Episode Nine: Mother Knows Best (Part Two)

Myth Dynamite

In this Part Two, we’ll take you through Agrippina's most famous years: her time as matriarch of the Empire during the reign of her son – Nero. The culmination of her political intrigue turned out to be a great success....or did it? How successful is Nero at building a collapsing bed? Are all the rumours true about their “special relationship”? You know, the really important questions. Here’s where the myth comes in! Agrippina’s success as a powerful woman has become so mythologised and intertwined with the characterisation of the powerful woman in myth – poisoner, manipulative, other, incestuous, and many many more – that it’s impossible not to read her life as a myth of sorts now. One thing is undeniable, though, she did make it to the top against all odds and through some of the most uncertain times in the Roman Empire. Thank goodness it's so easy for a woman to hold a position of power today, am I right? We end this episode with a little look at the women we have in power today, and (quite rightfully) gushing over Jacinda Ardern.