Locusta

Locusta of Gaul (died 69 AD) was a Roman poisoner who is traditionally credited as one of the first serial killers in recorded history. Her career is recorded by ancient historians Tacitus, Suetonius and Cassius Dio.

Biography

Locusta, a Gaulish woman, is said by Tacitus to have already been a notorious poisoner by 54 AD, by which time she had been imprisoned on poisoning charges. In that year she was allegedly ordered by Empress Agrippina the Younger to supply a poison for the murder of her husband, Emperor Claudius, in order to pave the way for her son Nero to succeed him. Locusta asked Agrippina to procure her Atropa belladona (deadly nightshade) for use in the murder, then had the poison sprinkled on mushrooms which were served to the emperor by his food-taster. Accounts differ as to whether this dosage was enough to kill him or if a second dosage had to be administered by the emperor's doctor putting a poisoned feather down his throat, supposedly to induce vomiting, but whatever the truth Claudius died and was succeeded as emperor by Nero.

Locusta was still imprisoned by 55 AD when Nero and Agrippina called upon her to poison Claudius' son Britannicus, who was a threat to Nero's reign. Locusta was compelled to mix several poisons and test them on goats and slaves under Nero's supervision. When Locusta's poison failed to kill Britannicus, Nero flogged her and ordered her to concoct a more effective poison on pain of death. After several attempts, Locusta succeeded in producing a poison which killed the subject on which it was tested almost immediately. Britannicus was soon fatally poisoned at a dinner party and Locusta was rewarded by Nero with a full pardon and several large country estates. Suetonius alleges that Locusta was thereafter used by Nero as his chief poisoner who provided poison to dispose of a number of his enemies, and that Nero sent students to Locusta's villa to learn the art of poison-making from her. Historical accounts record that she regularly poisoned slaves, animals and condemned criminals to hone her craft and that of her students.

In 68 AD, Nero was deposed by a rebellion led by Gaius Julius Vindex. Before fleeing, he acquired poison from Locusta with which to commit suicide, although he would ultimately kill himself by other means. The next emperor, Galba, ordered a number of Nero's favourites condemned to death, including Locusta. Locusta, Helius, Patrobius and other favourites of Nero's were led through the streets of Rome in chains and then executed the year after Nero's death.