How Empress Agrippina the Younger Scandalized Rome By N.S. Gill's Ancient/Classical History Glossary Roman Empress Julia Agrippina, also known as Agrippina the Younger, lived from A.D. 15 to 59. The daughter of Germanicus Caesar and Vipsania Agrippina, Julia Agrippina was the sister of the Emperor Caligula, or Gaius. Her influential family members made Agrippina the Younger a force to be reckoned with, but her life was plagued by controversy and she would die in a scandalous manner as well. Marriage Woes In A.D. 28, Agrippina married Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus. He died in A.D. 40, but before his death Agrippina bore him a son, the now notorious Emperor Nero. After a short time as a widow, she married her second husband, Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus, in A.D. 41, only to be accused of fatally poisoning him eight years later. That same year, A.D. 49, Julia Agrippina married her uncle, the Emperor Claudius.

The union may not have been the first time Agrippina was involved in an incestuous relationship. She is also rumored to have had sexual relations with Caligula when he served as emperor. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge Historical sources on Agrippina the Younger include Tacitus, Suetonius, and Dio Cassius. Historians indicated that Agrippina and Caligula might have been lovers as well as enemies, with Caligula exiling his sister from Rome for allegedly conspiring against him. She wasn’t banished forever but returned to Rome two years later. Thirst for Power It’s unlikely that Julia Agrippina, described as power hungry, married Claudius for love. A year after they wed, she persuaded Claudius to adopt her son, Nero, as his heir. He agreed, but that proved to be a fatal move. Early historians argued that Agrippina poisoned Claudius. She certainly profited after his death, as it led to Nero, then roughly 16 or 17 years old, assuming power, with Julia Agrippina as regent and Augusta, an honorary title given to women in imperial families to highlight their status and influence.

Unexpected Turn of Events Under Nero’s reign, Agrippina did not end up exerting more influence over the Roman Empire. Instead, her power waned. Because of her son’s young age, Agrippina tried to rule on his behalf, but events did not turned out as she’d planned. Nero eventually exiled Agrippina. He is said to have considered his mother overbearing and wanted to distance himself from her. Their relationship grew especially strained when she objected to his romance with his friend’s wife, Poppaea Sabina, according to the editors of Encyclopaedia Brittanica. His mother also challenged his right to rule, arguing that her stepson Brittanicus was the real heir to the throne, the History Channel notes. Brittanicus later died in mysterious circumstances likely orchestrated by Nero. The young emperor also plotted to kill his mother by arranging for her to board a boat designed to sink, but that ploy failed when Agrippina swam safely back to shore. Still determined to commit matricide, Nero later ordered his mother be assassinated in her home. All in all, a scandalous woman met a scandalous end. Nero would rule Rome until his suicide in A.D. 68.

Debauchery and religious persecution characterized his reign. Links to Websites Cited: Go to Other Ancient / Classical History Glossary pages beginning with the letter BBC - History - Historic Figures: Nero (37 AD - 68 AD) Historic Figures z Bust of Nero © Nero was the fifth Roman emperor and the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He is remembered as an ineffectual, neglectful and brutal leader. Nero was born near Rome on 15 December 37 AD and was known as a child as Domitius. Through his mother Agrippina he was the only surviving direct male descendant of the emperor Augustus. In 49 AD, Agrippina married her uncle, the emperor Claudius, and began to promote her own son's claim to the succession, at the expense of Claudius's own son, Britannicus. She persuaded Claudius to adopt Domitius - who now took the name Nero - as his son and when it seemed as if Britannicus would be favoured, she had Claudius poisoned and Nero became emperor. Agrippina clearly wished to rule through Nero, and her portrait briefly appeared on the coins alongside his.

But the new emperor paid more heed to his advisors Burrus and the philosopher Seneca, and the result was five years of exemplary government. Britannicus was poisoned by Nero a year into the new reign and in 59 AD, he had his mother put to death. In 62 AD, Burrus died and Seneca retired, removing the key restraining influences on Nero. He divorced his wife Octavia, who was later executed, and married his mistress Poppaea. Two years later, much of Rome was destroyed in a fire, for which Nero was blamed, although this is now regarded as unlikely. Nero diverted blame from himself by accusing the Christians - then a minor religious sect - of starting the fire, leading to a campaign of persecution. He provided help for Romans made homeless by the fire and set about the necessary rebuilding of the city, appropriating a large area for a new palace for himself. This was the architecturally and artistically innovative 'Golden House' (Domus Aurea). Meanwhile, the Roman empire was in turmoil. Nero established Armenia as a buffer state against Parthia (Iran), but only after a costly war.

There were revolts - in Britain (60 AD - 61 AD), led by Boudicca, and Judea (66 AD - 70 AD). In 65 AD, Gaius Calpurnius Piso led a conspiracy against the emperor and in the purge that followed, a number of prominent Romans were executed, including Seneca and his nephew, the epic poet Lucan. In 65 AD, Nero is believed to have kicked his wife Poppaea to death. His next wife was Statilia Messalina, whose first husband Nero had executed. In 68 AD, the Gallic and Spanish legions, along with the Praetorian Guards, rose against Nero and he fled Rome. The senate declared him a public enemy and he committed suicide on 9 June 68 AD. Disputes over his succession led to civil war in Rome. Nero - Emperor, Theater Actor, Poet - Biography.com Famous People Born in Antium Synopsis Nero was born in 37 A.D., the nephew of the emperor. After his father’s death, his mother married his great uncle, Claudius, and persuaded him to name Nero his successor.

Nero took the throne at 17, rebuffed his mother’s attempts to control him, and had her killed. He spent lavishly and behaved inappropriately. He began executing opponents and Christians. In 68, he committed suicide when the empire revolted. Early Life and Ascent to the Throne Nero was born as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina, who was the great-granddaughter of the emperor Augustus. He was educated in the classical tradition by the philosopher Seneca and studied Greek, philosophy and rhetoric. After Ahenobarbus died in 48 A.D., Agrippina married her uncle, the emperor Claudius. She persuaded him to name Nero as his successor rather than his own son, Britannicus, and to offer his daughter, Octavia, as Nero’s wife, which he did in 50 A.D. Claudius died in 54 A.D., and it is widely suspected that Agrippina had him poisoned. Nero presented himself to the Senate to deliver a eulogy in Claudius’s honor and was named Emperor of Rome.

He took the name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, and ascended to the throne at the age of 17. Agrippina’s Influence Agrippina was domineering and attempted to influence her son’s rule. She was angered by the more moderate advice of Nero’s advisors, his former tutor Seneca and the commander of the Praetorian Guard, Burrus. Agrippina also tried to assert her authority in Nero’s private life. When Nero began an affair with Claudia Acte, a former slave, and threatened to divorce Octavia, Agrippina advocated for Octavia and demanded that her son dismiss Acte. Although he and Octavia remained married, Nero began living openly with Acte as his wife in spite of his mother’s protests. After Nero spurned his mother’s influence in both public and private affairs, she was infuriated. She began championing Britannicus, then still a minor, as emperor. However, Britannicus died suddenly in 55, the day before he was to be proclaimed an adult. It is widely assumed that Nero poisoned Britannicus, although Nero claimed that he died from a seizure.

Even after Britannicus had died, Agrippina tried to agitate the public against Nero, and Nero banished her from the family palace. By 58, Nero had dismissed Acte and fallen for Poppaea Sabina, a noblewoman who was married to a member of the Roman aristocracy. He wanted to marry her, but public opinion did not look favorably upon a divorce from Octavia and his mother staunchly opposed it. Fed up with his mother’s interference and no longer content with her removal from the palace, Nero took matters into his own hands. Agrippina was murdered in 59 at Nero’s command. Nero’s Reign Until the year 59, Nero was described as a generous and reasonable leader. He eliminated capital punishment, lowered taxes and allowed slaves to bring complaints against their masters. He supported the arts and athletics above gladiator entertainment and gave aid to other cities in crisis. Although he was known for his nighttime frolicking, his actions were good-natured, if irresponsible and self-indulgent. But after Agrippina’s murder, Nero descended into a hedonic lifestyle that was marked not just by lavish self-indulgence but also tyranny.

He spent exorbitant amounts of money on artistic pursuits and around 59 A.D., began to give public performances as a poet and lyre player, a significant breach of etiquette for a member of the ruling class. When Burrus died and Seneca retired in the year 62, Nero divorced Octavia and had her killed, then married Poppaea. Around this time accusations of treason against Nero and the Senate began to surface, and Nero began to react harshly to any form of perceived disloyalty or criticism. One army commander was executed for badmouthing him at a party; another politician was exiled for writing a book that made negative remarks about the Senate. Other rivals were executed in the ensuing years, allowing Nero to reduce opposition and consolidate his power. The Great Fire By 64, the scandalous nature of Nero’s artistic antics may have begun to cause controversy, but the public’s attention was diverted by the Great Fire. The blaze began in stores at the southeastern end of the Circus Maximus and ravaged Rome for 10 days, decimating 75 percent of the city.

Although accidental fires were common at the time, many Romans believed Nero started the fire to make room for his planned villa, the Domus Aurea. Whether or not Nero started the fire, he determined that a guilty party must be found, and he pointed the finger at the Christians, still a new and underground religion. With this accusation, persecution and torture of the Christians began in Rome. Political Demise and Death After the Great Fire, Nero resumed plans for the Domus Aurea. In order to finance this project, Nero needed money and set about to get it however he pleased. He sold positions in public office to the highest bidder, increased taxes and took money from the temples. He devalued currency and reinstituted policies to confiscate property in cases of suspected treason. These new policies resulted in the Pisonian conspiracy, a plot formed in 65 by Gaius Calpurnius Piso, an aristocrat, along with knights, senators, poets and Nero's former mentor, Seneca. They planned to assassinate Nero and crown Piso the ruler of Rome. The plan was discovered, however, and the leading conspirators, as well as many other wealthy Romans, were executed.

Just three years later, in March, 68, the governor Gaius Julius Vindex rebelled against Nero's tax policies. He recruited another governor, Servius Sulpicius Galba, to join him and to declare himself emperor. While these forces were defeated and Galba was declared a public enemy, support for him increased, despite his categorization as a public enemy. Even Nero’s own bodyguards defected in support of Galba. Fearing that his demise was imminent, Nero fled. He planned to head east, where many provinces were still loyal to him, but had to abandon the plan after his officers refused to obey him. He returned to his palace, but his guards and friends had left. He ultimately received word that the Senate had condemned him to death by beating and so he decided to commit suicide. Unable to carry out the deed by himself, however, his secretary, Epaphroditos, assisted him. As he died, Nero was said to have exclaimed, ‘What an artist dies in me!' He was the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

Citation Information Roman Emperors - DIR Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (Agrippina the Younger) played a notable role in the Julio-Claudian family drama. Her influence had as its origin the only resource available to women of her time, proximity to male power. She, like Livia before her, was the wife of one emperor and the mother of another. She was also the sister of a third and the daughter of a prince of the imperial house whose shadow fell across dynastic politics long after his death. She could not in any case have avoided the complications that were her lot by birth, but she evidently had the desire -- and the will -- to exploit the position into which she had been born. She wrote a memoir that recorded the "misfortunes of her family" (casus suorum). This document alone seems proof that she was deeply aware of the stress generated from a dangerous environment. [[1]] Early Life Agrippina the Younger was the daughter of Germanicus Julius Caesar and of Vipsania Agrippina (Agrippina the Elder). Germanicus' father was a son of Augustus' wife Livia by a former husband.

His mother was Antonia Minor, daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia, Augustus' sister. Germanicus had thus a double connection with the first family of Rome, and he drew closer to its center in AD 4 when his uncle, who would become the emperor Tiberius , was adopted by Augustus , and adopted him in turn. In this way Germanicus became a Julian and by the law of adoption a legitimate grandson of the ruling dynast. Agrippina's mother, Agrippina the Elder, was a daughter of Julia, Augustus ' natural daughter and only child, and of Marcus Agrippa , Augustus' valued helper in his climb to the top. Agrippina the Younger's ancestry on both sides of her family thus converged on Augustus . But as one of nine children, six of whom lived to maturity, she was not the only one so marked. Hers was a large family that promised continuity for the imperial house, and all its surviving members were involved in the power struggles of the first century. [[2]] Agrippina was born on November 6, probably in AD 14, on the Rhine frontier.

[[3]] Her mother had found herself in this quarter because she had accompanied Germanicus when he exercised his command over the Armies of Upper and Lower Germany. By 17, the family had returned to Rome and little Agrippina, her three surviving brothers, and a baby sister rode in their father's triumph. [[4]] Later in 17 her parents left Rome for Syria, where Germanicus would assume supreme command (maius imperium) of the eastern provinces. Agrippina and most of her siblings were left behind in the care of nurses and the extended family. Only her brother Gaius, whom history would know as Caligula, went east with his parents. Agrippina would not see her father again; Germanicus died near Antioch. She and the rest of the family went to meet her mother when she was bearing his ashes home to Rome in AD 20. [[5]] Agrippina next appears in the historical record in AD 28 when she was married to Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus [[6]] . Their union had been arranged by Tiberius , now emperor and head of the imperial household.

Arranged marriages were standard practice for all families of prominence and a matter of state business for the ruling house. Ahenobarbus came from a distinguished family that boasted a long line of consuls. Made consul himself in AD 32, he remained in office that entire year. [[7]] He was, in addition, related to the Augustan line through his mother, Antonia Maior. Their first son and only child, L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, was not born until December of 37. He would become the emperor Nero, The Reign of Gaius An anecdote about this child furnishes an example of the motif central to Agrippina's reputation. Her brother Gaius had succeeded Tiberius to the principate earlier that year, and it is reported that she asked him to name the infant, hoping perhaps that the still childless emperor would name him after himself and perhaps adopt him in time. If he were Gaius' heir, hers would be the prize of motherhood. Instead, Gaius looked at his uncle, who, although he would be the emperor Claudius soon enough, was at that time a laughing-stock in the court, and he suggested his name as a joke.

[[8]] This anecdote may have come into existence only after Nero became emperor and Agrippina was indeed the emperor's mother (mater principis). It nonetheless illustrates clearly the popular perception that her ambition was of long duration. During the first years of his reign, Gaius showed great honor to Agrippina and to her sisters, Drusilla and Livilla. The young emperor was bereft of family support and so elevated and honored all he could muster, his three sisters and his uncle Claudius . The sisters were to be included in oaths, sit with him at games, and take turns occupying the traditional wife's position at table. [[9]] This conspicuous preference prompted rumors of incest, a closer relationship yet. [[10]] But the favorable treatment soon ended. In AD 38, Drusilla died. She was the sister with whom Gaius had the closest relationship, and he had chosen her husband, M. Aemilius Lepidus, as his interim successor. [[11]] Her death put an end to this arrangement and was a prelude to a conspiracy in which Lepidus played a prominent part.

Details are unclear, but it seems that the two surviving sisters had given up on the erratic Gaius and offered Lepidus the asset of their Julian blood in order to help validate his attempt to take over the principate. Livilla and especially Agrippina were accused of having sexual relations with him. Reality or metaphor, the allegation gave substance to the notion that they were his partners. Lepidus was executed and Agrippina was forced to carry his ashes back to Rome. She and Livilla were sent into exile on the Pontian Islands off the coast of southern Italy. [[12]] Domitius Ahenobarbus died in the winter of AD 40-41 while Agrippina was probably still in exile [[13]] Gaius was assassinated in January of 41, and after his death the sisters returned to Rome. [[14]] Although her property that had been confiscated by Gaius was restored to her on her return, much of it may have been dissipated, and she looked quickly for protection and wealth. She set her sights on the prominent Ser.

Sulpicius Galba , who would become emperor after the Julio-Claudian line came to an end, but this first effort was unsuccessful. [[15]] She soon married the wealthy and witty C. Sallustius Crispus Passienus, consul in 27 and again in 44, He had formerly been the husband of a sister of Domitius Ahenobarbus and so was her brother-in-law. Passienus died before 47 and it was rumored that Agrippina had poisoned him. [[16]] His wealth provided a motive, but his death also left her free to make her next move, a move that would finally bring her close to the principate. The Reign of Claudius Claudius (Tiberius Claudius Nero) became emperor in AD 41 after the death of Gaius . He was the brother of Agrippina's father Germanicus and so her uncle. During the first part of his reign, Claudius' wife was Valeria Messalina, who, like Domitius Ahenobarbus, was descended from Antonia Maior.

The two had a daughter, Octavia, and then a son, Britannicus, who was born a few weeks after Claudius became emperor. In the autumn of 48 Messalina divorced Claudius unilaterally and married C. Silius, consul-designate for the following year. By this action she transferred her Julian credentials to a party who she thought would be able to protect her interests after Claudius died, an event that might be expected before very long. [[17]] The move is reminiscent of the one that Agrippina and Livilla had made a decade earlier when they transferred their support from Gaius to Lepidus in the hope of grabbing on to a rising star. But it may also have included a preemptive strike against Agrippina, who was plausibly maneuvering to replace Messalina as imperial wife and make her own son the preferred heir. [[18]] Messalina did not succeed; Claudius learned of the attempted coup, and she lost her life. Claudius looked for a new wife at once, and Agrippina was the candidate on the spot, ready and willing.

It was reported that she seduced him by behaving in a manner more intimate than was appropriate for a niece. [[20]] In fact, their marriage, like all dynastic marriages, was a political arrangement and it benefited both. Agrippina attained the long-coveted position of imperial wife, and Claudius was able to keep the daughter of his still popular brother Germanicus from marrying someone else and so legitimating a potential rival with her family connection. Her bid to become Claudius' wife was championed by the powerful imperial freedman Pallas. These two continued to work closely together, so closely that in time it was thought that their relationship was sexual. [[19]] But an impediment stood in the way of Claudius and Agrippina: Marriage between uncle and niece was incestuous and illegal. At the initiative of Pallas and the palace insider L. Vitellius, the senate voted to make such a union legal, at least when the uncle was on the father's side. Agrippina and Claudius lost no time and were married early in AD 49, only months after Messalina had been removed from the scene. [[21]] Nero was eleven years old and still named L.

Domitius Ahenobarbus at this point. He was quickly betrothed to Octavia, the daughter of Claudius and Messalina , and it was assumed that Agrippina had set in motion this plan that would bind the families more closely. [[22]] The next year (AD 50) Claudius adopted the boy, and he became Nero Claudius Caesar . [[23]] . Britannicus , Claudius' natural son, now stood in second place; Nero had become the older son. Agrippina was thought to have manipulated her husband so that he adopted Nero just as she had arranged his marriage with Octavia, since it moved her son to the head of the line for succession. But the adoption was helpful to Claudius as well. A son who would reach his majority a few years before Britannicus provided more proximate protection. As Claudius' wife, Agrippina was granted public honors. In AD 50 she received the title Augusta, the first living woman so honored since Livia , and her name was attached to a colony for discharged veterans at oppidum Ubiorum (Cologne).

[[24]] The next year she was allowed the use of the carpentum, the ceremonial carriage usually reserved for priests and sacred statues. She received the defeated British chieftain Caratacus jointly with Claudius , occupying a platform that stood near that of her husband. On at least one ceremonial occasion she presided in a golden cloak. "She put it forth that she was herself a partner in the empire acquired by her ancestors. " [[25]] In AD 54 Nero , although young (he was sixteen), was technically an adult and so legally able to become princeps should his adoptive father die. But Britannicus , trailing three years behind, would soon cross that threshold of manhood and become eligible as well, at least in theory. It was convenient that Claudius die promptly so that Nero could be in place before Britannicus came of age. Claudius did die, rather suddenly, on October 13. His death may well have been from natural causes, but Agrippina was inevitably accused of poisoning him. The timetable provided a motive: Claudius was allegedly beginning to regret his marriage to her and in the process of changing his mind about the preferred position of Nero .

[[26]] Agrippina was accused of manipulating events further when she kept Britannicus out of sight until after the praetorian guard had made its initial salute to Nero as its commander. [[27]] His first watchword to the guard, "best of mothers" (optima mater), can be understood as acknowledgement that he owed her the principate. [[28]] The Reign of Nero Agrippina now held a second role of potential influence. No longer wife of the princeps, she became the mother of one, the progression that Livia had followed. Immediately after Nero' s accession, Agrippina received further honors. She was named a priestess of the cult of the newly deified Claudius and was granted the attendance of two lictors when she appeared in public. She became the first living woman whose portrait bust appeared on the imperial coinage along with that of a reigning emperor. She listened in on meetings of the senate from behind a curtain; this image makes overt the idea of involvement in state affairs behind the scenes. [[29]] These external trappings may not, however, have corresponded to genuine power. [[30]] The period of formal recognition did not last long in any case.

By the next year (AD 55) Nero appears firmly dependent on the direction of his praetorian praefect Burrus (Sex. Afranius Burrus) and his tutor Seneca (L. Annaeus Seneca). But already in AD 54, her influence seems to have been diminished. She approached the dais where Nero was about to receive an envoy from Armenia, intending to join him on the same platform, not on a separate one as she had on a comparable state occasion with Claudius . Prompted by Burrus and Seneca, Nero stepped down to meet her and in this way turned aside her bid for symbolic joint leadership. [[31]] Open conflict between mother and son arose over his affair with a freedwoman named Acte. [[32]] An irregular liaison of this sort with a social inferior would not normally have provoked attention, but in the current context Acte could be construed as a challenge to Nero's wife Octavia, who, as Claudius' daughter, was a bond between the previous regime and that of her husband.

But Nero was moving away from the past, both from his mother and from Claudius , and as a result Agrippina was forced to depend on her former husband for an increasing portion of her prestige. [[33]] Agrippina was said to have become desperate enough at this point in time (AD 55) to acknowledge her complicity in the death of Claudius . The admission was intended to make clear to Nero that she was responsible for his position. She also drew closer to her stepson Britannicus , and her support of him provided a challenge real enough to prompt retaliation. Nero allegedly poisoned his stepbrother. [[34]] After that, Agrippina was forced to move from the imperial residence, her bodyguard was removed, and she was harassed by a lawsuit. Her champion Pallas was dismissed from the court. [[35]] Nothing is known of Agrippina between 55 and 59, but she must have remained a thorn in Nero's side as she interfered or tried to interfere in court politics. It was still remembered that she was a daughter of Germanicus , and that counted for much; the possibility of a union between her and a potential usurper remained present.

When she reenters the story, the necessity of doing away with her has already been suggested; her murder was "a long- considered crime" (diu meditatum scelus). The immediate reason was the same one that had surfaced earlier. She objected to Nero's mistress. This time the liaison was with Poppaea Sabina , an upper-class woman with whom marriage was possible. But Octavia still stood in the way. Poppaea had "no hope for marriage for herself or the divorce of Octavia while Agrippina lived". [[36]] It was rumored that Agrippina made a desperate attempt to keep Nero in her camp by making her own sexual advances. [[37]] Nero must also have been desperate for an end to the contest of wills, for he contrived a plan to drown her by means of a collapsible boat. Agrippina escaped death by swimming gamely until she reached help, but she now knew clearly that her life was in danger. Nero took more direct action and dispatched assassins to accomplish the murder. The series of events is, however, unclear, for there are serious inconsistencies in regard to the collapsing boat, other details of the failed plot, and the murder itself.

[[38]] An official report was sent to the senate: Her death had occurred when she made an attempt on his life, not he on hers. The document also noted her past meddling in state affairs. Nero was congratulated on his escape. [[39]] Conclusion It is often difficult to gain a clear understanding of the personalities of the ancient world, for the portraits of them painted in the ancient texts are derived from layers of time-specific prejudice. When Nero was emperor and it was necessary that he be viewed favorably, Agrippina was described as a negative influence. When his reputation plummeted after his death and the Flavians rehabilitated Claudius' capital, she was held responsible for Claudius' inadequacies. The constant theme, however, is the perception that she was a very ambitious woman. The anecdote in which she asks Gaius to choose a name for her newborn son, retrojected on to the narrative as it probably was, makes this point as clearly as any, for it indicates that ambition was the driving force of her entire adult life.

The message resurfaces in the accusations of her partnering with Aemilius Lepidus, her poisoning of Passienus Crispus, her seduction of Claudius and the manipulation of him in regard to the adoption of Nero and especially her poisoning him at the opportune moment. The factual truth of all of these allegations must remain uncertain, but she was a woman who had both the means to make a place for herself in the high-stakes Julio-Claudian world and seemingly the will to exercise her options. In the end she was overwhelmed by the weight of her competitive family. Bibliography Barrett, A.A. Agrippina: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Early Empire.Yale University Press (New Haven and London) 1996. [An extensive bibliography is included.] Barrett Caligula: The Corruption of Power. Yale University Press (New Haven and London) 1990. Champlin, E. Nero. Harvard University Press (Cambridge, MA, and London) 2003. Dawson, A. "Whatever Happened to Lady Agrippina".

CJ 64 (1969) 253-67 Eck, W. Agrippina, die Stadtgründerin Kölns: Eine Frau in der frühkaiserzeitlichen Politik. (Cologne) 1993. Ehrhardt, C. "Messalina and the Succession to Claudius".Antichthon 12 (1978) 51-71. Griffin, M. T. Nero: the End of a Dynasty. Yale University Press (New Haven and London) 1985. Humphrey, J. "The Three Daughters of Agrippina Maior".AJAH 4 (1979) 125-43. Hurley, D. W. "The Politics of Agrippina the Younger's Birthplace. AJAH n.s. 2 (2003) 95-117. Levick, B. Claudius. Yale University Press (New Haven and London) 1990. Meise, E. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der julish- claudischen Dynastie. Vestigia 10.

(Munich) 1969. Mommsen, T. "Die Familie des Germanicus". Hermes 13 (1878) 245-65. Syme, R. Tacitus Oxford University Press (Oxford) 1958. Notes [[1]] Tac. Ann. 4.53. Her Memoirs are also noted by Pliny (NH 7.46). [[2]] Other branches of the family could also claim descent, direct or indirect, from Augustus, but none was so favored as the family of Germanicus. Agrippina the Elder had a sister Julia (Julia the Younger), whose grandchildren (the Junii Silani) would be potential rivals under Claudius and Nero. Their credentials were somewhat tarnished, however, by the fact that Julia herself had fallen from grace under Augustus. There were also those descended from Octavia and from her daughter Antonia Maior (an older sister of Antonia Minor); these included the father of Nero and both mother and father of Claudius' wife Messalina. Another line passed through the natural son of Tiberius.

[[3]] The year (not the date) and the place of her birth are uncertain because of contradictory evidence. Tacitus writes that she was born at oppidum Ubiorum (modern Cologne, Ann.12.27), but the birth may have taken place near the present city of Koblenz. See Mommsen, Humphrey, Barrett,Agrippina (Appendix 2), and Hurley for the arguments. [[4]] Tac. Ann. 2.4. The children advertised the strength of the dynasty for the generations that would follow. [[5]] Tac. Ann. 2.53, 3.1-2; Suet. Cal.10.1. [[6]] Tac. Ann. 4.75. [[9]] Suet. Cal. 15.3, 24.1; Dio 59.3.3-4, 7.4, 9.2. [[10]] Suet. Cal. 24.1, 3; Dio 59.3.6, 11.1, 22.6, 26.5; Jos. AJ 19.204.

[[11]] Dio 59.22.6. [[12]] Suet. Cal. 29.1, Cl. 9.1; Tac. Ann. 14.2; Dio 59.6, 22.8. [[13]] Suet. Ner. 5.2, 6.3; Barrett, Agrippina, p. 70. [[14]] Suet. Cal. 59; Dio 60.4.1. [[15]] Suet. Gal. 5.1. [[16]]. The date of Passienus' death is derived from the fact that there is no notice of it in Tacitus'Annals when the text resumes in AD 47 after ten missing years (Barrett, Agrippina, p. 85; Syme p. 328, n. 12). The allegation of poisoning (Suet.Life of Passienus) may have been appended to the story only after Agrippina's reputation had suffered under Nero and it was assumed that she had poisoned Claudius. Why not an earlier husband as well? [[17]] Tac.

Ann.11.26-38; Suet. Cl. 26.3; Dio 60.31.3-5. [[18]] Tac. Ann. 11.11-12; Suet. Ner. 6.4; Meise, pp. 166-69. [[19]] Tac. Ann. 12.1-2, 25, 65; 13.2; 14.2, Dio 61.3.2. [[20]] Tac. Ann. 12.3; Suet. Cl. 26.3, 39.2; Dio. 60.31.6. [[21]] Tac. Ann. 12.5-8; Suet. Cl. 26.3; Dio 60.31.8. [[22]] Tac. Ann. 12.3, 9; Suet. Cl. 27.2, Dio.60.31.8. They were married in AD 53 (Tac.Ann. 12.58; Dio 60.33.11).

[[23] Tac. Ann. 12.25-6; Suet. Cl. 27.2; Ner. 7.1; Dio 60.32.2, 33.2(2). [[24]] Tac. Ann. 12.26, 27; Dio 60.33.2(a). [[25]] Tac. Ann. 12.37, 42, 56; Dio 60.33.2(1), 33.3, 33.7; Pliny NH 33.63. [[26]] Tac. Ann. 12. 64-7; Suet. Cl. 43-44; Dio 60.34.1-3. [[27]] Tac. Ann. 12.68-69. Suet. Cl. 45. [[28]] Tac Ann. 13.2; Suet. Ner. 9. [[29]] Tac. Ann. 13.2, 5; Barrett, Agrippina, p. 152. [[30]] Griffin, pp.

39-40; Barrett, Agrippina, p. 153. [[31]] Tac. Ann. 13.5; Dio 61.3.3-4. [[32]] Tac. Ann. 13.12-13; Dio 61.7.1-2). [[33]] A temple for divus Claudius was begun but left unfinished until the time of Vespasian (Suet. Cl. 45, Ves. 9.1). The designation of Nero as "son of the god" appears less and less on his coinage and on inscriptions. But he had already begun to separate himself from his adoptive father in his first speech to the senate (Tac.Ann. 13.4). [[34]] Tac. Ann.13.15-17; Suet. Ner. 33.2-3; Dio. 61.7.4. [[35]] Tac. Ann. 13.14, 18-21, 24; Suet. Ner. 34.1; Dio 61.8.4- 6. [[36]] Tac.

Ann.14.1. The affair with Poppaea could not, however, really have been the reason for getting rid of Agrippina in 59. It was not until 62, three years later, that Octavia was sent away and marriage with Poppaea took place (Tac.Ann. 59-64; Suet. Ner. 35.1-2; Dio 62.13.1). [[37]] By another report Nero initiated the seduction; this would have made him, not Agrippina, the desperate party (Tac. Ann.14.2; Suet. Ner. 28.2; Dio 61.11.3-4). [[38]] Tac. Ann 14.3-8; Suet. Ner. 34.2-3; Dio 61.12.2-61.13. Dawson exposes the impossibilities of Tacitus' narrative. [[39]] Tac. Ann 14.10-11. Copyright © 2004, Donna Hurley.

This file may be copied on the condition that the entire contents, including the header and this copyright notice, remain intact. Julia Agrippina | Roman patrician | Britannica.com Julia Agrippina Alternative Title: Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina Julia Agrippina, also called Agrippina the Younger (born ad 15—died 59), mother of the Roman emperor Nero and a powerful influence on him during the early years of his reign (54–68). Agrippina the Younger, bust by an unknown artist; in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples Anderson—Mansell/Art Resource, New York Agrippina was the daughter of Germanicus Caesar and Vipsania Agrippina , sister of the emperor Gaius , or Caligula (reigned 37–41), and wife of the emperor Claudius (41–54). She was exiled in 39 for taking part in a conspiracy against Gaius but was allowed to return to Rome in 41. Her first husband, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus , was Nero’s father.

She was suspected of poisoning her second husband, Passienus Crispus, in 49. She married Claudius , her uncle, that same year and induced him to adopt Nero as heir to the throne in place of his own son. She also protected Seneca and Burrus, who were to be Nero’s tutors and advisers in the early part of his reign. She received the title of Augusta. In 54 Claudius died. It was generally suspected that he was poisoned by Agrippina. Because Nero was only 16 when he succeeded Claudius, Agrippina at first attempted to play the role of regent. Her power gradually weakened, however, as Nero came to take charge of the government. As a result of her opposition to Nero’s affair with Poppaea Sabina, the Emperor decided to murder his mother. Inviting her to Baiae, he had her set forth on the Bay of Naples in a boat designed to sink, but she swam ashore. Eventually she was put to death on Nero’s orders at her country house.

Learn More in these related articles: heroinesofhistory - Agrippina the Younger heroinesofhistory Agrippina the Younger﻿Mother of an Emperor, Wife of an Emperor, Killer of an Emperor Family Background and Early Life Agrippina the Younger was born on November the 6th, 15AD in modern day Cologne on the Rhine Frontier. She was the first daughter and fourth living child of Agrippina the Elder and Germanicus. She had 3 elder brothers, Nero, Drusus and Gaius Caligula (later known simply as Caligula), and 2 younger sisters, Drusilla and Julia Livilla. She lived during the Julio-Causian Dynasty and she was connected to many families during this dynasty because of the marriage of her parents. As a result, she is part of many family trees. The following family tree (taken from ~vandersp/Courses/stemmata/julclst.jpg ) demonstrates Agrippina's ties with many families. Agrippina's name is highlighted in green. When she was born, her parents were in Cologne because her father had been commanding the Armies of Upper and Lower Germany.

They had returned to Rome by 17AD, after their father was successful in the war. Later that year, Agrippina's parents along with one of her brothers, Gaius, travelled to Syria, leaving Agrippina and the rest of her siblings in Rome in the care of nurses and the extended family. This was the last time Agrippina would see her father as he died near Antioch in about 19AD. Her mother travelled back with his ashes in 20AD. Tiberius, the heir to the throne, became Emperor. In 28AD, when Agrippina was just 13 years old, she was betrothed to and married her first husband, Domitius Ahenobarbus. This marriage had been arranged by Tiberius, Emperor and head of the imperial household. Domitius came from a distinguished family with a long line of consuls. He was made a consul himself in 32AD. In December, 37AD, Agrippina gave birth to hers and Domitius' son, the future Emperor Nero (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus).

Tiberius died in the same year, and Claudius, Agrippina's brother, ascended to the throne. In 39AD, Agrippina, Livilla, and one of their cousins, were involved in a failed plot to murder Caligula and make Lepidus, Drusilla's widower, the new Emperor. Caligula had Lepidus executed and Agrippina and Livilla were exiled to Pandateria (now known as Ventotene), a part of the Pontine Islands. In 41AD, Caligula, his wife and his daughter were murdered and Agrippina's Uncle Claudius took to the throne. Claudius released Agrippina and Livilla from exile, however, unlike her sister, Agrippina had nothing except her son, Nero, to return to. In 41AD, the same year Claudius became Emperor, Agrippina married her second husband, Gaius Sallustius Crispus. In 47AD, Crispus died and rumour spread that Agrippina poisoned him. In 49AD, Agrippina again remarried, this time her Uncle and the Emperor Claudius.

The day that she married her Uncle, she became an Empress and the most powerful woman in the Roman Empire. She gained the title of Augusta, a title usually reserved for old age or for a matriarch of the Dynasty. In this position, she decided to remove anyone who she saw as a threat to her son Nero claiming the throne. In 50AD, Claudius made Nero the heir to the throne. ﻿In 54AD, Claudius was murdered by Agrippina as he had started to favour Britannicus, his last surviving son, and was preparing him for the throne. Agrippina murdered Claudius by having the palace taster sprinkling poison on Claudius' dish of mushrooms. Agrippina then added poison to a feather Claudius was using to help him vomit to ensure that extra poison entered his system, and therefore, that he died. As soon as Claudius was out of the way, Nero became the Emperor of Rome. Agrippina was named a priestess and was allowed to visit senate meetings and watch and listen to them behind a curtain. This demonstrates that she had a lot of power. In the first few months of Nero's reign, she controlled her son and her Empire.

She slowly lost this control, however, for a number of reasons. The first of these was that she tried to stop him having an affair with Claudia Acte, a former slave, which she strongly disapproved of mainly because she thought that her position of power was in danger and she did not want a slave to take over her position. Secondly, Agrippina began to support Britannicus in his attempt to become emperor. This frightened Nero, as Britannicus was his potential rival. To stop him from becoming Emperor, Nero had Britannicus poisoned secretly. In 55AD, to weaken her power, Nero took away Agrippina's titles, power, and guards. He also expelled her from the palace in 57AD. Agrippina was evetually murdered by her son, Nero in 59AD, in order that he would take over full reign of the palace. Death There are several stories of how Agrippina died, and the circumstances surrounding her death are uncertain due to historical contradictions and anti-Nero bias. According to Tacitus, Nero considered poisoning her, or stabbing her, but felt that these methods would be too difficult and suspicious, so he decided to build a boat that would sink.

Agrippina, even though she knew of the plot, travelled on the boat and was nearly crushed by a lead ceiling, however, she just avoided it and her attendant was crushed instead. After the boat failed to sink from the collapsed ceiling, the crew sank the boat, however, Agrippina swam to shore. When news of Agrippina's survival reached Nero, he sent three assassins to stab her. The stabbing was successful. Influences Agrippina the Younger was influenced mainly by the male power and dominance that surrounded her in everything she did from a very early age. Because she was around males all the time and many members of her family had been or became emperors, within her awoke a thirst for power like her brothers had. She had a brother that was an Emperor, a son that was an Emperor, and an Uncle that was an Emperor. Career/Occupation Agrippina the Younger was an Empress. Her rank in Roman society was higher than that of her husband, as she was the sister of an emperor, Caligula. Because she was so high up, she was allowed to attend senate meetings and watch and listen behind a curtain. Agrippina murdered and deceived many people throughout her life.

The first of these was her second husband, who it is suspected Agrippina poisoned. She then convinced Claudius, her Uncle to marry her, in order that her son, Nero, would become Emperor. Just 4 years after her marriage to Claudius, she murdered him so that Nero became the Emperor of Rome. Major Noteworthy Achievements Agrippina the Younger achieved many things thoughout her life, most of them evil. She managed to kill 2 people. The first was her second husband, and the second was her third husband, Claudius. She murdered Claudius in order that her son, Nero, would become Emperor. Along with these evil deeds, she also managed to become one of the most influential women of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, and she was one of the very few women who was put into a position of power. This can be seen as she was given the title of Augusta, a title usually reserved for old age or a matriarch of the Dynasty. She was also allowed to attend senate meetings and watch and listen behind a curtain. Men were normally the only ones allowed to attend senate meetings.

She and her sisters also managed to get their images onto the back of Roman coins with their brother's image, the Empress Caligula, on the other side because they were the sisters of an Emperor. Legacy Agrippina's legacy to Rome was her influence over Claudius which caused him to make her son, Nero, Emperor, rather than his own son, Britannicus. This ensured that her direct descendent would rule the Roman Empire; and gave her, as his mother, direct influence over the rule of Rome. She made history because she managed to poison the Roman Emperor, Claudius, which enabled her son Nero to become Emperor. She is also historically important as a woman who wielded great influence and power during the period of her marriage to Claudius and during the early years of Nero's reign. Timeline 17AD - Family had returned to Rome by this date. 19AD - Germanicus, Agrippina's father, dies. 28AD - Marries first husband, Domitius Ahenobarbus. 29AD - Sent into exile by Caligula. 32AD - First husband, Domitius Ahenobarbus, is made a consul.

37AD - Gives birth to future Emperor Nero (originally named Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus). 39AD - Agrippina and her sister, Livilla, are exiled by their brother, Caligula. 41AD - Claudius, Agrippina's brother, becomes Emperor. - Marries her second husband, Gaius Sallustius Crispus. 47AD - Second husband dies suddenly. Agrippina is suspected of poisoning him. 49AD - Marries her Uncle, the Emperor Claudius. - Agrippina becomes an Empress. 50AD - Claudius makes Nero heir to the imperial throne. 54AD - Agrippina murders Claudius. Nero takes the throne. 55AD - Nero removes Agrippina's power, titles and guards. 57AD - Agrippina is expelled from the palace by her son, Nero. 59AD - Murdered b her son, Nero. Life Agrippina the Younger was born in Cologne on the Rhine Frontier. By 17AD, she had travelled back to Rome with the rest of her family. Here she lived until she was exiled by her brother in 39AD.

Agrippina and her sister Livilla were then exiled to modern day Ventotene, a part of the Pontine Islands. This can be seen in the enlarged picture of the Pontine Islands. Rome can be seen in the smaller picture at the top, and the Pontine Islands are the islands with a box around them in the top picture. After she was exiled, Agrippina returned to Rome, where she lived for the rest of her life. Primary Sources This source is a coin from the time that Agrippina the Younger lived (54AD) and it depicts Agrippina the Younger and her son, the Emperor Nero. This was the first time that a highly ranked living woman appeared alongside the ruling emperor on a coin. An Emperor had never been so closely identified with his mother rather than his father andit very clearly shows the degree to which Nero relied on his mother during the early years of his rule. This source can reveal to historians that Agrippina the Younger was a very powerful woman and she was highly regarded in Roman society. It is particularly significant because she is on the front of the coin with the Emperor. This suggests that she was a very powerful woman.

It gives the impression that she had equal status with the Emperor. This source is a coin depicting Claudius on one side and Agrippina on the other. The coin is important because it has "Augusta" written around Agrippina's image, and Agrippina was only the second woman to be awarded that title in her lifetime. It can reveal to historians that Agrippina was a very important woman. Also, it suggests that Agrippina had a heavy influence on Claudius during his reign. This is a bust of Agrippina the Younger. In this bust, the physical features similar to Germanicus were brought out to remind the audience of Agrippina's family history. This source suggests that Agrippina was a very influential woman through the fact that she has the same facial features as her father, and she is part of the Imperial bloodline. Because men were normally in power, it also suggests that she was very powerful and highly regarded in Roman society. Discussion The three sources above depict the power and influence that Agrippina had over Roman society during her life. The bust shows a depiction of her with the facial features of Germanicus, her father, who was brother to Claudius, the Roman Emperor.

This shows that Agrippina was well connected with the Imperial family. The silver coin, bearing the title "Augusta", shows that Agrippina was a very important woman, and was very influential during the reign of Claudius, her husband. The gold coin shows that her power and influence increased during the early years of Nero's rule. She is now depicted on the front of the coin facing Nero, rather than on the obverse, as was the case with the earlier coin. Picture Gallery Bust of Caligula, Agrippina the Younger's brother Bust of Agrippina the Younger Bust of Germanicus, Agrippina the Younger's father Coin depicting Agrippina the Younger's son, the Emperor Nero Bust of Nero, Agrippina the Younger's son Recommended Reading List 1. Aspects of Roman History - AD 14-117 by Richard Alston. Routledge, 1998. This is a good book and it includes a lot of family trees to help you understand Agrippina's family history. It also helps you to understand how all the families were related to each other. 2. - This website gives a good overview of Agrippina's early life and 3.

- This website is good if you want a quick overview of Agrippina's life and if you want a brief overview of some other people living at the time of Agrippina. 4. - This website has a variety of photos of coins from the Roman times. 5. ~bmcmanus/augustus.html - This website gives you detailed information about years in the Roman period. 6. - This website gives a comprehensive and easy to understand biography of Agrippina's life. 7. - This website also gives you a comprehensive understanding of Agrippina the Younger's life, however, it is harder to understand. 8. #Empress_of_Rome - Wikipedia is a good site for getting the general gist of the life of Agrippina the Younger, however, it is not a very reliable source and should be checked against other, more reliable sources, before using information on it. 9. - This website is very useful and it gives detailed information about a wide range of sources relating to Agrippina the Younger's family. 10. Ancient Rome Voyages Through Time by Peter Ackroyd. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2005.

This book gives a very good overview of Roman times and is written in an easy to understand way.

Activities Agrippina the Younger Germanicus Tiberius Caligula Cologne Nero Rome Empress Julio-Claudian Dynasty Wordsearch ﻿ S N I N P D K F G G J M T S K X Z F P T U U E O T X K B E Y J A R S B G U C Z L I Q I P O A J R M N R E W O P E L A M L D K J R X N M U O U H E K J N F S B G G U U A K E A Z E L T L T G T V M I U I C A Q R N N B I J O I M N L V A N S P K O L O B I G V I R C C O V P K W O T J Y N C X C B U A B T S O P C A C E S E N O N C U M A R R I A G E L S L M Y I R E L E S O G H C Y K U H N N O P A U O S R P C E Q E S K L T O S I I R G Q U P X O Z T U B O O O P O

 S O U E O U N N D L Z L I R O R E P M E C A S B Q E W E G I A T O I K F H O J T V S N T O Z X R V I A Q N B A Y L F I F L X I Y B P P U Z X U N S E X I L E M S R N A Y D O N N H D C Z Q K S C P B O K G H K R I Q U J G K J L T U Q P S X S L A M O F Z G K J T J F Z D Y T V N F Q A I R V Z I N C F O F C Z E A G R I P P I N A T H E Y O U N G E R T Agrippina the Younger ﻿1.

Where was Agrippina the Younger born? ﻿2. What were the names of Agrippina the Younger's parents? 3. What were the names of Germanicus' parents? 4. What were the names of Agrippina the Elder's parents? 5. During which dynasty did Agrippina the Younger live? 6. What was the name of Domitius Ahenobarbus' son? 7. Where was Agrippina and her sister Livilla exiled to? 8. In which year did Agrippina become an Empress? 9. Why had Agrippina been born in Cologne? 10. What was the name of Agrippina's second husband? Solution ﻿1. Cologne on the Rhine Frontier. 2. Agrippins the Elder and Germanicus. 3. Nero Drusus and Antonia Minor. 4. Nero, Drusus, Gaius Caligula, Drusilla and Julia Livilla. 5. Julio-Claudian Dynasty. 6. Nero (Lusius Domitius Ahenobarbus). 7. Pandateria (modern day Ventotene). 8. 49AD. 9.

Because her father had been commanding the armies of Upper and Lower Germany, and her mother had accompanied him. 10. Gaius Sallustius Crispus. Design a Crest You are to design a family crest for Agrippina the Younger. In your crest, you could include things that suggest power in Roman times. For example, wreaths used as crowns. Think about symbolism relating rulers to the Roman Gods. Be sure to include things that are relevant to Agrippina the Younger and her life. Created by Emilie Glasson Nero - Ancient History Encyclopedia Nero by Donald L. Wasson published on 29 June 2012 Emperor Nero was the last of the Julio-Claudians to rule the Roman Empire (54 AD to 68 AD). His fourteen year reign represents everything decadent about that period in Roman history. He was self-indulgent, cruel and violent as well as a cross-dressing exhibitionist. His lavish parties combined with the burning of Rome continued the economic chaos that had plagued the Roman citizenry since the days of Tiberius .

According to the historian Suetonius in his The Twelve Caesars, upon hearing of the death of Nero, “…citizens ran through the streets wearing caps of liberty as though they were freed slaves.” Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in 37 AD but renamed Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus when his mother, Agrippina, married Emperor Claudius in 49 AD. Some believe Nero’s fate was inevitable. His father, Gnaeus Domitius, who died when Nero was three, was extremely violent in his own right -- described by his contemporaries as “a despicable character”. He once deliberately ran over a young boy with his chariot as he drove through a local village. When his friends congratulated him upon hearing of the birth of his son, Nero’s father said that anything born to Agrippina and him would be unlikeable and a disaster. Remove Ads Advertisement Nero’s mother was daughter of Agrippina the Elder and the great-granddaughter of Emperor Augustus (her grandmother was his daughter Julia) – both women, as well as Agrippina’s older brothers, were starved to death (the brothers by the order of Tiberius).

Her youngest brother was Emperor Caligula whose short reign came to a violent end when he was murdered by his own Praetorian Guard thereby bringing her Uncle Claudius to the throne. After the death of her husband, Agrippina set her sights on the recently widowed Claudius, whose third wife Messalina had been murdered on his orders for among other reasons, adultery and attempted treason. After a short courtship, they married, and Nero (at his mother’s insistence) was soon adopted in 50 AD. To the general public Nero was a welcomed change and the early part of Nero’s reign was considered by many to be a mini-golden age. However, by this time, Agrippina had already taken the next step -- the death of Claudius, placing Nero upon the emperor’s throne. In 54 AD Claudius mysteriously died after eating a bowl of mushrooms -- probably poisoned ones. Some evidence exists suggesting that Nero knew of the poisoning when he later called mushrooms the “food of the gods.” There was also fear that Britannicus (Claudius’s legitimate son) might be chosen as emperor ahead of Nero.

Suetonius wrote, “He (Nero) tried to poison Britannicus being not merely jealous of his voice … but afraid that the common people might be less attached to Claudius’s adopted son than to his real one.” Nero’s fears soon abated (temporarily) when he was chosen as the new emperor in 54 AD. With his ascent to the imperial chair, Agrippina became the woman behind the man (but not for long). Among Nero’s first acts as emperor was to cancel many of Claudius’s edicts and decrees -- referring to his predecessor as a “doddering old fool.” To the general public Nero was a welcomed change. Like those before him, the early part of Nero’s reign was considered by many to be a mini-golden age -- the populace believed him to be generous, kind and accessible. There were lavish games, plays, concerts, chariot races and gladiatorial tournaments, and taxes were even reduced. He restored much of the Senate’s power that had been lost over the years, but this restoration had a hidden agenda; it was only done to enable the young emperor to pursue his worldly pleasures, to sing (he did not possess a great voice) and play his lyre .

While he sang, no one in the audience was permitted to leave the performance. Suetonius wrote, “We read of women in the audience giving birth, and of men being so bored with the music and the applause that they furtively dropped down from the wall at the rear… and were carried away for burial .” Remove Ads Advertisement Although Nero found time for his concerts and games, he had bigger problems at home -- his overly protective mother who still believed herself to be the true force behind the throne. Agrippina even was bold enough to boast of her influence to others. Nero, of course, found this interference intolerable and made plans to end it. First, he moved her out of the palace. Next, he denied her the protection of her Praetorian Guard and banned her from all gladiatorial contests. Realizing that she was losing her grip on Nero, she fought back by throwing her support behind Britannicus, Nero’s step-brother and Claudius’s son, but he mysteriously died at a family banquet: another poisoning victim. It didn’t take long for Agrippina to realize she was next.

Nero’s planned his mother’s death with great care -- even bringing specialists to Rome from Alexandria to assist in the planning. He had an elaborate device created for her bedchamber ceiling which would collapse and crush her in her sleep; however, it proved to be too complicated to build and install. Next, he tried a specially designed boat that would collapse and sink, but she proved too smart and swam to the shore. Finally, his last attempt was the simplest and easiest: he had her stabbed to death, but her death would haunt him for the rest of his life. Nero’s marriages and affairs also proved to be troublesome. He was married to the very popular Octavia, the daughter of Claudius and Messalina (a marriage made at his mother’s urging) but also having an affair with the very pregnant Poppaea Sabina (his mother detested her). In order to marry her he accused Octavia of adultery and exiled her, later to be murdered (but made to look like a suicide). Poppaea, whose first husband was Rufius Crispinus (a Roman soldier), was married to the future Emperor Otho at the time of her affair with Nero.

On the emperor’s orders, Otho was dispatched to the far reaches of the empire .

Question: Agrippina married her uncle, later having him poisoned. Which Roman Emperor was he?
Answer: Claudius