I Agrippina, perhaps not the most known of ancient leaders, am without a doubt the best. I was had great influence over my son Nero in the early years of his rule from 54–68AD in the Roman Empire. The best years of his rule, I might add. Then the ungrateful child murdered me! Children don’t appreciate anything you do for them.
I had lived in fear and uncertainty during the principates of Tiberius and Caligula. Exiled for plotting against my brother. It’s no surprise that I desired power and security. However when Claudius took the throne, he had me pardoned and restored back to Rome. This was when my pillage for power began. After the slaughter of my family, there were only two people left of Augustus’s bloodline and I saw that throne as my birthright! But as Professor Antony Barrett (2005) of the university of British Colombia states, I could not obtain emperorship myself because I was a woman. I had two alternatives in which I could achieve this goal of mine; marry the emperor or assist my son, Nero, to gain the title. Seeing as Nero was clearly too young, I set my eyes in Claudius instead.
It took me some years and another marriage before I could make a move, but when Messalina the current wife of Claudius was executed for treason, I made use of my charms to seduce Claudius into marrying me. My position as his niece allowed me become closer to the emperor. But more importantly I made Claudius see the political benefits I had, a union between him and I would clearly eliminate the Julio-Claudian rivalry because of my ancestry. Soon enough, Claudius changed the laws of marriage and the wedding took place without delay. Ancient historian Suetonius (121AD) in Crystal (2015) recalls of Claudius’s subservient nature to his previous wives, a weakness I used to my advantage.
Making the most of my opportunities, I won the devotion of the people who were soon shouting their approval for my demands. I acted upon my own accord and often attended the emperor in public on his political duties. I sat with Claudius as an equal partner in ruling and directly involved myself in the makings of the empire . Even founding a colony, Agrippinensium, the only Roman colony to be named after a woman. The many political and military improvements made after I became Claudius’s wife only increased my credibility. Enough to earn me the title ‘Julia Augusta Agrippina’. I was the first wife of a living emperor to be honoured in such a way. However this meant more than just a title, no, this meant I was now recognised as an integral part of the Claudian administration.
After securing my own position, I set out to secure the emperorship for Nero. I slowly replaced supporters of Britannicus, Claudius’s biological son, in influential posts with my own followers. I had even persuaded Claudius of adopting Nero and make my son his successor.
Everything was going well. But then, Claudius started to change his motives. He wanted to put an end to my power and make Britannicus ruler. Fortunately he was mysteriously poisoned. Although many have hinted that I killed him, there is no solid evidence to support such suggestions. Honestly why would they not accuse me of such crimes, I was a woman, one with far more superiority compared to simple men. As Emma Southon, who has a PhD in ancient history states, I “horrified the Roman male elite with the brazenness of her [my] rule”. They took out their spite by sullying my name in history because they didn’t have evidence to kill me for the murder of Claudius.
So the preparations for Nero’s accession began. On October the 13th 54 AD, Nero presented himself as emperor. From that glorious moment on, Rome was transformed. As Tacitus (121AD) said, “complete obedience was given to a woman”. Cassius Dio (1995) agrees with this statement by saying “ she gained complete control” . They were right. I had great influence over my seventeen year old son. I was rigorous almost masculine in the power that was finally mine to yield. Historians recount me as being austere and arrogant because I was a woman. But for the next 10 years I was the one that negotiated, manipulated and killed to make sure the throne was secured. Not my son.
And after all this. After everything I achieved as a woman, an empress, I am written in history as power hungry, ruthless and overly ambitious. It was written that I deserved my death because I should not have desired to rule. But they forget that I was the great granddaughter of Augustus himself and the sister, wife and mother of emperors. I was the one that reigned under Neros name. I was truely the first and last empress of Rome in every aspect but name. None of you can compare to Julia Augusta Agrippina. The greatest ancient leader the world has ever seen!