Per verba, per gesta et per imagines. Agrippine l’Ancienne, un exemple de communication politique.

Communication has always been a fundamental element in fostering relationships and interactions within societies. In the Roman world, messages were conveyed through a variety of mediums and addressed to heterogeneous social groups. Ancient sources reveal the significant role of gestures, particularly when used by women in contexts traditionally inaccessible to them. Agrippina the Elder, a central figure in the dynastic politics of Augustus and Tiberius, navigated the constraints of the mos maiorum to influence public and military affairs. Through her gestural and emotional interventions, she demonstrated the capacity of women to shape collective sentiments and support dynastic legitimacy, thereby challenging traditional gendered boundaries in Roman public life.