Agrippina II Sources Task
Examine all the sources on Agrippina II and write down what they tell us about Agrippina II. Include sources from your handouts and/or textbook.
Source / What information does it give us? / What is the purpose/bias?Sestersius of Caligula / The names of Caligula’s sisters
Shows importance of sisters to Gaius and prominence in society
Good for comparison of status to later fates/depictions / Piece of political propaganda as the qualities that Gaius wanted associated with his reign – Fortuna, Concordia, Securitas – increased prestige of sisters
Aureas of Claudius and Agrippina II / Political alliance – each shown on one side of coin.
Equality of power. / To demonstrate her as ‘co-ruler’ – gives doubt to written sources that he married her for sexual reasons – propaganda.
This indicates a political alliance – it was not practice to put your wife on a coin.
Agrippina II bust / Shows an honour by the wearing of the diadem – religious symbolism – diadem’s worn by goddesses.
Promotes her position. / Shown as compared to a goddess – not a mere mortal.
Reinforces the relationship to the gods – divine blood.
First coin struck by Nero / Equality as they are facing each other.
Promotes her position more than Nero because her inscription is on the front / Prominent, influential over Nero.
Nero willing to promote her.
Seen as divine – due to inscription.
Propaganda to promote herself – but not on her own therefore needs a man.
Aureas on Agrippina II and Nero / She is now behind him – shows a loss of power/influence.
Inscription does not refer her – Nero is son of divine Claudius. / Nero trying assert himself as emperor.
Gradual attempt to remove her influence.
Coin of Agrippina II
Nero and Agrippina II statute / She is shown to be ‘crowning’ Nero.
Found at Aphrodisias. / Indicates that the provinces thought she was responsible for Nero’s reign.
Evidence of her position outside of Rome.
Gemma Claudia / 4 people on it – Germanicus and Ag I, Claudius and Agrippina II
Piece of jewelry. / Attempt to get public to accept the incestuous marriage by comparing it to the ideal marriage of Germanicus and Agrippina I.
Propaganda – showing validity/success of marriage.
Tacitus / 4 extracts describing events during Claudius and Nero’s reign – highlights her power and influence and then how it changes. / ‘That a woman should preside before the Roman standard…was without precedent’
‘Agrippina…could give her son the empire but could not endure him as emperor’
‘everything she valued less than power’
Suetonius / Tells anecdotal stories – selects interesting stories even without checking if they are true.
Dio Cassius / 3 extracts – talks about her influence / ‘Agrippina became a second Messalina’
‘Agrippina flatters everyone who is well off and murdered for this reason’
‘although she exercised the same power as Claudius she desired to have his title’
‘nothing seemed to be enough for Agrippina’
Salmon / 2 extracts – one about her downfall and other about marriage – indicates Claudius not duped by her in comparison to the ancient sources / More balanced by disguised negative – ‘wade through slaughter’ – he is critical of her character but acknowledges her influence
Bauman / Recent scholar – but negative. / ‘Within 2-3 years of her marriage she had virtually ousted Brittanicus from the succession’
‘she had forced an emperor whom she dominated completely to bypass his own son’
Syme / Indicates her ambition – to promote her son and herself. / Negative attitude – deserves her reputation – ‘criminality’
Barrett / Makes a comment about the nature of her rule with Claudius. / More positive – compares rule of Gaius (bad) and good rule with Claudius and then comments that with Nero – his rule at his best with his mother. Acknowledges her administrative abilities
Scullard / An older modern source – very negative / ‘she struck down a series of victim’
‘her weapons were poison or a trumped up charge’
‘now meant to rule through her son’
Leadbetter / Article looks at her as a politician. More positive throughout most of the article. / ‘They [Seneca and Burrus] recoiled from her ruthless domination’
‘Agrippina was in control…in an almost male tyranny’
‘In the end Nero could neither rule with her nor without her’
Wood / Recent book / ‘determined to play more than symbolic role in government’
‘cities and private patrons throughout the empire honoured her as their benefactor’
‘Agrippina was the first and only women… to demand real and official power…’
Also look at Barbara Levick for a more modern interpretation!