Aggripina The Younger

[diablo]

hey were some great responses now can you please describe the siginficance of giaus and nero and some key events in her life (just the most siginfiant yeah that word:o )

 

also in what way do Gaius and Neros perspective differ on her life [huh.gif]

 

i know im new here and if im asking too much just tell me k

[caldrail]

Nero quite clearly began to resent Agrippina's manipulation. He was a young man who wanted to run his own life without interference. This frustration expressed itself in the normal roman macho behaviour - he went whoring and mugging with the lads. The turning point comes at a banquet when Agrippina openly attempts to 'seduce' Nero whilst scantily clad. Was she trying to embarras him? Or was this the last desperate manipulation? His resentment became so great that it broke the bond between them, and Nero tried to poison her. Agrippina had seen this coming. According to sources she had made herself resistant to poison by regularly imbibing small amounts. Nero responded to his failure with a grand scheme to sink a boat with her on board. In typical neronian fashion it was a farce, and the only answer was to send troops to bump her off.

 

For Nero, things were up close and unusually personal. Familarity bred contempt.

 

For Gaius? Are you sure you have the correct Agrippina? Agrippina the Elder was a different case. She was also a strong-willed woman, but I would say far more moral and upstanding. Despite this she seems to have failed totally in bringing up Gaius in the same mould. The young lad was used as a mascot for the legions, dressed in mini-armour, and this is where the nickname Caligula, or 'Little Boots' comes from. Gaius witnessed a mutiny amongst the troops that his mother did her bit to quell. He was used to attention. He was used to getting what he wanted at that early age. He was spoilt rotten by his mother, possibly ignored by his father Germanicus who had too many other things to deal with on the frontier. I've no doubt that Gaius loved his mother, so her death at the hands of Tiberius must have left a deep impression on his character.

[Ulpii]

For Gaius? Are you sure you have the correct Agrippina? Agrippina the Elder was a different case.

 

Gaius did of course know Agrippina the younger: she being his sister. According to Suetonius they slept together although Agrippina never enjoyed(?) the same favour as Drusilla. In terms of impact that's harder:

Gaius exiled Agrippina for involvement in the plot of Gaetulicus so clearly they were never close. She had been married to Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus until AD40/41 (note Nero was originally Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus and resented being so called by Britannicus) and was exiled for supporting Lepidus (Drusilla's widower) against Gaius. On return she married another man: Sallustius Crispus Passienus, consul in 27 and 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. She then of course married Claudius and brought Nero to power.

[caldrail]

Doh!