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XXI

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Agrippina Senior, Wife of Germanicus, Mother of Caligula

Ancient Roman Coins of Agrippina Senior in the Forum Ancient Coins consignment shop.

VIPSANIA AGRIPPINA, born in 15 BC to Agrippa and Julia, Augustus' daughter, married Germanicus, the son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia, in 5 AD.  They had nine children, of whom six survived to adulthood (Nero Caesar, Drusus Caesar, Caligula, Agrippina Jr., Julia, and Drusilla). Germanicus was an extremely popular military figure, but he mysteriously died at Syrian Antioch in 19, believing he had been poisoned on order of TiberiusAgrippina returned to Rome and blamed Tiberius, and a long "cold war" began. She was finally exiled to the island of Pandateria in 29, where she was starved to death in 33. - Moneta Numismatic Research

Also see ERIC - Agrippina I.

Agrippina Senior. Wife of Germanicus, AD 5-33. Æ Sestertius (36mm, 24.84 g, 7h). Rome mint. Struck under Gaius (Caligula), AD 37-41. Draped bust right / Two mules drawing ornamented carpentum left. RIC I 55 (Gaius). Joe Geranio Collection -  Anyone may use as long as credit is given.



References

American Numismatic Society (ANS) Collections Database Online - http://numismatics.org/search/search
Banti, A. & L. Simonetti. Corpus Nummorum Romanorum. (Florence, 1972-1979).
Burnett, A., M. Amandry & P. Ripollès. Roman Provincial Coinage I: From the death of Caesar to the death of Vitellius (44 BC-AD 69). (London, 1992 and supplement).
Calicó, X. The Roman Avrei, Vol. One: From the Republic to Pertinax, 196 BC - 193 AD. (Barcelona, 2003).
Calicó, X. The Roman Avrei, Vol. One: From the Republic to Pertinax, 196 BC - 193 AD. (Barcelona, 2003).
Cayón, J. Los Sestercios del Imperio Romano, Vol. I: De Pompeyo Magno a Matidia (Del 81 a.C. al 117 d.C.). (Madrid, 1984).
Cohen, H. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire Romain, Vol. 1: Pompey to Domitian. (Paris, 1880).
Giard, J. Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon, des origines au règne de Caligula (43 avant J.-C. - 41 après J.-C.). (Wetteren, 1983).
Giard, J. Monnaies de L'Empire Romain II: De Tebère à Néron. Catalogue Bibliothèque nationale de France. (Paris, 1988).
Mattingly, H. & R. Carson. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol 1: Augustus to Vitellius. (London, 1923).
Robinson, A. Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow, Vol. I. Augustus to Nerva. (Oxford, 1962).
Sear, D. Roman Coins and Their Values, The Millennium Edition, Volume One, The Republic and the Twelve Caesars 280 BC - AD 86. (London, 2000).
Sutherland, C. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. I, From 39 BC to AD 69. (London, 1984).
Toynbee, J. Roman medallions. ANSNS 5. (New York, 1944).
Vagi, D. Coinage and History of the Roman Empire. (Sidney, 1999).


Obverse legends

AGRIPPINAMFGERMANICICAESARIS
AGRIPPINAMFMATCCAESARISAVGVSTI


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Moneta Numismatic Research

VIPSANIA AGRIPPINA was born in 15 BC to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (see AGRIPPA) and Julia, the daughter of Augustu by Scribonia.Agrippina's parents were married in 21 BC after Julia's first husband, Marcellus, died in 23 BC and Augustus wished to make his old friend Agrippa his heir apparent.Agrippina had one sister, Julia (19 BC - 28 AD), and three brothers, Gaius (20 BC - 4 AD), Lucius (17 BC - 2 AD), and Agrippa Postumus (12 BC - 14 AD).Her father died in 12 BC, and her mother in 11 BC married the future Emperor Tiberius, the son of Livia and thus the stepson of Augustus.The marriage was reportedly happy at first but soon floundered.

In 6 BC Tiberius left his family and went into a self-imposed exile on Rhodes.During his absence Julia's affairs became the scandal of Rome and her father Augustus banished her to the island of Pandateria (Ventotene, Italy) in 2 BC.In 4 AD she was allowed to go to Rhegium (Reggio di Calabria, Italy), where she lived until Tiberius had her starved to death when he ascended the throne in 14 AD.

Despite her tumultuous early life, about 5 AD Agrippina married the popular Germanicus, the son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia, and had quite a happy marriage.She developed as much of a virtuous reputation as her mother had a scandalous one.Their happy marriage produced nine children, of whom two died in infancy and one in early childhood.Those who lived to adulthood included three sons and three daughters.The sons were Nero and Drusus Caesars (q.v. - lived 6-31 and 7-33, respectively) and Gaius (see CALIGULA - lived 12-41), and the daughters were Julia Agrippina (see AGRIPPINA JR. - lived 15-59), Julia (known as Livilla, though not the wife of Drusus - lived 18-42), and Julia Drusilla (known as Drusilla - lived 16-38).Agrippina Sr. was thus the mother of the Augustus Caligula, and the grandmother through Agrippina Jr. of the Augustus Nero.

Germanicus began his military career under Tiberius in Pannonia in 7 AD, remaining there until 9 AD.He also served under Tiberius in Germany in 11 AD, and was finally rewarded with a consulship in 12 AD.In 13 Germanicus resumed his duties in Germany as commander-in-chief, and both he and Agrippina were there when Augustus died on August 19, 14 AD.Tiberius succeeded him and the troops along the Rhine and in Pannonia took advantage of the uncertain situation to mutiny in protest against low pay, brutal discipline, and long enlistments.Tiberius sent his son Drusus into Pannonia to quiet the unrest there and ordered his adopted son Germanicus, already in the Rhineland, to quell the disturbances there.The mutiny in Pannonia was led by a soldier named Percennius, and was bloodless, amounting to what today might be known as a "strike".Drusus was able to enter the camp and address the soldiers, reading them a letter from Tiberius.Although the soldiers were unhappy that Drusus instead of Tiberius had come, Drusus found enough loyal soldiers to undermine the mutiny and in a matter of days order was restored and the chief mutineers executed.Germanicus found a much more difficult situation in Germany, and it was the unescorted departure of Agrippina and her two-year-old son Caligula (loosely "Little Boots" from the tiny army boots in which he was dressed) which shamed the first troops back into allegiance. The last legions to return to duty were the V and XXI, among whom a confused battle erupted with great casualties on both sides.Germanicus arrived at the scene of the battle shortly afterward, burst into tears and exclaimed "This is no cure, it's a catastrophe!"

Drusus returned to Rome to serve a term as consul, but Germanicus remained in Germany to channel the energies of the legions into campaigns against the Germans across the Rhine.Agrippina and their children stayed with him in Germany until sometime late in 16 AD, when they returned to Rome.Inthree successive campaigns he carried the war deep into Germany, and in 16 AD even visited the site of the massacre of P. Quinctilius Varus with his three legions in 9 AD (an event which had caused Augustus to fix the border at the Rhine River, and greatly impacted the future of the Empire).Tiberius didn't support the campaigns into Germany, since he supported the Augustan policy of making the Rhine the permanent frontier.Germanicus was even reprimanded for finding the massacre site of Varus, being told it was bad for army morale to see such a sight. Germanicus, who was already popular as the son of Nero Claudius Drusus, gained much more popularity for his victories.Unfortunately he also gained the jealousy of the Imperial family, which favored their own blood-line (Drusus) for the succession.Germanicus was recalled to Rome in 17 AD, given a triumph on May 26 (his children rode in the triumphal chariot with him), and then dispatched to the east to try to settle the Armenian question and negotiate with the Parthian King Artabanus III.Once again Agrippina and their children traveled with him.Germanicus served his second and last consulship in 18 AD.Unfortunately, Tiberius also soon appointed Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso as Governor of Syria, and Piso and Germanicus clashed.Germanicus did successfully carry out his negotiations with the Parthians, but then he visited Egypt and opened the grain reserves to the starving people, which offended Tiberius because Egypt was a closed province, virtually the personal property of the Augustus, with even a different currency than the rest of the Empire.Germanicus' actions also drew the jealousy of Tiberius because he was so popular and enjoyed so much military success that he began to perceive him as a threat.Accordingly, when Germanicus mysteriously died near Antioch on October 10, 19, his dying suspicions were that he had been poisoned by Piso.Agrippina and her children returned to Rome with his ashes and openly accused Tiberius of ordering his death.Tiberius responded by charging Piso, who committed suicide after his trial.The truth may never be known.Germanicus' ashes were finally deposited in the Mausoleum of Augustus.

In the mean time, Tiberius had fallen under the sway of his Praetorian Praefect, Lucius Aelius Sejanus, who was determined to remove all competition for the throne that he might some day claim it for himself.A "cold war" began between Agrippina and Tiberius and Sejanus.Agrippina and her children were for the moment untouchable, since she was the daughter of Agrippa, the grand-daughter of Augustus, and the daughter-in-law of Nero Claudius Drusus.However, Sejanus began to eliminate those of her supporters that he could.He also contrived with Livilla, the wife of Tiberius' son and heir Drusus, to poison him in 23 AD.After his death Nero and Drusus Caesars became the next in line for the throne and thus the primary targets for Sejanus.Caligula, being third in line, was never really groomed or given the attention of an heir to Tiberius, since it was assumed that he would never rule.Agrippina was lonely and asked permission of Tiberius to marry in 26 AD, but he refused her request, fearing that it could strengthen her position.Although the Empress Livia had feared the success of her own grandson Germanicus as a threat to her son Tiberius (especially since Germanicus had Republican sympathies), after the death of Germanicus she became a sort of protectress of Agrippina and her children.Unfortunately Livia (renamed Julia Augusta after the reading of Augustus' will) died in 29 AD.

After her death Sejanus was able to persuade Tiberius that Agrippina was spreading sedition, and in 29 she and her oldest son Nero, who was charged with moral impropriety, were arrested and exiled, she to the island of Pandateria (Ventotene, Italy) and he to the island of Pontia (Isole Ponziane, Italy).Her middle son Drusus was arrested in 30 AD and imprisoned in the palace.Only the eighteen-year-old Caligula remained free, presumably since he was deemed too young to be a serious threat.

Sejanus was now virtually assured of the throne, and indeed was the virtual ruler of Rome, since Tiberius was in Capreae (Capri, Italy - he had taken up permanent residence there in 26 AD).Everything was going in his favor.He had finally in 30 been granted permission to marry Livilla, Livia was dead, Tiberius was in self-imposed exile, the family of Germanicus was virtually exterminated, Drusus was dead, and he had been named co-consul with Tiberius for the year 31 (it was Tiberius' fifth consulship, the third and fourth had been in 18 and 21).Sejanus stepped down from the consulship in May, and was granted the important proconsular power.Yet on October 18, 31, he was denounced to the Senate by a letter from Tiberius, and immediately arrested and executed.The cause of his sudden and unexpected downfall has always been a source of speculation.Some believe it was simply that Tiberius had grown suspicious of all during his withdrawal in Capreae, others that Antonia, the mother of Livilla, had informed Tiberius that Sejanus was plotting the destruction of Gaius, and still others that Tiberius found out that Sejanus was behind the death of Drusus.The first view seems more plausible than the rest since nothing was done to help Agrippina and her sons after the downfall of Sejanus.In any event, Sejanus was dead, his body torn to pieces and thrown in the Tiber by the mob, his statues pulled down, and his two young children murdered.About twenty of Sejanus' closest adherents were executed in the days that followed.Before her suicide, his first wife Apicata informed Tiberius of Livilla's part in the poisoning of Drusus, and Livilla was starved to death, either on Tiberius' order or on her own mother's order.

Agrippina was never released from exile, and was starved to death in 33 AD.Her oldest son Nero had already been put to death in 31 AD, and her middle son Drusus was starved to death in the palace in 33 AD.The surviving son of Agrippina and Germanicus, Caligula, was taken to Capreae in 32 and lived with Tiberius until Tiberius' death in 37.Gaius became Augustus upon the death of Tiberius on March 16, 37 AD, and set about to restore the memory of his mother.He retrieved her remains from Pandateria, gave them a public funeral, deposited them in the Mausoleum of Augustus, and struck coins in her memory.She was finally deified in 42 by her brother-in-law Claudius, who was to marry her daughter Agrippina Jr. in 49.



IONIA, Smyrna. Gaius (Caligula), with Germanicus and Agrippina Senior. AD 37-41. Æ 21mm (6.42 g, 12h). Menophanes, magistrate, and Aviola, proconsul. Struck circa AD 37-38. Laureate head of Gaius (Caligula) right / Draped bust of Agrippina I right, vis-à-vis bare head of Germanicus left. RPC 2471; Klose XXIX, SNG von Aulock 2201. Joe Geranio Collection -  Anyone may use as long as credit is given.

Portrait of Agrippina I -  Photo by Joe Geranio
 

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