Daniel Wright

Besides, he [Nero] loved Poppaea more every day. While Agrippina lived, Poppaea saw no hope of his divorcing Octavia and marrying her. So she nagged and mocked him constantly. He was under his guardian's thumb, she said - master neither of the empire nor of himself. 'Otherwise,' she said, 'why these postponements of our marriage? I suppose my looks and victorious ancestors are not good enough. Or do you distrust my capacity to bear children? Or the sincerity of my love? No! I think you are afraid that, if we were married, I might tell you frankly how the senate is downtrodden and the public enraged by your mother's arrogance and greed. If Agrippina can only tolerate daughters-in-law who hate her son, let me be Otho's wife again! I will go anywhere in the world where I need only hear of the emperor's humiliations rather than see them - and see you in danger, like myself!'

Besides, he loved Poppaea more very day, who, seeing no hope, while Agrippina lived, of his divorcing Octavia and marrying her, nagged and mocked him constantly that he was under his guardian's thumb, saying he was master neither of the empire nor of himself, otherwise why these postponements of their marriage, or were her looks and victorious ancestors not good enough, or did he distrust her capacity to bear children, or the sincerity of her love, that, no, she thought he was afraid that, if they were married, she might tell him frankly how the senate was downtrodden and the public enraged by his mother's arrogance and greed, that if Agrippina could only tolerate daughters-in-law who hated her son, let her be Otho's wife again, and she would go anywhere in the world where she need only hear of the emperor's humiliations rather than see them - and him in danger like herself.