Agrippa

Also known as: young Agrippa / young Prince · Family: imperial household · Role: grandson of Augustus · First appears: Annals I (2)

Agrippa was the grandson of Augustus, who secretly sailed to Planasia with no other retinue to visit him. Augustus also raised him among those placed in succession to his own rank, after Marcellus and Agrippa and alongside the imperial family. Agrippa was the child of Vipsania and the father of Agrippina; Vipsania later died, described as the only one of Agrippa’s children to make a peaceful end.

At the beginning of Tiberius’ reign, “The first feat of this new reign was the murder of young Agrippa:” Tiberius and Livia were identified as probable agents, with Agrippa regarded as both hated and feared by them and as a rival to Tiberius. Sallustius Crispus, who shared Tiberius’ secret counsels, sent the centurion the warrant authorizing the assassination and feared being prosecuted for it. Later, Agrippa secretly left Rome and sailed to join Vespasian, while his sister Berenice showed equal enthusiasm for the cause.

Relationship record

Life events

Young Agrippa was murdered, probably on the orders of Tiberius and Livia.(Annals I (2))
- With: Tiberius Livia
- “The first feat of this new reign was the murder of young Agrippa:”
Sallustius Crispus sent the warrant authorizing Agrippa’s assassination.(Annals I (2))
- With: Sallustius Crispus
- “and had sent the Centurion the warrant:”
Agrippa secretly left Rome and sailed to join Vespasian.(Histories II.78-81 · 📍 Rome)
- With: Vespasian
- “Before long Agrippa, too, received a secret summons from his friends at home, and leaving Rome without the knowledge of Vitellius, sailed as fast as he could to join Vespasian.”

Annals I (2)

elder kin: Augustus (Grandfather to grandson.) “had, with no other retinue, sailed secretly over to the Island of Planasia, there to visit his Grandson Agrippa;”
enemies with Tiberius (Tiberius is implicated in Agrippa's murder.) “More probable it is, that this hasty murder was purely the work of Tiberius and Livia; that the young Prince, hated and dreaded by both, fell thus untimely, to rid the one of his apprehensions and a rival,”
rivals with Tiberius (Agrippa is explicitly described as Tiberius's rival.) “that the young Prince, hated and dreaded by both, fell thus untimely, to rid the one of his apprehensions and a rival,”
enemies with Livia (Livia is implicated in Agrippa's murder and identified as his stepmother.) “More probable it is, that this hasty murder was purely the work of Tiberius and Livia; that the young Prince, hated and dreaded by both, fell thus untimely, to rid the one of his apprehensions and a rival, and to satiate in the other the rancorous spirit of a step-mother.”
enemies with Sallustius Crispus (Sallustius Crispus sent the warrant for the assassination of Agrippa.) “This alarmed Sallustius Crispus, who shared in all his secret counsels, and had sent the Centurion the warrant: he dreaded that he should be arraigned for the assassination,”

Annals I (12)

child: Agrippina “the brave Agrippa her father;”

Annals III (5)

child: Vipsania “A few days after died Vipsania his mother; of all the children of Agrippa, the only one who made a pacific end:”

Annals VI (7)

rivals with Tiberius “he long struggled there with many potent rivals, during the lives of Marcellus and Agrippa;”

Histories I.14-16

with Augustus (Augustus was Agrippa's father-in-law.) “In so doing I am following the precedent set by the sainted Augustus, who raised to the rank next himself first his nephew Marcellus, then his son-in-law Agrippa, then his daughter's sons, and finally his stepson Tiberius Nero.”

Histories II.78-81

friends with Vespasian (Agrippa joined Vespasian's cause.) “Before long Agrippa, too, received a secret summons from his friends at home, and leaving Rome without the knowledge of Vitellius, sailed as fast as he could to join Vespasian.”
siblings with Berenice (Berenice is explicitly identified as Agrippa's sister.) “Before long Agrippa, too, received a secret summons from his friends at home, and leaving Rome without the knowledge of Vitellius, sailed as fast as he could to join Vespasian. His sister Berenice showed equal enthusiasm for the cause.”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of Tacitus — The Histories & The Annals (Books I-VI) & Agricola. Made with Rho MD.