From this point on, the state was changed completely, and everything was subject to the control of a woman; however, this was a woman who was not motivated like Messalina; she did not play with the affairs of Rome like some toy for her personal pleasure. Rome was now enslaved by an almost masculine dominance. In public Agrippina showed a serious, often arrogant face; in private, there was no sign of immorality, unless it helped her in her search for power; she had an enormous desire for money which was excused with the reason that money was a means to power .
-Tacitus, Annals, Book 12, Chapter 7
“As I see it, the chief duty of the historian is this: to see that virtue is placed on record, and that evil men and evil deeds have cause to fear judgement at the bar of posterity.”
-Tacitus:
2021 HSC Examination Question 22.
What are the problems with using evidence for historians studying A? Support your response using evidence from the following source and other relevant sources. (10 Marks)
As a woman, Agrippina exists only when her actions impact the lives or actions of men in the political or military sphere because in the ancient world, as a woman, she exists only through her relationship to men...there are big chunks of her life ....where we have no idea what she was doing because she wasn't impacting politics or mens public lives. Emma Southon. Agrippina 2018.