Tacitus - Annals 14.12

Tacitus - Annals 14.12: Celebrations and Omens

miro tamen certamine procerum decernuntur supplicationes apud omnia pulvinaria , ut que Quinquatrus quibus apertae insidiae essent ludis annuis celebrarentur ; aureum Minervae simulacrum in curia et iuxta principis imago statuerentur ; dies natalis Agrippinae inter nefastos esset . Thrasea Paetus silentio vel brevi adsensu priores adulationes transmittere solitus exiit tum senatu ac sibi causam periculi fecit , ceteris libertatis initium non praebuit . prodigia quoque crebra et inrita intercessere : anguem enixa mulier et alia in concubitu mariti fulmine exanimata ; iam sol repente obscuratus et tactae de caelo quattuordecim urbis regiones . quae adeo sine cura deum eveniebant ut multos post annos Nero imperium et scelera continuaverit . ceterum quo gravaret invidiam matris ea que demota auctam lenitatem suam testificaretur , feminas inlustres Iuniam et Calpurniam , praetura functos Valerium Capitonem et Licinium Gabolum sedibus patriis reddidit , ab Agrippina olim pulsos . etiam Lolliae Paulinae cineres reportari sepulcrum que extrui permisit ; quos que ipse nuper relegaverat , Iturium et Calvisium poena exolvit . nam Silana fato functa erat , longinquo ab exilio Tarentum regressa labante iam Agrippina , cuius inimicitiis conciderat , vel mitigata .

Section 14.12 Translation: However, public prayers were decreed at all the temples of the gods to the accompaniment of outstanding rivalry among the nobles, and (it was decreed) that the Quinquatrus at which the plot was revealed should be celebrated with annual games. (Also,) a golden statue of Minerva and an image of the emperor nearby were to be set up in the Senate House. The birthday of Agrippina was (included) among the unlucky days. Thrasea Paetus, who had been accustomed to let through former acts of flattery in silence or with brief assent, went out of the Senate at that point and created for himself a reason for danger, without showing the beginning of liberty to others. Numerous omens also intervened which proved ineffectual: a woman gave birth to a snake and another was killed by a thunderbolt in the act of intercourse with her husband; shortly afterwards, the sun was suddenly obscured, and 14 areas of the city were struck by lightning. These things happened without any concern of the gods to such an extent that Nero continued his reign and crimes for many years afterwards. But in order to increase hatred of his mother and demonstrate that his leniency had been increased now that she was out of the way, he restored to their ancestral homes two famous women, Junia and Calpurnia, (together with) Valerius Capito and Licinius Gabolus, who had completed their praetorships and been banished some time before by Agrippina. He even allowed the ashes of Lollia Paulina to be brought back and a tomb to be erected: and he released from punishment Iturius and Calvisius, whom he himself had recently banished. For Silana had completed her destiny, when she returned to Tarentum from a distant exile, since Agrippina, by whose enmity she had fallen, was now declining in influence or appeased.

Passage Analysis

What Happens

The Senate engages in competitive flattery, decreeing thanksgivings at all temples and annual games for the Quinquatrus (now rebranded as when the "plot" was exposed). They order a golden statue of Minerva with Nero's image beside it for the Senate House, and declare Agrippina's birthday cursed—religious erasure of memory. Thrasea Paetus, who'd previously tolerated flattery with silence or minimal assent, walks out—creating danger for himself without inspiring others to resist. Multiple omens occur: a woman births a snake, another is killed by lightning during sex, the sun darkens, fourteen districts are struck by lightning. Yet Tacitus notes these proved meaningless—Nero continued ruling and committing crimes for years, suggesting divine indifference. To "prove" Agrippina's evil and his new mercy, Nero recalls those she'd exiled: noblewomen Junia and Calpurnia, ex-praetors Valerius Capito and Licinius Gabolus, allows Lollia Paulina's ashes proper burial, and pardons Iturius and Calvisius (whom he'd exiled). Silana, Agrippina's enemy, had already died returning from exile as Agrippina's power waned—convenient timing for the narrative.

Key Themes & Ideas

Competitive Sycophancy: Senators compete to outdo each other in flattering the matricide.
Religious Manipulation: Sacred festivals and curses used to legitimise murder.
Silent Resistance: Thrasea's walkout—protest without leadership or consequence.
Divine Indifference: Multiple omens occur but gods don't punish—heaven seems absent.
Retroactive Justification: Pardoning Agrippina's victims "proves" she was evil.
Memory Erasure: Birthday becomes cursed day—attempting to delete her from time itself.

Tacitean Technique

Ironic Juxtaposition: "Miro certamine" - rivalry in flattery rather than virtue.
Religious Perversion: Sacred spaces and times corrupted for political ends.
Catalogue of Omens: Traditional prodigies listed then dismissed as meaningless.
Temporal Perspective: "Multos post annos" - historian's hindsight reveals divine absence.
Name Lists: Specific victims named to document Agrippina's alleged crimes.
Alternative Explanations: "Vel mitigata" - was Agrippina declining or softening?

Historical Context

The Quinquatrus (March 19-23) was Minerva's festival—its perversion into celebrating matricide shows religious corruption. Placing statues in the Senate House made political statements—Minerva with Nero suggests wisdom approving murder. Declaring days "nefasti" (religiously unlucky) was serious—no public business could occur, effectively erasing the person from calendar. Thrasea Paetus was a Stoic senator who'd later be forced to suicide by Nero—his walkout begins his resistance. Roman prodigies (births of monsters, lightning strikes, eclipses) traditionally indicated divine anger requiring expiation. The fourteen regions were Rome's administrative districts—lightning striking all suggests comprehensive divine wrath. The recalled exiles were genuine historical figures—Lollia Paulina had been Caligula's wife, rival to Agrippina. Tarentum (modern Taranto) was a common exile location—far enough for punishment, close enough for recall.

Questions to Consider

What does the Senate's competitive flattery reveal about political culture under tyranny?
Why does Thrasea walk out without speaking—what does silent protest achieve?
How does Tacitus's dismissal of omens as "ineffectual" comment on divine justice?
What does recalling Agrippina's victims achieve for Nero's narrative?
How does making Agrippina's birthday cursed attempt to control memory and time?
Why include Silana's convenient death—what narrative purpose does it serve?