A night of brilliant
starlight with the calm of a tranquil sea was granted by heaven, seemingly,
to convict the crime. The vessel had not gone far, Agrippina having with her
two of her intimate attendants, one of whom, Crepereius Gallus, stood near
the helm, while Acerronia, reclining at Agrippina's
ATTEMPT
TO DROWN AGRIPPINA FAILS |
feet as she reposed herself, spoke joyfully
of her son's repentance and of the recovery of the mother's influence, when
at a given signal the ceiling of the place, which was loaded with a quantity
of lead, fell in, and Crepereius was crushed and instantly killed. Agrippina
and Acerronia were protected by the projecting sides of the couch, which
happened to be too strong to yield under the weight. But this was not
followed by the breaking up of the vessel; for all were bewildered, and
those too, who were in the plot, were hindered by the unconscious majority.
The crew then thought it best to throw the vessel on one side and so sink
it, but they could not themselves promptly unite to face the emergency, and
others, by counteracting the attempt, gave an opportunity of a gentler fall
into the sea. Acerronia, however, thoughtlessly exclaiming that she was
Agrippina, and imploring help for the emperor's mother, was despatched with
poles and oars, and such naval implements as chance offered. Agrippina was
silent and was thus the less recognized; still, she received a wound in her
shoulder. She swam, then met with some small boats which conveyed her to the
Lucrine lake, and so entered her house.