- Vipsania Agrippina (14 BCE – 17 October 33 CE) was the wife of Germanicus and the mother of Caligula.
Family
- She was the granddaughter of Augustus, sister-in-law to Claudius, grandmother to Nero, mother to Caligula.
- She had three sons, Nero, Drusus and Caligula.
Death of Germanicus in Syria
- In 18 CE, taking his wife and family with him, Germanicus was posted to Syria as an Envoy and conducted peaceful negotiations on Tiberius‘ behalf with the Frontier Kingdoms.
- In 19 CE, after a visit to Egypt, Germanicus fell ill. Just before he died, he accused Piso, the Governor of Syria of poisoning him.
- Agrippina returned to Rome and publicly accused Piso of her husband’s murder. Piso was summoned by the Roman Senate to explain himself, and afterwards committed suicide.
Agrippina’s Exile by Tiberius
- In 29 CE, Agrippina the Elder and two of her sons, Nero and Drusus, were arrested on a false accusation by Tiberius of planning to take sanctuary, and put on Trial before the Roman Senate.
- Agrippina was banished as an Exile to the island of Ventotene (Pandateria), the same island to which her mother had been banished.
- In 33 CE she died there of starvation.
Agrippina’s Children
- Two of her sons, Nero and Drusus, died in Rome, either of starvation or they committed suicide.
- Caligula, the third son, escaped this fate, as he was invited to stay with Tiberius in his villa at Capri in 31 CE.
Caligula
- Caligula became Emperor in 37 CE after Tiberius died.
- As soon as he was crowned Emperor, Caligula, went to Ventotene, and returned both with his Mother’s ashes and those of his brother Nero.
- The urn containing her ashes was placed on the bows of a Bireme that was ceremoniously rowed up the Tiber into Rome. The ashes were then placed in the Mausoleum of Augustus.
Ventotene