Dan Okwiri
#PenningMyJournal ….many may not know but I spend inordinate time researching history, for anyway what is new? I would like to tell a story that reflects many lives, the story of Agropina.
My writing today drawn from history and you too may equally draw from this as well.
There’s nothing new, it’s a true life story of betrayal… Once upon a time, 2000 years ago in Rome lived a man called Claudius. He was extremely overweight, he limped, sickly and stuttered. Even his wife was so embarrassed she jeered and belittled him.
To get peace he spent inordinate time seeking solace swimming in mediocre academia as he wasn’t intelligent. Claudius was never destined to be anything in life.
A twist of fate would however make Claudius emperor. On assuming leadership he would in unimaginable way expand the Roman Empire in a way never done before, from Europe to North Africa. Claudius despite his harsh upbringing became a benevolent ruler and the economy of a Rome prospered. He did more than expand the empire, he allowed slaves to become full citizens of Rome. That was unthinkable and even let the downtrodden became Senators.
Despite his power, his life was fragile and had been plagued by disloyalty by those he often assumed friends & relatives. Claudius had his wife executed as she was disloyal. He sought a new wife and announced it publicly, all of the women of Rome sought to be his wife because of his new found power & wealth. Claudius made a strange choice in that he chose to marry his niece Agropina. This startled Rome.
She had steely resolve, conniving, of questionable character, masculine in nature and would dominate her husband. Agropina had a boy child from a previous marriage known as Nero. She also had a “close” relationship with another man known as a Seneca. After she lured Claudius into marriage, she would wickedly convince Claudius to turn back on his own children from his previous marriage who were the designated heirs and make his stepson Nero the heir designate to the throne.
Once the line of succession was clear Agropina’s next obstacle was her husband. She needed to eliminate him!
She used an eunuch (people then assumed eunuch to be harmless, often to their own peril) in the palace whose job was taste the emperor’s food and also incorporated his own (his very own) physician to poison him. After killing him, Nero her son succeeded the throne. “Dangerous crime brings ample rewards”, said his physician.
History is a recital of what has happened in people’s lives and has a way of repeating itself. There’s nothing new. Claudius never expected to be an Emperor. Gods plans are not known to us, so never give up. Claudius was doing so poorly that his own spouse looked down on him.
After he suddenly propped to power, Claudius worked hard to prosper Rome & himself but he made a fatal mistake of bringing in “Agropina”, though admittedly his first wife was always a thorn in his flesh. I must say here that history doesn’t give her version of the story?
In our own lives there’s always a “Agropina”. Your Agropina may not necessary be a wife but an alliance or pact that you entered into, even a male friend, relative, habit (yes for goodness sake a habit) or business associate you bring into your affairs (please think outside the box…often she is not even a woman).
Claudius thought by marrying his very own niece, his own blood Agropina that this marriage pact will work out and he would be safe and be happy. But did it materialize? He had made a marriage pact with his Brutus.
Nero who inherited the emperor mantle would prove to be one of the worst emperors in the history of Rome. He even forced his mother’s “friend” Seneca to commit suicide, and he also caused the death of his own mother who brought him to power. For Agropina ironically learnt in her tragic death caused by her own blood son “for all they take the sword shall perish with the sword” Mathew 26, 36:52.
Those who jostle for power or in business (or in our domestics) should watch out for the Agropinas. I see many lurking in our midst even in the political scene.
True intent most always be concealed, otherwise it will be thwarted. One of the greatest practical political professors in Kenya (even Jaramogi Odinga said of him, “he sees far like a giraffe”) who reigned for a quarter of a century hid his true political ambitions for over a decade playing kitten naivety as he was hounded as Claudius was, climbed to the highest pinnacle position in the land. If you brazenly show your boss you covet his job do you expect to last?
The greatest danger is within, never outside. Always be alert of what is within and never trust. This is what caused Claudius downfall.
Agropina also tragically getting killed by her very own son she brought to power by killing her husband. Again, a twist of fate. Nero would in his reign carry out mass terror and genocide of Christians and other citizens of Rome.
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