She drew herself back up, blood on her face, locked eyes with Obaritus as he drew his sword, and tore away her dress to reveal her stomach. Then she spoke her last words, defiant and fighting and Nero’s mother to the last breath. Gesturing to her womb she demanded ‘strike here’. Obaritus obeyed and the other blades followed. Julia Agrippina Augusta died at the point of a centurion’s sword as dawn broke on 20 March 59CE. She was 43.
