Nero's Assassination of Britannicus: The Poisoned Prince

Nero: Mad Tyrant or Misunderstood Emperor? — Fexingo History · Jul 7, 2026 · 7m · transcript

In 55 AD, the teenage emperor Nero ordered the murder of his stepbrother Britannicus, the rightful heir to the throne. This episode dissects the poisoning at a private dinner party, the role of the notorious poisoner Locusta, and the political calculus behind eliminating a rival. Drawing on Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, we explore how Nero consolidated power by removing the last son of Claudius, and how this act set a brutal precedent for his reign. We also examine the symbolism of aconite, the dynamics of the Julio-Claudian court, and the lingering question: was Britannicus a genuine…