Tacitus - Annals 14.8

Tacitus - Annals 14.8: The Murder of Agrippina

interim vulgato Agrippinae periculo , quasi casu evenisset , ut quisque acceperat , decurrere ad litus . hi molium obiectus , hi proximas scaphas scandere ; alii quantum corpus sinebat vadere in mare ; quidam manus protendere ; questibus , votis , clamore diversa rogitantium aut incerta respondentium omnis ora compleri ; adfluere ingens multitudo cum luminibus , atque ubi incolumem esse pernotuit , ut ad gratandum sese expedire , donec aspectu armati et minitantis agminis disiecti sunt . Anicetus villam statione circumdat refracta que ianua obvios servorum abripit , donec ad fores cubiculi veniret ; cui pauci adstabant , ceteris terrore inrumpentium exterritis . cubiculo modicum lumen inerat et ancillarum una , magis ac magis anxia Agrippina quod nemo a filio ac ne Agerinus quidem : aliam fore laetae rei faciem ; nunc solitudinem ac repentinos strepitus et extremi mali indicia . abeunte dehinc ancilla ' tu quoque me deseris ' prolocuta respicit Anicetum trierarcho Herculeio et Obarito centurione classiario comitatum : ac , si ad visendum venisset , refotam nuntiaret , sin facinus patraturus , nihil se de filio credere ; non imperatum parricidium . circumsistunt lectum percussores et prior trierarchus fusti caput eius adflixit . iam in mortem centurioni ferrum destringenti protendens uterum ' ventrem feri ' exclamavit multis que vulneribus confecta est .

Section 14.8 Translation: Meanwhile, when the danger to Agrippina became widely known, as if it had happened by chance, when each person had heard about it, they ran down to the shore. Some climbed onto the projecting moles, others the nearest boats; others waded into the sea as far as their body allowed; certain people stretched out their hands; the whole shore was filled with the complaints, prayers and the shouting of people repeatedly asking different things or giving uncertain replies; a huge crowd flocked to (the scene) with lights, and when it became generally known that she was safe, it prepared as if to give thanks, until they were scattered by the sight of an armed and threatening column of soldiers. Anicetus surrounded the villa with sentries, and having broken open the door, dragged aside those slaves who got in his way, until he reached the doors of the bedroom; few stood near it, the rest were scared stiff by dread of those bursting in. There was a moderate light and one of the maids in the bedroom, while Agrippina was more and more worried because no one (had come) from her son, not even Agerinus: (she said that) the appearance of a joyful event would be different; as it was, now there was solitude, sudden noises and signs of utmost calamity. Then, as the maid was leaving, (Agrippina), having declared 'Are you also deserting me?', looked around at Anicetus, accompanied by Herculeius, captain of a trireme, and the marine centurion Obaritus: and so, (she said that) if he had come to visit, he should take back the news that she had recovered, but if (he had come) to commit an outrage, she believed that there was no connection with her son; murder had not been ordered. The assassins surrounded the bed, and the trireme captain was the first to strike her head with a club. Then, as the centurion drew his sword for the death blow, Agrippina, stretching out her belly, shouted, 'Strike my womb' and was finished off with many wounds.

Passage Analysis

What Happens

News of Agrippina's "accident" spreads rapidly through Baiae. The public response is overwhelming—crowds rush to the shore, some climbing piers, others wading into the sea, stretching out hands in concern. The shore fills with prayers, questions, and confusion as people bring torches to search. When word spreads that she's alive, they prepare thanksgiving celebrations—showing genuine popular support. But Anicetus arrives with soldiers who brutally disperse the crowds and surround the villa. The door is smashed, slaves dragged aside. Inside, Agrippina waits with a single maid in dim light, increasingly anxious as no one comes from Nero—not even her messenger Agerinus returns. She understands: "A happy outcome would look different." When the maid tries to leave, Agrippina's plaintive "You too are deserting me?" captures her total abandonment. Anicetus enters with two officers. Agrippina makes one last attempt at dignity, saying if they've come to visit, report her recovery; if to commit crime, it's not from her son. They respond with violence: first a club to the head, then as the centurion draws his sword, Agrippina offers her belly, shouting "Strike my womb!"—the womb that bore Nero. She dies from multiple wounds.

Key Themes & Ideas

Popular Support: The crowds' genuine concern reveals Agrippina retained public sympathy despite palace politics.
State Violence: Armed soldiers dispersing mourners shows raw military power crushing civilian sentiment.
Progressive Isolation: From crowds to few slaves to one maid to complete solitude—abandonment accelerates.
Mother's Knowledge: Agrippina reads the signs perfectly—absence of messengers means death approaches.
Final Defiance: "Strike my womb" transforms murder into symbolic destruction of motherhood itself.
Brutal Efficiency: The mechanical progression from door to bedroom to death shows practiced assassination.

Tacitean Technique

Crowd Dynamics: "Hi...hi...alii" structure shows different simultaneous actions in the chaos.
Sensory Details: Torches, shouts, dim light create atmospheric immediacy.
Historic Present: Shifts to present tense for violence make murder immediate.
Direct Speech: Agrippina's actual words ("Tu quoque," "ventrem feri") give her voice at death.
Elliptical Narration: Leaving thoughts implied ("aliam fore laetae rei faciem") shows her reasoning.
Crescendo of Violence: From surrounding to breaking to dragging to striking to stabbing.

Historical Context

Baiae was a densely populated resort where news travelled fast—the rapid crowd gathering reflects the town's compact nature and Agrippina's prominence. The moles were stone piers extending into the bay, while scaphae were small boats used for local transport. Bringing torches (lumina) was practical for night searching but also suggests ritual mourning. The military's brutal crowd dispersal was typical Roman crowd control—no hesitation in using force against civilians. Agrippina's bedroom security (few guards remaining) shows how quickly loyalty evaporates when power shifts. The dim light detail matters—Roman lamps gave limited illumination, making the scene more frightening. Her final words about the womb connect to ancient beliefs about maternal curses—she's invoking the very source of Nero's existence. The multiple wounds were standard Roman military practice to ensure death and share responsibility—no single killer bears full guilt.

Questions to Consider

What does the public's spontaneous support for Agrippina reveal about her position versus Nero's?
How does the progression from crowded shore to isolated bedroom reflect political abandonment?
Why does Tacitus give Agrippina direct speech at her death when he usually uses indirect?
What is the significance of her commanding them to strike her womb specifically?
How does the contrast between popular grief and state violence comment on imperial power?
What does Agrippina's final attempt to protect Nero's reputation ("nihil de filio credere") reveal about her?