Born at Oppidum Ubiorum on the Rhine to Germanicus and Agrippna the Elder circa CE16. With such an illustrious background it is not surprising that her childhood should see her at the centre of Imperial Rome nor that this influenced her craving for power.
Her father was assinated when she was just three years old. He had enjoyed huge popularity amongst the people of Rome. Having succeeded in various military operations in Germany, Emperor Tiberius granted him a full triumph in CE15.
But Tiberius was formidable a foe as he was a friend, and when it became apparent that Germanicus not only enjoyed the support of the people as the rightful princeps of Rome, but also that of the Imperial troops. Tiberius is said to have had him poisoned
Agrippina the Elder, convinced of Tiberius' involvement in her husband's assination, made it clear on her return to Rome she was no ally of the Emperor's. Tiberis had her sent into exile.
In CE33, Agrippina the Elder died of starvation although the official line was that she had committed suicide. Two of her sons, Drusus and Nero had been killed some time before their mother.
Caligula
Surprisingly, Tiberius spared her youngest child- Gaius Caesar better known by the nickname Caligula. When he was nineteen he joined Tiberius on the island of Capri. Tiberius named Caligula along side his grandson Gemullus, as one of the heirs to the Imperial throne.
Tiberius married off Caligula's sisters to avoid scandal after he had raped them. Agrippina married Cnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, he was twenty five years older than his wife. He was extremely wealthy but was better known for his brutal and controlling ways. They had a son, Nero- who would become the infamous Emperor Nero.
In CE37 Tiberius died and Caligula became Emperor. He installed Drusilla, his favourite sister, as his mistress and carried on an incestuous affair with Agrippina. When Drusilla died Agrippina tried to take her place in her brother's affections. Rebuffed, she recruited her other sister Julia and several others in a plot to assassinate Caligula. The plan failed and the sisters were sent into exile .
Claudius
Eighteen months later, CE41, Caligula was assassinated. Fifty year old Drusus Tiberius Claudius succeeded him. He was a weakling but kind man and one of his first acts was to have his nieces brought back from exile
On her return Agrippina retieved her son Nero from the care of her sister-in-law and began to plan for her and her son. She was determined to see them both in a postion of power. The first thing she did was get rid of Claudius' wife, Messalina. After the execution of Messalina the path was now clear for Agrippina.
The marriage required a change in the law, as under Roman law the marriage between uncle and niece was deemed incestuous. Then Agrippina convinced Claudius to adopt her son and he became Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus Caesar. To further cement her position she had the fiance of Claudius' daughter prosecuted, making her available to marry Nero.
AVGVSTA
She systematically took control of the Imperial government with Claudius acting as a figurehead. Agrippina wore a military cloak at official state functions, greeted foreign state embassies in the capacity of full imperial authority, appeared prominately on coinage and had her dictations recorded in official government documentation.
Agrippina was declared an official living Empress "AVGVSTA". Only Livia, wife of Augustus had been so before and only after her death.
On 13th October CE54, Claudius was poisoned while attending a feast. The scheming of Agrippina proved fruitful and sixteen year old Nero was crowned Emperor.
Agrippina was a remarkably devious woman with an insatiable lust for power. She schemed and planned her way through all her life.
Source:
Klein Shelley,The Most Evil Women in History,Michael O' Mara Books, London,2003
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