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My Library is for my historical and academic pursuits. Here you will find the books I have written as well as the books I have acquired for my collection from other citizens. Please feel free to browse! Here you will also find a collection of posts that I have made to historical and academic boards. My particular historical interests in Ancient Rome are the late Republic period and Marcus Agrippa.
I am sorry that the autobiography of Marcus Agrippa was lost. I would love to know why he suppressed his cognomen of Vipsanius. I know many have postulated why, but I would like to know from the man himself. Perhaps he mentioned this in his autobiography. I would also like to know more about his relationships with women. What happened to his first wife, Caecilia Pomponia Attica, who he must have been very fond of. He cried when her father Atticus died. Why is there no mention of her and her fate? And is it true that there was something between Agrippa and Octavia as implied by HBO's Rome and by Zonaras, the historian who misinterpreted Dio and mistook the greek word adelphide (niece) for adelphe (sister). Agrippa did marry Claudia Marcella Major daughter of Octavia and niece of Augustus.
What of Agrippa's father, Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa and what of Agrippa's mother. Can we assume from Agrippa's sister's name Vipsania Polla that Agrippa's mother's name was Polla? Was Polla a feminization of the cognomen Pollio, Paullus, Pollus, or Paulinus?
Agrippa is purported to have been of equestrian stock and is also said to have come from a wealthy family. How else could Agrippa have come into contact with Julius Caesar while still a youth?
An inscription was found in Arpino (ancient Arpinum) that listed Marcus Tullius Cicero, Gaius Marius, and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa as native sons. However, the cognomen Vipsanius might have roots in Illyria, Etruria, or Verona.
Agrippa fathered seven children:
1. Vipsania Agrippina born in 36 BC. Vipsania's mother was Caecilia Attica, daughter to Pomponius Atticus, knight and friend of Marcus Tullius Cicero. This marraiged was brokered by Marcus Antonius. It is unknown whether Caecilia Attica died or whether Agrippa divorced her to marry Claudia Marcella Maior.
2. Vipsania Marcella born 27 BC. Her mother was Claudia Marcella Maior, Octavia Minor's daughter and niece to Augustus. A point of interest: there has been identified on the Ara Pacis the figure of a boy purported to be the son of Agrippa and Claudia Marcella Maior. The boy is not named and his face is not distinguishable.
3. Gaius Caesar, Vipsania Julia, Lucius Caesar, Agrippina the elder, and Agrippa Postumus whose mother was Julia the elder, daughter of Augustus. The fate of Julia and her children by Agrippa has been well documented so I will not revisit it here.
Vipsania Agrippina was betrothed to Tiberius Claudius Nero before she was a year old. Vipsania and Tiberius were married in either 20 BC or 16 BC. In 13 BC she gave birth to Nero Claudius Drusus. In 12 BC her father, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa died. In 11 BC Tiberius was pressured to divorce Vipsania and marry Julia, Agrippa's widow and the daughter of Augustus. At the time, Vipsania was pregnant and lost the baby due to the shock of the forced divorce. In 11 BC Vipsania married well to Gaius Asinius Gallus Saloninus (consul in 8 BC, proconsul of Asia in 6 to 5 BC) and eventually gave him at least six sons. Vipsania died in 20 AD and her remains were interred in the Mausoleum of Augustus. This honor was normally reserved for the Imperial family. It is thought that this exception was made due to Tiberius' enduring love for Vipsania.
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I have just finished Marcus Agrippa: Organizer of Victory written by F. A. Wright 1937. Please see my journal for my thoughts.
I have begun reading a biography of Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix. To me Sulla is an interesting historical character, born of Patricians, but statusless due to lack of money. Patron of the arts and a brilliant general. Sulla is quite often ridiculed because of his proscriptions and the elimination of Marius and his supporters. I am curious why Octavian/Augustus committed similar proscriptions, but has escaped the same ridicule as Sulla. I harbor more animosity toward Octavian/Augustus because he allowed Mark Antony to add Cicero's name to the list of those to be murdered.
Left: © Pictures of Rome courtesy of Rome.info
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