The Achievements of Agrippina

The achievements of Agrippina the younger

Through different perspectives and interpretations of Agrippina, her portrayal has been viewed differently. Her life has been analyzed through her reputation, relationships, power and her achievements. Through the evidence, it cannot be concluded that her life was managed through the significance of her reputations or even achievements alone. It is a combination of these that create the perspective that one may view today.

Agrippina’s reputation was built through a tragic portrayal. Her father, Germanicus played a major role in establishing a path for her to achieve her goal. When Nero was born she had begun to use the reputation of her father. Her father, was seen as a great general, and had the loyalty of the army. Nero had the greater applause than Claudius and Brittanicus. The people still remembered Germanicus and still respected him and his descendants. He was seems as a martyr since he died before he gained his potential greatness. As the mother of Nero, one can conclude that one would be held in a higher regard since she was Germanicus’ daughter but also the mother of Nero. Though women were not as reputed, mothers would generally have tried to gain gratification through their sons.

Most of Agrippina’s marriages had come through her reputation. Not only was she the daughter of Germanicus, but was of direct descent from Augustus, and grand-daughter to Livia. Tacitus frequently portrayed the women of the Julio-claudian dynasty as very unscrupulous. However, every member of the dynast accepted that they would have to achieve their reputation through their relationships with men that had power. Women of this dynasty also had to have a man to perform decisions on her behalf since a woman had a guardian, who was a man. Through these relationships with men, Agrippina became stronger with more power. She became immensely rich when she married Gaius Sallustius Passienus. This was a stepping stone to her next...