam si impudicitiam prioris coniugis reticuisset. quamquam ne impudicitiam quidem nunc abesse Pallante adultero, ne quis ambigat decus pudorem corpus, cuncta regno viliora habere. Translate and explain maiore flagitio quam si impudicitiam prioris coniugis reticuisset. ‘with more damage than if he (Narcissus) had kept quiet about the shameless behaviour of the former wife’. Narcissus is saying that the amount of disturbance Agrippina is causing in the imperial household is worse than there would have been if Narcissus had kept quiet about the plot against Claudius by Messalina and Silius. How does Tacitus emphasise how “out of order” Agrippina’s behaviour is? He describes how she is turning the imperial household topsy turvy, hardly the behaviour expected of a good Roman wife. He describes her behaviour as impudicitia – lack of a sense of pudor, of modesty and restraint; there is no worse criticism to make of a high born Roman lady. He states that she is in an adulterous relationship with, of all people, an ex-slave. He then goes on to state very explicitly that she had abandoned any sense of honour and of modesty. Putting all that together gives a view that Agrippina is as far removed from the ideal of high born Roman lady as it is possible to get.

19. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree at novercae insidiis domum omnem convelli, maiore flagitio quam si impudicitiam prioris coniugis reticuisset. quamquam ne impudicitiam quidem nunc abesse Pallante adultero, ne quis ambigat decus pudorem corpus, cuncta regno viliora habere. How does Tacitus emphasise the similarity between Messalina and Agrippina? He uses the very perjorative word impudicitia to describe the behaviour of both of them. What does that tell us about his view of his times? He has a very negative view of what is happening to the Roman state and in particular the roles of emperors and their families in that. For him, one of them is as bad as the next, so it is no surprise that he views Messalina and Agrippina in a similar dark way. Comment on Tacitus’ choice and use of words in ne quis ambigat decus pudorem corpus cuncta regno viliora habere. In order to emphasise just how bad Agrippina was, Tacitus chooses three words which sum up very economically the qualities one should be able to see in a Roman lady, particularly a member of the imperial house, and he then uses the device of a tricolon, a set of three words, to list the qualities Agrippina has abandoned. He then sums up the tricolon with cuncta, a short very emphatic word, before finally returning to his theme of moral decay with the thought that Agrippina held everything of less importance than power and rule.

20. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree haec atque talia dictitans amplecti Britannicum, robur aetatis quam maturrimum precari, modo ad deos, modo ad ipsum tendere manus, adolesceret, patris inimicos depelleret, matris etiam interfectores ulcisceretur. How does Tacitus convey in his choice of words Narcissus’ increasing desparation? He uses the frequentative form of the verb: ‘ he kept on saying’. He uses the pair of modo .... modo ..... to suggest Narcissus trying this and trying that to make an impression on Britannicus. What is the effect of using the infinitives complecti, precari, tendere? The effect of not using the full verb forms is to shorten the actions and so imply one action following swiftly on another; it is another way of expressing Narcissus’ increasing desparation. What effect does Tacitus achieve by asyndeton – by leaving out the ut introducing the entreaties Narcissus makes? The effect is the same as with using the historic infinitive verbs – it shortens the action and makes it more urgent; it almost has the effect of turning what Narcissus is saying into direct speech; it certainly increases the vividness of his entreaties.

21. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree haec atque talia dictitans amplecti Britannicum, robur aetatis quam maturrimum precari, modo ad deos, modo ad ipsum tendere manus, adolesceret, patris inimicos depelleret, matris etiam interfectores ulcisceretur. Comment on the two uses of tricolon in this passage. Tacitus uses two sets of tricolons; he uses both sets to move from less to more powerful and significant actions. Firstly there are three things Narcissus does in relation to Britannicus: he embraces him, he says he hopes he will grow up quickly, finally he stretches his hands in entreaty both to the gods and to Britannicus. In the second set he does the same thing: he begs that he (Britannicus) grows up, that he drive out his father’s enemies, that he avenges his mother’s assasins. What was the consequence of Narcissus’ activities here? Narcissus falls ill with stress and has to go away on holiday. Agrippina seizes her chance while he is away and arranges for the poisoning of Claudius.

22. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree in tanta mole curarum valetudine adversa corripitur, refovendisque viribus mollitia caeli et salubritate aquarum Sinuessam pergit. Suggest why Tacitus describes Sinuessa in such detail here. It is possibly his way of contrasting the blue skies and sweet waters of Sinuessa, which Narcissus will now experience, with the dark and poisonous (literally) atmosphere which he is going to describe back in Rome. What was special about Sinuessa? Sinuessa was on the coast south of Rome; it was famous for its thermal waters and was a “place of resort” for wealthy Romans; it was later overtaken in fashion by Baiae on the Bay of Naples.

23. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree tum Agrippina, sceleris olim certa et oblatae occasionis propera nec ministrorum egens, de genere veneni consultavit, ne repentino et praecipiti facinus proderetur; si lentum et tabidum delegisset, ne admotus supremis Claudius et dolo intellecto ad amorem filii rediret. What are the three reasons Tacitus suggests Agrippina had for undertaking the poisoning. Tacitus uses a tricolon: Agrippina had long been intent on commiting this crime (sceleris certa), she had the opportunity and eagerly grasped it (propera occasionis), she had people who would do it for her (ministri). In your own words explain what Agrippina’s dilemma is here. If she went for a fast acting aggressive poison it was likely that the nature of her crime would be revealed; if she went for a slow and lingering poison, she was concerned that Claudius, at death’s door, might realise what Agrippina had done and transfer his affection and therefore the succession back from Agrippina’s son, Nero, to his natural son by Messalina, Britannicus. Who is the filius referred to? What had happened to his relationship with Claudius? He was Britannicus,the son of Claudius and his third wife, Messalina. Because he was very young, Claudius made Nero, his step-son, a joint heir with Britannicus. Agrippina’s influence turned Claudius to an extent against Britannicus but as Britannicus approached adulthood his father began to favour him again over Nero.

24. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree tum Agrippina, sceleris olim certa et oblatae occasionis propera nec ministrorum egens, de genere veneni consultavit, ne repentino et praecipiti facinus proderetur; si lentum et tabidum delegisset, ne admotus supremis Claudius et dolo intellecto ad amorem filii rediret. How does Tacitus through his choice and use of words convey how drawn out Agrippina’s deliberations were? He uses a double adjective to describe each of the two types of poison possible, which draws out the sentence, and he tells us what he thinks Agrippina was thinking, again as a way of implying that she had to weigh everything up carefully and at length before coming to a decision.

25. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree exquisitum aliquid placebat, quod turbaret mentem et mortem differret. Comment on the choice and order of words in this sentence and Tacitus’ purpose in this. ‘turbaret mentem et mortem differet’ provides a chiasmus of verb + object, object + verb. The cross over, mixing up, of the two motives helps to emphasise the dual purpose that Agrippina has: to affect Claudius’ wits and at the same time set in train a slow death that would not create suspicion. He further ties together the two ideas with the alliteration of mentem and mortem.

26. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree deligitur artifex talium vocabulo Locusta, nuper veneficii damnata et diu inter instrumenta regni habita. Why does Tacitus think it worthwhile to note nuper veneficiis damnata? It helps him to paint the picture he wants of the imperial family as full of intrigue and personal vendettas. Agrippina is so far gone in immortality that she is even happy to use the services of someone who has already been convicted of using poison; that is how shameless and uncaring of her reputation she has become. What does the phrase inter instrumenta regni tell us about Tacitus’ viewpoint? ‘she had long been regarded among the tools of empire’: this again gives Tacitus an opportunity to “have a go” at the current imperial government of Rome: the imperial government does not rely solely on traditional structures of governance to do its job, it also uses techniques such as poisoning to achieve its aims and is not above employing well known poisoners to help.

27. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree eius mulieris ingenio paratum virus, cuius minister e spadonibus fuit Halotus, inferre epulas et explorare gustu solitus. Who is the mulier referred to here? This is Locusta, a well known poisoner; she had according to Tacitus been used before by the imperial house to achieve its aims. Discuss Tacitus’ use of irony in this sentence. Tacitus expresses how topsy turvy the world has become that the person, Halotus, whose job it was to bring in and taste the emperor’s food to ensure it had not been tampered with, is the person who actually administers the poison.

28. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree  adeoque cuncta mox pernotuere ut temporum illorum scriptores prodiderint infusum delectabili boleto venenum, nec vim medicaminis statim intellectam, socordiane an Claudii vinolentia; simul soluta alvus subvenisse videbatur. What were the three things that possibly masked the effect of the poison? Claudius’ lethargic condition, his possibly intoxicated condition, his bowels had been emptied. What was the consequence of the initial lack of effect of the poison? Agrippina was terrified and decided to go to her second plan which was to administer directly a quick acting and powerful poison, with the help of the doctor, Xenophon. Suggest why Tacitus includes all this detail about Claudius; what does it contribute to the story? Tacitus is not going to pass up the opportunity to have a dig at an emperor and to note his possible lethargy and intoxication.

29. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree igitur exterrita Agrippina et, quando ultima timebantur, spreta praesentium invidia provisam iam sibi Xenophontis medici conscientiam adhibet. Explain why Agrippina was terrified at this point. The poison did not have an immediate effect and Agrippina was terrified her plot would be discovered. How does Tacitus emphasise her fear? The positioning of exterrita is very emphatic and made more so by the ommision of the est. Explain in your own words the phrase quando ultima timebantur. ultima are the most extreme results, that the plot would be discovered and Agrippina would have to pay the ultimate penalty of death; that is her fear. Explain in your own words the phrase spreta praesentium invidia. Agrippina was so desperate that she chose to ignore the ill-will (invidia) that what she had done so far (praesentium) might incur but which could probably be explained away and go straight to Plan B, which was “going for broke”. How did Xenophon help Agrippina? He allegedly put a feather with a quick acting poison down Claudius’ throat under the pretense of helping him to vomit.

30. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree ille tamquam nisus evomentis adiuvaret, pinnam rapido veneno inlitam faucibus eius demisisse creditur, haud ignarus summa scelera incipi cum periculo, peragi cum praemio. Who is ille? He is the doctor Xenophon whom Agrippina has enlisted as an accomplice. What was he believed to have done? He was believed, under the pretence of helping Claudius to throw up, to have put a feather smeared with a quick acting poison down his throat. Translate haud ignarus summa scelera incipi cum periculo, peragi cum praemio. not at all ignorant that the greatest crimes are started with danger, (but) completed with rewards. Comment on Tacitus’ choice of words and word order in haud ignarus summa scelera incipi cum periculo, peragi cum praemio Tacitus finishes this sentence with a ‘bon mot’ about the nature of the state and the dynamics of action in it as he sees it. To emphasise how carefully constructed the thought is he employs alliteration of the letter ‘p’ to tie it all together and achieves further consistency by exact repetition of the phrase: passive infinitive + cum + noun.

31. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree vocabatur interim senatus votaque pro incolumitate principis consules et sacerdotes nuncupabant, cum iam exanimis vestibus et fomentis obtegeretur, dum quae res forent firmando Neronis imperio componuntur. Why has the senate been summoned? The Senate along with consuls was under the Republic the most important body in the state. The emperors maintained the structures of the Republic so although real power now lay with the emperors the Senate still had a role to play in times of danger for the state. What is the point Tacitus is making in his description of events here? He is pointing up his view of the real nature of the imperial state – while the senate, consuls and state priests were “going through the motions” of praying for the safety of the emperor, in reality he was dead and Agrippina and Co were keeping him warm to pretend he was still alive until Agrippina in the background had arranged things so that Nero, her son, would become emperor. How did Agrippina strengthen Nero’s claim on power? She kept Britannicus and his sisters Antonia and Octavia out of the way by various strategems, she kept on reporting that the emperor was getting better, to keep the soldiers sweet in the hope of another hand out of cash from Claudius, and she waited for the propitious moment that had been forecast to declare Nero as emperor.

32. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree iam primum Agrippina, velut dolore victa et solacia conquirens, tenere amplexu Britannicum, veram paterni oris effigiem appellare ac variis artibus demorari ne cubiculo egrederetur. Explain Agrippina’s behaviour at this point. She is trying everything to ensure that Nero is the next emperor; the thing that can mess up her plans is if Britannicus is seen by his supporters among the soldiers and the citizens; therefore she detains him inside and tries to allay any suspicions he may have by apparently friendly and sympathetic behaviour. How does Tacitus emphasise Agrippina’s actions at this point by his use of words? He employs a tricolon: tenere, appellare, demorari and additionally he uses historic infinitives to sharpen up the focus on what Agrippina does Translate veram paterni oriseffigiem; whose face is referred to? ‘the true likeness of his father’s face’. The father is Claudius. Claudius

33. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree Antoniam quoque et Octaviam sorores eius attinuit, et cunctos aditus custodiis clauserat, crebroque vulgabat ire in melius valetudinem principis, quo miles bona in spe ageret tempusque prosperum ex monitis Chaldaeorum adventaret. Who are Antonia and Octavia? They were Claudius’daughters from his second and third marriages. Why did Agrippina detain them? Octavia was Britannicus’ sister and could therefore be expected to support him as the legitimate heir to Claudius; Agrippina therefore neutralised her. Antonia was the daughter from Claudius’ second marriage and she is not likely to be a supporter of the fourth wife, Agrippina, and her son Nero; she therefore must also be neutralised. What was the ‘hope of the soldiers’? Claudius was the first emperor to buy the loyalty of the soldiery on a large scale by donatives of cash. If the soldiers have the hope that Claudius is still alive, they can hope for more. Antonia

34. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree Antoniam quoque et Octaviam sorores eius attinuit, et cunctos aditus custodiis clauserat, crebroque vulgabat ire in melius valetudinem principis, quo miles bona in spe ageret tempusque prosperum ex monitis Chaldaeorum adventaret. How does tempus prosperum ex monitis Chaldaeorum adventaret add to the drama of the situation? It introduces an element of explanation for what happened that goes beyond Agrippina and her desires. It offers the possibility that what is happening is somehow “written in the stars”. Perhaps for Tacitus it just shows his audience yet again how irrational and ungrounded in tradition is what is happening in Rome. Explain Chaldaeorum. The civilisations of Mesopotamia had many centuries of experience in astronomy and had a well developed system of astrological predictions. What happened next? Nero emerged from the palace, was taken to the Praetorian Guard camp and after promising the soldiers a gift of money was hailed as emperor by the soldiers Nero

35. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree tunc medio diei tertium ante Idus Octobris, foribus palatii repente diductis, comitante Burro Nero egreditur ad cohortem, quae more militiae excubiis adest. Why does Tacitus give a specific time and date to his narrative at this point? He is writing annalistic, year by year, history and therefore, theoretically at least, the dates when things happen are important. The particular importance of this point is that it is the day of the beginning of the ‘reign’ of a new emperor, Nero. Discuss the effects of the ablative absolute with repente. This creates a vivid, dramatic, immediate beginning to the events; repente gives a flavour of the doors crashing open and that effect is heightened by the short, sharp ablative absolute. Who was Burrus? Sextus Afranius Burrus was the Praetorian Prefect; he had been appointed under the influence of Agrippina to support her son Nero. Originally commander of the Praetorian Guard, the post gradually acquired extensive powers within the administration. Base for a statue of Sextus Afranius Burrus

36. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree tunc medio diei tertium ante Idus Octobris, foribus palatii repente diductis, comitante Burro Nero egreditur ad cohortem, quae more militiae excubiis adest. Discuss Tacitus’ use of tenses in this section and the remainder of the narrative. After starting with the dramatic opening of the palace doors, Tacitus continues the narrative with verbs in the historic present: egreditur, adest; he continues that in the remainder of the narrative – inditur, consalutatur, decernuntur. Doing this builds on the opening of the doors and puts the events directly in front of our eyes; they are in Tacitus’ view hugely important events since they initiate the reign of the emperor Nero.

37. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree ibi monente praefecto faustis vocibus exceptus inditur lecticae. dubitavisse quosdam ferunt, respectantis rogitantisque ubi Britannicus esset: mox nullo in diversum auctore quae offerebantur secuti sunt. Who is the praefectus? What did he do? The praefectus is Burrus. He ‘advised’ the soldiers to greet Nero with words of good omen. Explain faustis vocibus. In Roman thought, particularly popular ‘magic’, words have enormous power: words of ill omen can make bad things happen and the converse is true. It is therefore important that at the beginning of his reign Nero is greeted with words of good omen. Why did some people hesitate and ask where Britannicus was? Britannicus, as a natural son of Claudius, had a better claim to be the successor, over Nero, who was an adopted son. As the narrative has shown us, Britannicus had much support. Explain the phrase nullo in adversum auctore. By auctore Tacitus means someone willing to start an opposition (in diversum) to the proclamation of Nero as emperor; in the event no-one was brave enough.

38. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree inlatusque castris Nero et congruentia tempori praefatus, promisso donativo ad exemplum paternae largitionis, imperator consalutatur. sententiam militum secuta patrum consulta, nec dubitatum est apud provincias. Translate congruentia temporis praefatus. Having first said things which were suitable to the occasion. What does promisso donativo ad exemplum paternae largitionis tell us about Tacitus’ viewpoint. This is further evidence of the decay of the Roman state; in the idealised Republic and in the early empire, soldiers did their job out of loyalty to the state or at least to the person in power; they did not need to be bribed, as Claudius had done and as Nero was now doing. Comment on the tense of consalutatur. As discussed earlier, in this part of the narrative Tacitus using historic present verbs to increase the immediacy of the sequence of events he is describing. What does the last sentence tell us about Tacitus’ viewpoints? The decisions of the senate followed the opinions of the soldiers; for Tacitus, evidence of the topsy turvy nature of the times – it should have been quite the opposite.

39. Tacitus Annals Book 12, caps 64 - 69 • Links: • The full text • A simplified family tree caelestesque honores Claudio decernuntur et funeris sollemne perinde ac divo Augusto celebratur, aemulante Agrippina proaviae Liviae magnificentiam. testamentum tamen haud recitatum, ne antepositus filio privignus iniuria et invidia animos vulgi turbaret. What is implied by caelestes honores? This is a complex question but broadly emperors, if not accorded divine or semi-divine status while alive, were generally accorded divine status on their deaths. Why does Tacitus make this specific comparison with Augustus? Both Claudius and Augustus were granted divine honours but Tacitus’ view would probably be that the honours and the funeral were appropriate for Augustus, seen generally as an honourable and effective ruler, but not for Claudius ~ the narrative makes clear his view of him. Who was Livia? Livia was Augustus’ third wife; the overall picture is complex but it is fair to say she was used to represent an ideal view of Roman femininity; there is here an implied negative comparison with Agrippina. Who was the privignus, who was the filius? The privignus (step-son) was Nero, the filius (son) was Britannicus.