The Sibling Rivalry That Wrecked an Empire, and Other Self-Destructive Royal Family Episodes

The Sibling Rivalry That Wrecked an Empire, and Other Self-Destructive Royal Family Episodes

Khalid Elhassan - January 5, 2020

The Sibling Rivalry That Wrecked an Empire, and Other Self-Destructive Royal Family Episodes
Nero’s mother, Agrippina the Younger. Wikimedia

3. Who Knew Murdering One’s Mother Could Be Such a Hassle?

Nero resorted to elaborate schemes to get rid of his mother, because he wanted to make her death look accidental. He had a roof specially constructed to collapse on top of his mother, but she survived. He then gifted her with pleasure barge that was specially designed to collapse. The barge collapsed in the middle of a lake while Nero watched from his villa, but to his astonishment, his mother made it out of the wreckage, swam like an otter, and made it to shore.

Horrified, and dreading the awkwardness of the inevitable confrontation, Nero finally threw in the towel on subtlety. Abandoning all pretense, he sent his henchmen to club his mother to death with oars.

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