1)_Describe_the_Changing_Relationship_Between_Agrippina_the_Younger_and_Nero

1) Describe the changing relationship between Agrippina the Younger and Nero In the first months of Nero’s reign Agrippina Nero’s mother controlled most of her son’s life and the empire. Agrippina lost control over Nero when he began to have an affair with the freedwoman Claudia Acte, which Agrippina strongly disapproved of her. Agrippina began to support Britannicus in her attempt to make her son emperor of Rome. Britannicus was secretly poisoned on Nero’s orders during a banquet in February 55. This led a change in their relationship. In 55 Agrippina was forced out of the palace by her son to live in imperial residence. Nero took away all of his mothers honours, powers and her Roman and German bodyguards. Nero even threatened his mother numerous of times that he would abdicate the throne and would go to live on the Greek Island called Rhodes. Pallas also was dismissed from the court. Towards 57, Agrippina then moved into riverside estate in Misenum. Nero had sent people to annoy her. As Agrippina lived in Misenum, she was still very popular and powerful. Agrippina and Nero would only visually see each other only on short visits. Suddenly Agrippina was murdered her death is yet uncertain due to historical contradictions. All surviving stories of Agrippina's death contradict each other. In Tacitus opinion Agrippina’s son Nero became involved with a noble woman named Poppaea Sabina were Nero’s mother was standing in her way. As Tacitus says that Nero was considering to poison or to stab his mother. As Nero thought it would be too obvious and suspicious. So he thought of a plan to make it look as if it was an accident as he built a self sinking boat. As the boat sunk Agrippina was still alive as she used a part of the boat to float her up towards the shores. As three assassins were hired to stab Agrippina as she was brutally murdered. According to Suetonius Nero was annoyed at his mother being too watchful and tried three times to poison Agrippina, but she took the antidotes in time and survived each time. As Nero failed the poisoning attempts. Nero also tried to crush his mother with a mechanical ceiling over her bedroom. Witch failed as he thought of another plan to build a collapsible boat which would either have its cabin fall in or become shipwrecked. Nero then ordered captains of a different boat to ram into the boat Agrippina was aboard on. Nero heard the news that his mother survived the wreck as he ordered for his mother to be executed and framed it as suicide. Another tale of Cassius is also somewhat different to the other theories of Agrippina’s death. It starts out with Poppaea as the main motive of the murder. Nero designed a ship that would open at the bottom while at sea and drown Agrippina. Agrippina was put aboard and after the bottom of the ship opened up, she fell into the water .Agrippina eventually swam to shore so Nero sent an assassin to kill his mother. Nero then claimed Agrippina plotted to kill him and commit suicide. Her last words uttered as the assassin was about to strike. As she said ‘smite my womb’ as the assassin killed Nero’s mother with a sharp blade. After Agrippina's death, Nero her son viewed her corpse and commented how beautiful she was. Her body was cremated that night on a dining couch; during the funeral, When the news spread that Agrippina had died, the Roman army, senate and various people sent him letters of congratulations that he had murdered his mother. As he felt so guilty he would have nightmares about his mother. He even saw his mother’s ghost and got Persian magicians to scare her away. Years before she died, Agrippina had visited. In my opinion all the sources have similar connections as Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius all believe that Nero built a ship that would collapse and become ship wreck as Agrippina survived the wreck an assassin was hired to kill Nero’s mother as he wanted his own power and ability to be able to choose as he wishes for himself and his empire. As the poisoning attempts did not work on Nero’s mother as she was then killed by an assassin who was hired to stab Agrippina to death. 2) With reference to sources, assess the achievements of Agrippina the Younger. Agrippina could not attain the emperorship herself. Her only way for her to gain the position was to marry the Emperor or to help her son, Nero to gain Principate. As Agrippina eventually married C Sallustius Passienus Crispus who was enormously wealthy and when he died sometime around 47AD he left his wealth to Agrippina and Nero. During the time of Claudius’s marriage Agrippina had to behave cautiously. As Claudius’s wife Messalina recognised that Agrippina and Nero, the only surviving descendants of Germicus, were very popular and posed a great deal of threat to her son Britannicus. However Messalina was executed in 48AD as her husband Emperor Claudius became a widower. Agrippina saw a chance to gain power and step in as a wife to the Emperor. As Agrippina all her life has seen her Father, Mother, brothers and sisters all die in suspicious circumstances. Agrippina desired to gain power and security as she seen all her family die. As time grew she was known as ambitious and ruthless. As she kept on moving gaining power and wealth throughout her life. As Agrippina achieved the goal of becoming the Emperors wife she new that she must set a position for her son Nero. As Agrippina used many methods to give Nero power as she used the following methods. *Nero was engaged to octavia, daughter of clavidus in 49AD. *Claudius adopted Nero the following year as he would became a son to Emperor Claudius *Nero was featured with Britannicus on coins from the Eastern and Danubian province. *Financial donations were made to the troops and the public, and games were held for the people in Nero’s name. Agrippina also worked to gain more personal power as she did the following tactics *She was given her own Praetorian bodyguard *She was awarded the title Augusta in 50AD Nobel women in Ancient Rome were citizens, but could not run for political office or vote. Most women have not ever achieved as much as Agrippina has done through her life time. Giving herself power and wealth beyond many women or men in Rome. Agrippina would use a tactic as she would promote the Pictorian guards that were not loyal to her and replace them with her own guards that were loyal to Agrippina and Nero and would never try to kill her or her son. Agrippina was a very smart and intelligent woman as she used her sex appeal to gain were she got to for herself and her sons position by using sex as a key weapon. The statues that have been studied at these times show that Agrippina does not look beautiful as she would be to be able to get and deduce many men. She may have known how to seduce men with words virtually. A few years after Claudius was killed as many historians both ancient and modern claim that Agrippina murdered Claudius by poisoning him. Suetonius opinion on how Claudius was poisoned but when and by whom is disputed. Suetonius believes his official taster administrated the drug while he was dinning with the priests of Jupiter. Were a dish of mushrooms were poisoned. In Tactius opinion Agrippina had an opportunity to gain all power and wealth and security if her husband would be killed. Tactius believes that a mushroom was poisoned to kill Claudius. As her son would step into Claudius’s place. After examining the sources there was no hard evidence that Agrippina killed Claudius. As all sources do say that Claudius was killed by the poisoned mushrooms. As they point their fingers towards Agrippina as she was the one who poisoned the mushrooms as she wanted power and wealth for herself and her son Nero as the emperor was the last barricade until she received full power in Rome. Agrippina wanted for herself and her son Nero to be safe and have power and wealth as she seen the rest of her family being killed unsuspicious deaths as she wanted to change the outcome. As Suetonius, Tactius and other historians believe the reason of Claudius death. Bibliography The information I have used is from many different texts *Ancient History work book was used *Agrippina work sheets were used Also the following websites were used to gain information * http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/846_Agrippina_the_Younger.html * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrippina_the_Younger * http://www.google.com.au/search'q=Agrippina&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&hs=U&sa=G&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=c_MkS9ZBju7sA82Ykf4I&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CCwQ5wIwCg