One of the most chilling scenes in Anthony Burgess’ The Kingdom of the Wicked is the murder of Britannicus (p. 350), mainly through its banality, as opposed to what one commentator has called “the theatricality of Tacitus.”
Britannicus was born Tiberius Claudius Germanicus in AD 41, the son of the emperor Claudius and his third wife Valeria Messalina. After the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43 he became Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus. After the death of the notorious Messalina, Claudius married his niece Agrippina the Younger (see also blog entry), the mother of the later emperor Nero. Claudius adopted the latter, probably not so much due to Agrippina’s intrigues but the fact that he needed a son who was closer to his majority.
After the death of Claudius and the ascension of Nero, the latter
considered Britannicus a threat and had him murdered. (see also
Wikipedia: Britannicus (handle with care, as usual).
Major ancient historians who report on Britannicus are Suetonius in his Nero; Tacitus in the Annals Books 11, 12, and 13; and Cassius Dio in Epitome of Book 61.
The first modern portrayal of Britannicus was the 17th century play Britannicus by Jean Racine. The work can also be found in combination with other Racine plays.
