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Abstract
This thesis investigates the hypothesis that the praetexta Octavia may have been a direct source of information and/or a dramatic influence upon Tacitus Annales 14, 60-64. Both texts treat Neros banishment and execution of his young wife and stepsister Claudia Octavia. By analyzing the plot elements and the dramatic and narrative techniques of these two works, this thesis explores points of comparison and contrast which provides plausible evidence that Octavia was known to Tacitus and was one of his many sources for the Annales.