Tacitus - Annals 14.7

Tacitus - Annals 14.7: Nero's Panic and Final Plot

at Neroni nuntios patrati facinoris opperienti adfertur evasisse ictu levi sauciam et hactenus adito discrimine ne auctor dubitaretur . tum pavore exanimis et iam iam que adfore obtestans vindictae properam , sive servitia armaret vel militem accenderet , sive ad senatum et populum pervaderet , naufragium et vulnus et interfectos amicos obiciendo : quod contra subsidium sibi ? nisi quid Burrus et Seneca ; quos expergens statim acciverat , incertum an et ante gnaros . igitur longum utriusque silentium , ne inriti dissuaderent , an eo descensum credebant ut , nisi praeveniretur Agrippina , pereundum Neroni esset . post Seneca hactenus promptius ut respiceret Burrum ac sciscitaretur an militi imperanda caedes esset . ille praetorianos toti Caesarum domui obstrictos memores que Germanici nihil adversus progeniem eius atrox ausuros respondit : perpetraret Anicetus promissa . qui nihil cunctatus poscit summam sceleris . ad eam vocem Nero illo sibi die dari imperium auctorem que tanti muneris libertum profitetur : iret propere duceret que promptissimos ad iussa . ipse audito venisse missu Agrippinae nuntium Agerinum , scaenam ultro criminis parat gladium que , dum mandata perfert , abicit inter pedes eius , tum quasi deprehenso vincla inici iubet , ut exitium principis molitam matrem et pudore deprehensi sceleris sponte mortem sumpsisse confingeret .

Section 14.7 Translation: Meanwhile, it was reported to Nero, who was waiting for news of the accomplishment of the crime, that Agrippina had escaped, though wounded by a light blow and having encountered danger to such an extent, that the instigator was undoubted. Then, petrified with fear and protesting that she would be there at any moment now, eager for revenge, whether she was arming slaves or inflaming the soldiery or making her way to the Senate and the people, charging him with the shipwreck, the wound and her slaughtered friends: what help did he have against (her)? Apart from anything Burrus and Seneca (might be able to do); waking them up, he had summoned them immediately, though it was uncertain whether they were aware (of the situation) previously. And so, both were silent for a long time, lest they might try to dissuade him without effect, or they believed that the situation had deteriorated to the point where Nero would have to die unless Agrippina was forestalled. Next Seneca (acted) more readily up to this extent that he looked back at Burrus and enquired whether the soldiery should be ordered to murder her. He replied that the praetorians were bound (by oath) to the whole house of the Caesars, and, remembering Germanicus, would not dare (to do) anything violent against his offspring: Anicetus should fulfil his promises. He, without any delay, demanded complete control of the crime. At that utterance, Nero acknowledged that supreme power was being given to himself on that day and that a freedman was the instigator of such a great gift. He should go quickly and take those who were most ready (to do) his orders. He himself, when he heard that Agerinus had come as a messenger sent by Agrippina, of his own accord prepared a 'crime scene' and threw a sword between his feet, while (Agerinus) was carrying out his instructions, then ordered chains to be cast upon him, as if he had been caught red-handed, so that he might pretend that his mother had attempted the destruction of the emperor and had chosen death voluntarily in her shame that the crime had been detected.

Passage Analysis

What Happens

Nero receives the catastrophic news: Agrippina lives, wounded but alive, and certainly knows who tried to kill her. Panic overwhelms him—he imagines her arming slaves, rousing the army, appealing to Senate and people with evidence of the shipwreck, her wound, and dead friends. In desperation, he wakes Burrus and Seneca (Tacitus carefully notes uncertainty about their prior knowledge). Their long silence speaks volumes—whether from futility of dissuasion or recognition that it's kill or be killed. Seneca breaks silence, asking Burrus if the Praetorian Guard will execute Agrippina. Burrus refuses: the Guard are loyal to all Caesars and remember Germanicus too fondly to kill his daughter. Anicetus eagerly volunteers to finish the job. Nero's relief is palpable—he declares this the day he truly receives empire, grotesquely crediting a freedman. When Agerinus arrives with Agrippina's message, Nero stages a false assassination attempt: dropping a sword at the messenger's feet, having him arrested as if caught attempting regicide. The fabricated story: Agrippina sent an assassin, then killed herself in shame when the plot failed.

Key Themes & Ideas

Panic as Revelation: Nero's terror reveals his guilt—innocent sons don't panic when mothers survive accidents.
Imagination of Revenge: His fevered mind conjures multiple scenarios of Agrippina's retaliation—each more terrifying.
Complicit Silence: Burrus and Seneca's long silence suggests they understand the situation perfectly.
Institutional Loyalty: The Praetorian Guard's loyalty to dynastic memory (Germanicus) trumps current emperor's orders.
Freedman as Saviour: A former slave becomes the emperor's deliverer—social inversion at its most extreme.
Staged Justice: The false assassination scene shows how power manufactures its own truth.

Tacitean Technique

Reported Speech: "Adfertur" (it is reported) maintains narrative distance while building tension.
Tricolon of Terror: Three scenarios of revenge (slaves/soldiers/Senate) show comprehensive panic.
Historic Present: "Parat" and other presents make the false staging immediate and vivid.
Deliberate Ambiguity: "Incertum an et ante gnaros" refuses to clarify advisers' prior knowledge.
Theatrical Metaphor: "Scaenam criminis" explicitly identifies the staged nature of false evidence.
Ironic Elevation: Nero's declaration about receiving empire from a freedman inverts all Roman values.

Historical Context

The Praetorian Guard's loyalty to Germanicus reflects historical reality—he was beloved by the military, and his children (including Agrippina) inherited that devotion. The Guard's oath was to the imperial family collectively, not just the current emperor. Burrus, as Praetorian Prefect, knew his men wouldn't obey an order to kill Germanicus's daughter. The staging of false evidence was a Roman political tradition—planted weapons "proved" assassination attempts. The speed of events suggests everything happened within hours—Roman communications and travel times made rapid response essential. Freedmen like Anicetus often did emperors' dirty work, being both dependent on imperial favour and expendable if caught. The reference to Senate and people reflects the dual sources of legitimate power in Roman ideology, though by Nero's time both were largely ceremonial.

Questions to Consider

What does Nero's panic reveal about his understanding of his mother's capabilities and resources?
How does the advisers' silence function as a form of communication—what are they not saying?
Why does Tacitus maintain ambiguity about whether Burrus and Seneca knew of the plot beforehand?
What does the Praetorian Guard's loyalty to Germanicus's memory say about legitimacy versus power?
How does Nero's gratitude to a freedman represent the ultimate perversion of Roman social hierarchy?
What does the staged "assassination attempt" reveal about how autocratic power creates its own reality?