Britannicus

Father's marriage to Messalina

Britannicus received his education from Sosibius, a man who was both a close ally of Publius Suillius Rufus and a friend to Britannicus’s mother. His schooling was shared with Titus Vespasianus, who would later become emperor; the two boys studied the same subjects under the same instructors. In the year 47, Sosibius acted on a scheme devised by Britannicus’s mother. He warned Claudius that Decimus Valerius Asiaticus, already suspected of involvement in Caligula’s murder, had grown too popular and was planning to turn the legions in Germania against the throne.

Asiaticus was quickly arrested and brought to Rome in chains, and Suillius then prosecuted other equestrians in the Senate. Cassius Dio records that Asiaticus was executed as a favor to Messalina, who wanted his Gardens of Lucullus. Later, the Senate awarded Sosibius one million sesterces for his teaching of Britannicus and his advice to Claudius in the Asiaticus affair. Britannicus appeared at Rome’s 800th anniversary celebrations in AD 48, the sixth Ludi Saeculares.

Claudius watched the young nobles, including Britannicus and Lucius Domitius, perform the Battle of Troy in the circus. Tacitus notes that Domitius received a warmer reception than Britannicus. These games marked the public debut of Agrippina and Domitius. Messalina, meanwhile, was so absorbed in a reckless affair that she did not plot against Agrippina.

Father's marriage to Agrippina

After Messalina and Silius were brought down, Agrippina the Younger was able to marry Claudius as his fourth wife. Though Claudius initially said he did not want to wed again, he changed his mind quickly. He believed that marrying his niece would link his family more closely to Augustus, since Agrippina and her son Domitius were the last living descendants of Germanicus. In 49, despite Roman law forbidding an uncle-niece marriage as incest, Claudius went ahead.

Agrippina, being Germanicus’ daughter and a descendant of Augustus, was well liked by both the army and the public. Her strong lineage and political ties made her a desirable match. That same year, during Mammius Pollio’s term as consul-elect, Domitius was engaged to Octavia, Britannicus’ sister, making him Britannicus’ social equal. According to Tacitus, this move was backed by people who feared Britannicus might later take revenge on those who had wronged his mother.

At the urging of the freedman Pallas, Claudius was persuaded to adopt Domitius, following the examples of Augustus adopting Gaius and Lucius Caesar, and Tiberius adopting Germanicus, even though Claudius already had a biological son. In February 50, a law was passed adopting Domitius into the Claudian family and renaming him Nero Claudius Caesar. Nero and Britannicus then became joint heirs, and Agrippina received the title Augusta. In 51, Nero, though not yet 14, assumed the toga virilis.

The Senate also decreed that he would hold the consulship in his twentieth year, in 56, and that as consul-elect he would have proconsular authority outside Rome and the title princeps iuventutis. Nero’s advancement mirrored that of Gaius and Lucius Caesar. To mark the occasion, a donative was given to the soldiers and gifts to the people, and Nero’s elevated status appears on coins of the period.

Death of Claudius

Suetonius reports that Claudius wished Rome to have a 'real Caesar', and Britannicus enjoyed support from Claudius' loyal and influential freedman Narcissus. Possible signs of support for Britannicus appear on coins from Moesia and North Africa that placed his head and title on the obverse side. Claudius became aware of his wife's actions and began preparing for the end of her power; he wished to bestow upon Britannicus the toga and declare him his heir.

According to Suetonius, when Claudius mentioned his intention to give Britannicus the toga of manhood, he said, 'That the Roman people may at last have a genuine Caesar.' In late 54, Britannicus was within six months of reaching manhood and had matured early. Suetonius reports that Claudius began to mention divorcing Agrippina and dismissing Nero, and admonished his son to grow up quickly, implying that everything would be righted when he assumed the toga virilis.

On 13 October 54, Claudius died by natural causes or poison. In the accounts of his death by poison, Agrippina, aware of Claudius' intentions, had the poisoner Locusta infuse mushrooms with poison that were fed to the emperor. Narcissus was away in Campania when the emperor was poisoned, and Britannicus and his sisters were kept out of sight by Agrippina, so none could challenge Nero's succession. Nero spoke the eulogy at the funeral and took sole power; Claudius' new will, which either granted joint rule to Britannicus and Nero or sole rule to Britannicus, was suppressed.

Did You Know?

• Britannicus' name at birth was Tiberius Claudius Germanicus; the agnomen Germanicus was first awarded to his paternal grandfather Drusus the Elder after his death in 9 BC.
• Britannicus was cremated and his ashes placed with those of his father in the Mausoleum of Augustus.
• Nero held Britannicus' funeral the next day in the rain and gave no eulogy, saying it was 'a tradition in the case of untimely deaths not to oppress the public with eulogies and processions.'