The Swim of Agrippina

Agrippina the Younger, Roman empress and mother to Nero, was rumored to have been lured out onto a collapsible boat. When the ship sank, she survived and swam to shore, only to be killed upon arrival.

I was inspired by Agrippina’s story not just for its drama, but for what it reveals about her strength and resilience. She was a woman surrounded by betrayal and brutality, yet she fought to the very end. Her survival, even if brief, was a final act of defiance in a world designed to silence her.

Above: The Shipwreck Of Agrippina, By Gustav Wertheimer
(c. 1847-1902)

Left: Agrippina the Younger, bust by an unknown artist; in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples