Vipsania Agrippina (; 36 BC – 20 AD) was the first wife of the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( e ...

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

. She was the daughter of

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. He was responsible for the construction of some of the most notable build ...

and

Pomponia Caecilia Attica Attica (born ca 58–51 BC, perhaps died around 32–29 BC) was the daughter of Cicero's Epicurean friend Titus Pomponius Atticus. She was also the first wife of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, close friend of the emperor Augustus. Early life Attica is ...

, thus a granddaughter of

Titus Pomponius Atticus Titus Pomponius Atticus (November 110 BC – 31 March 32 BC; later named Quintus Caecilius Pomponianus Atticus) was a Roman editor, banker, and patron of letters, best known for his correspondence and close friendship with prominent Roman s ...

, the best friend of

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the est ...

Biography

She was betrothed by

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

and her father to Tiberius, the stepson of Augustus, before her first birthday. They were married around 19 BC. Their son

Drusus Julius Caesar Drusus Julius Caesar (14 BC – 14 September AD 23), was the son of Emperor Tiberius, and heir to the Roman Empire following the death of his adoptive brother Germanicus in AD 19. He was born at Rome to a prominent branch of the ''gens Claud ...

was born in 14 BC. Despite Vipsania and Tiberius enjoying a happy marriage, Augustus ordered the two to divorce after the death of Vipsania's father, who was married to Augustus's daughter

Julia the Elder Julia the Elder (30 October 39 BC – AD 14), known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia (Classical Latin: IVLIA•CAESARIS•FILIA or IVLIA•AVGVSTI•FILIA), was the daughter and only biological child of August ...

.Suetonius, ''Tiberius'' 7 Even though Tiberius wished to remain with Vipsania and held disdain for Julia for her purported unfaithfulness, Augustus engaged him to Julia in order to link Tiberius's growing power to the Julian family. At the time of their divorce, Vipsania was pregnant with a second child, who did not survive. Tiberius divorced Vipsania against his will in 11 BC (''non sine magno angore animi'' not without great mental anguish" according to

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era of the Roman Empire. His most important surviving work is a set of biographies ...

) and never ceased to rue his action. On one occasion Tiberius caught sight of Vipsania and followed her with an intent and tearful gaze. Precautions were taken to avoid further embarrassing meetings with her. In 11 BC she married Gaius Asinius Gallus, a Senator and son of the famous orator Gaius Asinius Pollio. They had at least five sons. Vipsania Agrippina died in AD 20, a few days after the ovation of her son Drusus,Tacitus, ''Annals'' 3.19 which took place on 28 May. Tiberius hated Gallus, not least because Gallus claimed that Drusus was his own son. In 30, at Tiberius' instigation, the Senate was to declare Gallus a public enemy. He died in prison in 33, of starvation.

Issue

Vipsania and Gallus' known sons were: * Gaius Asinius Pollio -

Consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states th ...

in 23; exiled as an accuser of a conspiracy and later was put to death on orders from Empress Valeria Messalina. * Marcus Asinius Agrippa -

in 25 and died in the end of 26.

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his two major works—the ...

describes him as "not unworthy of his ancestors". His son Marcus Asinius Marcellus was

in 54, at the time when the Emperor Claudius died. *

Asinius Saloninus Asinius is the nomen of the plebeian Gens Asinia of ancient Rome. Local tradition holds that the Italian town of Assignano derives its name from the gens, as well as the French town of Assignan. * Gaius Asinius Pollio, orator, poet, historian, con ...

(possibly ''Gnaeus'' Asinius Saloninus, sometimes wrongly called ''Salonius''), died in 22.

describes him as an ‘eminent’ person. Saloninus was intended to marry one of the granddaughters of Emperor Tiberius. *

Servius Asinius Celer Servius Asinius Celer (died AD 46) was a Roman senator active during the Principate. He was suffect consul in the second half of the year 38 with Sextus Nonius Quinctilianus as his colleague. Celer was the son of Gaius Asinius Gallus, consul in ...

. He was ''consul suffectus'' in 38. From Emperor

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanic ...

he purchased a fish at an enormous price. He is mentioned in the satire, by Seneca, '' The Pumpkinification of Claudius'', where he is listed among the many people killed by that emperor; his death probably occurred sometime before mid-47. Asinius Celer seems to have had a daughter by the name of Asinia Agrippina, though her existence is obscure. *Asinius Gallus (possibly ''Lucius'' Asinius Gallus, sometimes wrongly called ''Gallo''). In 46 he conspired against Claudius and was forced to go into exile.

Cassius Dio Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...

describes him as being "very small and ugly". Later rehabilitated, he became

in 62. *Gnaeus Asinius. His existence is recorded by the townsfolk of Puteoli, whose patron he was. Nothing else is known about him. It has been proposed that he have been identical with ''Asinius Saloninus'' or the foregoing ''Asinius Gallus'' but since ''Asinius Gallus'' seems to have been ''Lucius Asinius Gallus'' who became a Consul in 60, by exclusion of parts ''Gnaeus Asinius'' may be the ''Asinius Saloninus''. * Besides their sons Vipsania and Gallus likely had at least one daughter, but possibly more.

Pomponia Graecina Pomponia Graecina (d. 83 AD) was a noble Roman woman of the 1st century who was related to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She was the wife of Aulus Plautius, the general who led the Roman conquest of Britain in 43 AD, and was renowned as one of the ...

, was a distinguished lady married to

Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century. He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first governor of the new province, serving from 43 to 46 CE. Career Little is known of Aulus Plautius's e ...

and appears to have been a daughter of a daughter of Vipsania. Plautius was a general in the conquest of

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, which he received as a military ovation.

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 unt ...

murdered their son, reportedly because

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from 49 to 54 AD, the fourth wife and niece of Emperor Claudius. Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Cl ...

, mother of Nero, was in love with him and encouraged him to bid for the throne. Tacitus states that Vipsania was the only one of Agrippa's children to die a natural death. She was one of the leading women of her time, and between 21-23, her son Drusus honored her memory with statues, coins and inscriptions.

Cultural depictions

Robert Graves' novel ''

I, Claudius ''I, Claudius'' is a historical novel by English writer Robert Graves, published in 1934. Written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, it tells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and the early years of the R ...

'' mentions Tiberius following Vipsania with his eyes after their divorce, referencing Suetonius. Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Tiberius. 7. The

television adaptation An adaptation is a transfer of a work of art from one style, culture or medium to another. Some common examples are: * Film adaptation, a story from another work, adapted into a film (it may be a novel, non-fiction like journalism, autobiography, ...

went somewhat further, the second episode included a fairly lengthy scene between Tiberius and Vipsania on the eve of her second marriage, with Tiberius upset and regretting their divorce. She was played by Sheila Ruskin. Deadline announced in December 2022 that Vipsania would be depicted once more on television screens as part of Sky and MGM+’s second season of '' Domina'', played by actress

Joelle Joelle is a feminine given name, and may refer to: * Joelle, actor and singer * Joelle Behlok, Lebanese television presenter and winner Miss Lebanon 1997 * Joelle Carter (born 1972), American actress * Joelle Fishman (born 1946), American politici ...

Notes

External links

Roman coinage and additional information on Vipsania Agrippina
{{Authority control 36 BC births 20 deaths 1st-century BC Roman women 1st-century BC Romans 1st-century Roman women Children of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Julio-Claudian dynasty

Agrippina Agrippina is an ancient Roman cognomen and a feminine given name. People with either the cognomen or the given name include: Cognomen Relatives of the Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa: * Vipsania Agrippina (36 BC–20 AD), first wife of th ...

Wives of Roman emperors Family of Tiberius