Tacitus - Annals 14.10: Aftermath and Cover-up

sed a Caesare perfecto demum scelere magnitudo eius intellecta est . reliquo noctis modo per silentium defixus , saepius pavore exsurgens et mentis inops lucem opperiebatur tamquam exitium adlaturam . atque eum auctore Burro prima centurionum tribunorum que adulatio ad spem firmavit , prensantium manum gratantium que quod discrimen improvisum et matris facinus evasisset . amici dehinc adire templa et coepto exemplo proxima Campaniae municipia victimis et legationibus laetitiam testari : ipse diversa simulatione maestus et quasi incolumitati suae infensus ac morti parentis inlacrimans . quia tamen non , ut hominum vultus , ita locorum facies mutantur , obversabatur que maris illius et litorum gravis aspectus ( et erant qui crederent sonitum tubae collibus circum editis planctus que tumulo matris audiri ), Neapolim concessit litteras que ad senatum misit quarum summa erat repertum cum ferro percussorem Agerinum , ex intimis Agrippinae libertis , et luisse eam poenas conscientia quasi scelus paravisset .
Section 14.10 Translation: Not until the crime was finally completed was its enormity realised by Nero. For the remainder of the night at times stupefied in silence, more often rising in fear and bereft of purpose, he waited for the daylight, as if it was going to bring his destruction. And then, at the instigation of Burrus, the flattery of the centurions and tribunes was the first thing to encourage him to hope, since they grasped his hand and gave thanks that he had escaped unforeseen danger and his mother's crime. Then his friends approached the temples, and when the example had been set, the nearest towns of Campania showed their joy with sacrifices and embassies: (Nero) himself with a different pretence was sorrowful, and as if angry at his own safety and weeping over the death of his mother. However, because the appearances of places are not changed, unlike men's features, and the grievous sight of that sea and shores presented itself to his eyes, (and there were some who believed that the sound of a trumpet was heard in the lofty hills around, together with groaning from his mother's grave), he withdrew to Neapolis and sent a letter to the Senate, the gist of which was that an assassin Agerinus, (one) of Agrippina's closest freedmen, had been discovered with a sword, and because of her guilt, she had paid the penalty, as if she had planned the crime.

Passage Analysis

What Happens

Only after completing matricide does Nero grasp its enormity. He spends the rest of the night alternating between stunned silence and terrified pacing, mentally broken, waiting for dawn as if it will bring his doom. Burrus orchestrates military flattery—centurions and tribunes grasp Nero's hand, congratulating him on "escaping" his mother's "plot." This begins the official lie. Friends visit temples giving thanks; nearby towns send sacrifices and embassies celebrating. Meanwhile, Nero performs opposite grief—weeping for his mother, acting angry at surviving. But the landscape won't change like human faces can—the sea and shore constantly remind him. Some claim to hear ghostly trumpets from the hills and groaning from Agrippina's grave. Unable to bear it, Nero flees to Naples and writes to the Senate, claiming Agerinus was caught with a sword as Agrippina's assassin, and she killed herself from guilt after her plot failed. The cover-up is complete: victim becomes criminal, murderer becomes intended victim.

Historical Context

Roman military culture required soldiers to congratulate commanders on surviving danger—Burrus exploits this tradition to create "evidence" of assassination attempt. Temple visits and sacrifices were standard responses to imperial deliverance from danger, creating public record of the false narrative. Campanian towns' participation shows how provincial communities were pressured to endorse official stories. The supernatural elements (trumpet sounds, groaning) reflect Roman belief in restless spirits of the murdered, especially those denied proper burial. Naples (Neapolis) was culturally Greek, perhaps psychologically "foreign" enough for Nero to escape Roman guilt. Senate letters were official communications that became historical record—Nero's version would become "truth." The detail about places not changing reflects ancient understanding of trauma—locations hold memories that faces can disguise. Military congratulations created witnesses who would swear Nero was the victim, binding them to the lie through participation.

Questions to Consider

  • Why does Nero only understand the crime's magnitude after completing it—what does this suggest about evil?
  • How does Burrus's orchestration of military flattery implicate the entire command structure?
  • What role does performance play in transforming crime into official truth?
  • Why can places not lie like faces—what does this say about memory and landscape?
  • Are the supernatural sounds real or psychological—and does it matter?
  • How does the Senate letter complete the transformation of victim into criminal?
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