Agrippina the Younger
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Julia Agrippina (Classical Latin: IVLIA•AGRIPPINA; from the year 50, called IVLIA•AVGVSTA•AGRIPPINA[1]), most commonly known as Agrippina Minor or Agrippina the Younger (November 6, 15 – March 59), was the daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina Major. She was sister of Caligula, great granddaughter of Augustus, great granddaughter of Mark Antony, great-granddaughter of Augustus's sister Octavia and therefore his great grandniece, a granddaughter of Julia the Elder and Marcus Agrippa, great-niece of Tiberius, niece and wife of Claudius, and the mother of Nero. This gave her a near mystical status and Tacitus tells that "Her exceptionally illustrious birth is indisputable."
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[edit] Life
Agrippina was born at Oppidum Ubiorum on the Rhine, afterwards named in her honour Colonia Agrippinae (modern Cologne, Germany). This occurred because early in her life she gave the areas around Oppidum Ubiorum to veterans from the army and gained great honour and recognition as she did not forget to give to those who had served Rome. With the support of the army Agrippina was beginning to gain political influence already.
[edit] First marriage
Agrippina's first marriage in 28 was to her second cousin and consul Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus. From this marriage she gave birth to Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, who would become Roman Emperor. Her husband died in January, 40.
[edit] Caligula's court
While still married to her first husband, Agrippina participated openly in her brother Caligula's decadent court, where, according to some sources, at his instigation she prostituted herself in the palace. While it was generally agreed that Agrippina, as well as her sisters, had ongoing sexual relationships with their brother Caligula, incest was an oft-used criminal accusation against the aristocracy, because it was impossible to refute successfully. As Agrippina and her sister became more problematic for their brother, Caligula sent them into exile for a time, where it is said she was forced to dive for sponges to make a living. In January, 41, Agrippina had a second marriage to the affluent Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus. He died between 44 and 47, leaving his estate to Agrippina.
[edit] Third marriage
As a widow, Agrippina was courted by the freedman Pallas as a possible marriage match to her own uncle, Emperor Claudius. She became his favourite councillor and was even granted the honor of being called Augusta (a title which no other queen had ever received). They were married on New Year's Day of 49, after the execution of Claudius's previous wife Messalina due to her part in a failed coup attempt. As his wife, she commanded Roman legions, and Celtic King Caractacus assumed that she, as well as Claudius, was the martial leader and bowed before her throne with the same 'homage and gratitude' as he accorded the emperor.
Through her removal of Lucius Junius Silanus Torquatus, Nero was betrothed to Claudius' daughter Octavia thereby linking him further with the Imperial family. She also knew that Nero would need the best tutors for his future role, so recalled the famous writer Seneca from exile as the young Nero's tutor. Agrippina then persuaded Claudius to adopt her son, thereby placing Nero in the line of succession to the Imperial throne over Claudius's own son, Britannicus. In conjunction with this, Agrippina made Nero come of age early making him yet more dominant over the now isolated Britannicus. Britannicus was successfully isolated by Agrippina through the prosecution of his supporters and his tutors, thereby removing any possible ascendancy over Nero. By this time - though Claudius was possibly coming to his senses over Agrippina's intrigues and beginning to favour Britannicus - Agrippina knew that she had to eliminate Claudius. A true Imperial politician, Agrippina did not reject murder as a way to win her battles. Many ancient sources credited her with poisoning Claudius in 54 with a plate of poison mushrooms, hence enabling Nero to quickly take the throne as emperor.
[edit] Death
As Agrippina grew tyrannic, Nero plotted to curb her. He made four attempts, including trying to drown her in a boat having a hole. But, to Nero's disgust and fury, she swam to shore and was rescued by locals. Finally, in 59, Nero sent his soldiers to beat her to death. She is said to have pointed to her abdomen and told her killers to harm her there, where Nero had been conceived.
[edit] See also
[edit] Portrayals in film/television
The character of Agrippina the Younger has been portrayed by various actresses in different movies and television miniseries over the years. To mention a few, there's Gloria Swanson in the 1956 movie Nero's Mistress, Barbara Young in the BBC TV series I, Claudius (in which she's called Agrippinilla), Ava Gardner in the 1985 epic miniseries A.D. Anno Domini, Frances Barber in the 2003 Masterpiece Theater production Boudica and Laura Morante in the 2004 TV miniseries Imperium: Nero.
[edit] References
[edit] Ancient
Note that most ancient Roman sources are quite critical of Agrippina the Younger, because she was seen as stepping outside the conservative Roman ideals regarding the roles of women.
- Tacitus: Critical view, considered her vicious and had a strong disposition against her due to her femininity and influential role in politics. Perhaps the most comprehensive of Ancient sources.
- Suetonius
- Dio Cassius
[edit] Modern
- E. Groag, A. Stein, L. Petersen - e.a. (edd.), Prosopographia Imperii Romani saeculi I, II et III, Berlin, 1933 - . (PIR2)
- Scullard: A critical view of Agrippina, suggesting she was ambitious and unscrupulous and a depraved sexual psychopath. "Agrippina struck down a series of victims; no man or woman was safe if she suspected rivalry or desired their wealth."
- Ferrero: Sympathetic and understanding, suggesting Agrippina has been judged harshly by history. Suggesting her marriage to Claudius was to a weak emperor who was, because of his hesitations and terrors, a threat to the imperial authority and government. She saw it her duty to compensate for the innumerable deficiencies of her strange husband through her own intelligence and strength of will.
- Barret: A reasonable view, comparing Scullard's criticisms to Ferrero's apologies. (See Barrett, Anthony A., Agrippina: Sex, Power and Politics in the Early Roman Empire, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1996.)
- Salmonson, Jessica Amanda. (1991) The Encyclopedia of Amazons. Paragon House. Pages 4-5.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- De Imperatoribus Romanis - Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors: Agrippina the Younger (http://www.roman-emperors.org/aggieii.htm)
- Tacitus' Agrippina on QueenDido.org
