Agrippina (opera) struck a bargain with Claudius whereby he, Otho, gains the throne but gives Poppaea to Claudius. Agrippina advises Poppaea to turn the tables on Otho by telling the Emperor that Otho has ordered her to refuse Claudius's attentions. This, Agrippina believes, will make Claudius revoke his promise to Otho of the throne. Poppaea believes Agrippina. When Claudius arrives at Poppaea's house she denounces what she believes is Otho's treachery. Claudius departs in fury, while Agrippina cynically consoles Poppaea by declaring that their friendship will never be broken by deceit ("Non ho cor che per amarti"). Pallas and Narcissus realize that
Agrippina the Elder to Augustus, a significant factor in the marriages of the emperors and princes of the dynasty. The Annals repeatedly has Agrippina competing for influence with Tacitus simply because she is related to Augustus biologically. Tacitus presents Agrippina as being kindred to aristocratic males, and has her reversing gender roles, which showcases her assumption of male "auctoritas" ("authority") with metaphors of her dressing and undressing. In an example of Agrippina assuming "auctoritas", he says: Using the above epithet, ""(femina) ingens animi"" ("..[a woman], great for her courage"), he assigns a haughty attitude to Agrippina that compels her to explore the affairs