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| Statues to the Stairs and Dispute in the Doorway |
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| Although Sejanus' role in the trial of Piso is not well documented, Pulman does use him advising Tiberius as a vehicle for explication. In Graves, an unknown source informs Tiberius of the situation. Graves otherwise follows Tacitus, who mentions the ugly crowd reacting outside while the trial is taking place in the Senate House. Tiberius, once informed, actually had the statues rescued and replaced. To Piso the emperor assigned a praetorian tribune as bodyguard or, as Tacitus posits, executioner. Suetonius is the source for the rant o' Agrippina and Tiberius' pithy retort, revealing both his quick wit and knowledge of Greek poetry. Tacitus also quotes the "If you are not Queen" bit, but places it 4 years later in AD26 when Agrippina is pleading to save a friend. Graves, unable to choose between his sources, has Tiberius quote it twice. Sejanus' use of Agrippina to manipulate Tiberius is well documented throughout Book IV of Tacitus' Annales. |
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