Vipsania Agrippina (; 36 BC – 20 AD) was the first wife of the Emperor Tiberius. 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 buildi ...

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, the best friend of Cicero.

Biography

She was betrothed by Augustus and her father to Tiberius, the stepson of Augustus, before her first birthday. They were married around 19 BC. Their son Drusus Julius Caesar 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.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 in 23; exiled as an accuser of a conspiracy and later was put to death on orders from Empress Valeria Messalina. * Marcus Asinius Agrippa - Consul in 25 and died in the end of 26. Tacitus describes him as "not unworthy of his ancestors". His son Marcus Asinius Marcellus was Consul in 54, at the time when the Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

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. Tacitus 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 Germanicu ...

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

and was forced to go into exile. Cassius Dio describes him as being "very small and ugly". Later rehabilitated, he became Consul 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, was a distinguished lady married to Aulus Plautius and appears to have been a daughter of a daughter of Vipsania. Plautius was a general in the conquest of Britain, which he received as a military ovation. Nero 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-Claud ...

, 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'' 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.

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