Julia Agrippina

Julia Agrippina was born on 6th November in 18 AD as a free woman into very strong and powerful bloodline. By the time of her death she was direactly related to three emperors: She was Caligula’s sister, wife and niece of Claudius and mother of Nero.

It is agreed by both modern and ancient sources that her family background was indeed a very strong and powerful one. Tacitus describes Agrippina’s background as “exceptionally illustrious” and “indisputable”, S. Perowne composes a similar statement, “her pedigree was impeccable”. M. Grant believes it was her family background which built the foundations for her ruthlessness and determination in achieving political power “she grew up in an appalling atmosphere of malevolence, suspicion and criminal violence.”

Agrippina was the eldest of six children of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder. Many sources, particularly modern scholars believe Germanicus and Agrippina had significant influence on Agrippina II and that they had many characteristics in common.

Germanicus’ military campaigns in the east brought him and his family into public popularity. E.A. Jud

and who therefore considered herself merely a means of “political advancement of her relatives and her children.” Ferrero also states that Agrippina had not abused her political power and even “re-established the fortune of the imperial family” M.Grant however does not agree with Ferrero, he describes Arippina’s methods of gaining power as “striking venomously around her, with the intension of suppressing all possible opposition to herself or her son.”

After achieving her goal of marrying Claudius she almost immediately began to secure her son’s position as the next emperor of Rome. To ensure this she organised for Nero to marry Octavia in 49 AD and to become the adopted son of Claudius the following year, she introduced him to the public eye by featuring him on certain coins from the eastern and Daniubian provinces with Britanucus, in 51 AD Nero assumed the ‘toga virillis’ before usual age and took on the title ‘prince of youth.’ Levick argues “for Agrippina the premature advancement of Nero was an advertisement of her power”, and finally financial donations and public games were made to the military and the public in Nero’s name.

ge believes that Agrippina “derived prominence from her famous military father.” Bauamn highlights similarities between Agrippina and her mother “the techniques of the two women were very similar. Both cultivated the military, both had links with nobility.”

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