Editing Agrippina the Younger (section)

==Reign of Claudius==

===Return from exile===
[[File:Messalinaandbritannicus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Messalina]] holding her son [[Britannicus]] ([[Musée du Louvre|Louvre]])]]
Claudius lifted the exiles of Agrippina and Livilla. Livilla returned to her husband, while Agrippina was reunited with her estranged son. After the death of her first husband, Agrippina tried to make shameless advances on the future emperor [[Galba]]. He showed no interest, being devoted to his wife [[Aemilia Lepida]]. On one occasion, Galba's mother-in-law gave Agrippina a public reprimand and a slap in the face before a whole bevy of married women.<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Galba*.html C. Suetonius Tranquillus] Suetonius. Twelve Caesars: Galba.</ref>

Claudius had Lucius' inheritance reinstated. Lucius became more wealthy despite his youth shortly after [[Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus]] divorced Lucius' aunt, Domitia Lepida the Elder (Lucius' first paternal aunt) so that Crispus could marry Agrippina. They married, and Crispus  became a step-father to Lucius. Crispus was an influential, wealthy and powerful man who served twice as consul. He was the adopted grandson and biological great-great-nephew of the historian [[Sallust]]. Little is known about their relationship, but Crispus soon died and left his estate to Nero.

During the first years his reign, Claudius was married to the Empress Valeria Messalina. Messalina was Agrippina's paternal second cousin. Among the victims of Messalina's intrigues were Agrippina's surviving sister Livilla, who was charged with adultery with [[Seneca the Younger]]. Although Agrippina was very influential at this time, she kept a low profile and stayed away from the imperial palace and the court of the emperor.

Messalina considered Agrippina's son a threat to her son's position and sent assassins to strangle Lucius during his siesta. The assassins left after they saw a snake beneath Lucius' pillow, considering it a bad omen.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Chrystal|first=Paul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VAQkDwAAQBAJ&q=Messalina+lucius+snake&pg=PP102|title=Roman Women: The Women who influenced the History of Rome|date=2017|publisher=Fonthill Media|language=en}}</ref> It was, however, only a sloughed-off snake-skin. By Agrippina's order, the serpent's skin was enclosed in a bracelet that the young Lucius wore on his right arm.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Tacitus|first=Cornelius|title=The Works of Tacitus: The annals, Volume I|publisher=Harper & Brothers|year=1865|location=New York|page=254}}</ref>

In AD 47, Crispus died. At his funeral, a rumour spread that Agrippina had poisoned Crispus to gain his estate. After being widowed a second time, Agrippina was left very wealthy. Later that year, Messalina and Britannicus attended the performance of the Troy Pageant at the [[Secular Games]], where Agrippina was also present with Lucius. Agrippina and Lucius received greater applause from the audience than Messalina and [[Britannicus]] did. Many people began to show pity and sympathy to Agrippina, due to the unfortunate circumstances of her life.<ref>Tacitus ''Annals'' 11.11–12</ref>

===Marriage to Claudius===
Messalina was executed in AD 48 for conspiring with [[Gaius Silius (lover of Messalina)|Gaius Silius]] to overthrow her husband. Around this time, Agrippina became the mistress to one of Claudius' advisers, the Greek [[freedman]] [[Pallas (freedman)|Marcus Antonius Pallas]]. After ending his marriage, Claudius considered remarrying for the fourth time and his advisers began discussing which noblewoman he should marry. Claudius had a reputation that he was easily persuaded; but it has been suggested that the Senate may have pushed for the marriage between Agrippina and Claudius to end the feud between the [[Julia gens|Julian]] and [[Claudia gens|Claudian]] branches.<ref>Scramuzza (1940) pp.&nbsp;91–92. See also Tac. ''Ann.'' XII 6, 7; Suet. ''Claud.'' 26.</ref> This feud dated back to Agrippina's [[Agrippina the Elder|mother's]] actions against Tiberius after the death of Germanicus. Another reason was to bring in Agrippina's son, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, as a candidate for the succession. His prestige as the descendent of Augustus and Germanicus would have helped the survival of Claudius' regime.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Barrett|first=Anthony|title=Agrippina: Mother of Nero |date=2002|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-61863-7|pages=109–111}}</ref>

Claudius was said to have made references to her in his speeches: "my daughter and foster child, born and bred, in my lap, so to speak".<ref>Suetonius, ''The Lives of Twelve Caesars'', Life of Claudius 39</ref> When Claudius decided to marry her, he persuaded a group of senators that the marriage should be arranged in the public interest. In Roman society, an uncle (Claudius) marrying his niece (Agrippina) was considered incestuous and immoral.<ref>Suetonius, ''The Lives of Twelve Caesars'', Life of Claudius 26</ref>

Agrippina and Claudius married on New Year's Day in AD 49 and the marriage was met with widespread disapproval. Agrippina's marriage to Claudius was not based on love, but power{{snd}}possibly being a part of her plan to make her son Lucius the new emperor. Shortly after marrying Claudius, Agrippina eliminated her rival [[Lollia Paulina]] by persuading Claudius to charge Paulina with allegations of [[black magic]] use. Claudius stipulated that Paulina did not receive a hearing and her property was confiscated. She left Italy, but Agrippina was unsatisfied. Allegedly on Agrippina's orders, a tribune forced Lollia Paulina to commit suicide.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals' 12.22</ref>

In the months leading up to her marriage to Claudius, Agrippina's maternal second cousin, the [[praetor]] [[Lucius Junius Silanus Torquatus]], was betrothed to Claudius' daughter [[Claudia Octavia]]. This betrothal was broken off in AD 48, when Agrippina, scheming with the consul [[Lucius Vitellius the Elder]], the father of the future emperor [[Aulus Vitellius]], falsely accused Silanus of incest with his sister [[Junia Calvina]]. Agrippina did this hoping to secure a marriage between Octavia and her son. Consequently, Claudius broke off the engagement and forced Silanus to resign from public office.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 12.4; ''The Lives of Twelve Caesars'', Life of Claudius 27; Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'' LXI.31.8</ref>

Silanus committed suicide on the day that Agrippina married her uncle, and Calvina was exiled from Italy in early AD 49. Calvina was called back from exile after the death of Agrippina. Towards the end of AD 54, Agrippina would order the murder of Silanus' eldest brother [[Marcus Junius Silanus (consul 46)|Marcus Junius Silanus Torquatus]] without Nero's knowledge, so that he would not seek revenge against her over his brother's death.

===Empress===
[[File:CLAUDIUS & AGRIPPINA RIC I 81-2510311.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Denarius]] of Agrippina and Claudius, minted in AD 50–54. She was the first Roman empress to be depicted on official Roman coins in an unambiguous manner<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kleiner |first=Fred S. |date=2020 |title=Review of ''Tracene Harvey, Julia Augusta: images of Rome's first empress on the coins of the Roman Empire. London; New York: Routledge, 2019. 264 p.. ISBN 9781472478689. $112.00.'' |url=https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2020/2020.07.27/ |journal=Bryn Mawr Classical Review}}</ref>]]

Agrippina became empress in AD 49 upon marrying her uncle Claudius. She also became stepmother to [[Claudia Antonia]], Claudius' daughter and only child from his second marriage to [[Aelia Paetina]]; and to the young Claudia Octavia and Britannicus, Claudius' children with Valeria Messalina. Agrippina removed or eliminated anyone from the palace or the [[Royal court|imperial court]] whom she thought was loyal and dedicated to the memory of the late Messalina. She also eliminated or removed anyone whom she considered was a potential threat to her position and the future of her son, one of her victims being Lucius' second paternal aunt and Messalina's mother [[Domitia Lepida|Domitia Lepida the Younger]].

Griffin describes how Agrippina "had achieved this dominant position for her son and herself by a web of political alliances," which included Claudius chief secretary and bookkeeper Pallas, his doctor Xenophon, and Afranius Burrus: the head of the Praetorian Guard (the imperial bodyguard), who owed his promotion to Agrippina. Neither ancient nor modern historians of Rome have doubted that Agrippina had her eye on securing the throne for Nero from the very day of the marriage{{snd}}if not earlier. [[Dio Cassius]] observation seems to bear that out: "As soon as Agrippina had come to live in the palace she gained complete control over Claudius."

In AD 49, Agrippina was seated on a dais at a parade of captives when their leader the [[Celts|Celtic]] King [[Caratacus]] bowed before her with the same homage and gratitude as he accorded the emperor.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 12.37</ref> In AD 50, Agrippina was granted the honorific title of [[Augusta (honorific)|Augusta]]. She was third Roman woman (after [[Livia]] Drusilla and [[Antonia Minor]]) and only the second living Roman woman (the first being Livia) to receive this title.

In her capacity as Augusta, Agrippina quickly became a trusted advisor to Claudius, and by AD 54, she exerted a considerable influence over the decisions of the emperor. Statues of her were erected in many cities across the Empire and her face appeared on official Roman coins unambiguously, a first for a living empress.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kleiner |first=Fred S. |date=2020 |title=Review of ''Tracene Harvey, Julia Augusta: images of Rome's first empress on the coins of the Roman Empire. London; New York: Routledge, 2019. 264 p.. ISBN 9781472478689. $112.00.'' |url=https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2020/2020.07.27/ |journal=Bryn Mawr Classical Review}}</ref> In the Senate, her followers were advanced with public offices and governorships. She listened to the [[Senate]] from behind the scenes.{{citation needed|reason=could not find sources that this happened under Claudius, though it exists for Nero|date=January 2025}} According to Cassius Dio, Agrippina was often present with Claudius in public, seated on her own platform, when he was transacting government businesses or receiving foreign ambassadors.<ref>Cassius Dio, ''[[Historia Romana]]'' LX.33.7.</ref> Pliny the Elder writes that he saw her seated beside the emperor during [[Naumachia|mock naval combats]], wearing a golden cloak.<ref>Pliny, ''Natural History'' 33.19; Tacitus, ''Annals'' 12.56</ref> Tacitus claims that she boasted being a "partner in the empire".<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 12.37</ref> However, this privileged position caused resentment among the senatorial class and the imperial family.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Also that year, Claudius founded a Roman colony and called the colony ''Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensis'' or ''Agrippinensium'', today known as [[Cologne]], after Agrippina who was born there.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 12.27</ref> This was the only Roman colony to be named after a Roman woman. In AD 51, she was given a ''carpentum:'' a ceremonial carriage usually reserved for priests such as the [[Vestal Virgin]]s and sacred statues. That same year she secured the appointment of [[Sextus Afranius Burrus]] as the head of the [[Praetorian Guard]], replacing the previous head of the Praetorian Guard, [[Rufrius Crispinus]].<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' 12.42</ref>

She assisted Claudius in administering the empire and became very wealthy and powerful. Ancient sources claim that Agrippina successfully influenced Claudius into adopting her son and making him his successor. Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus was adopted by his great maternal uncle and stepfather in AD 50. Lucius' name was changed to ''[[Nero]] Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus'' and he became Claudius's adopted son, heir and recognized successor. Agrippina and Claudius betrothed Nero to his step sister Claudia Octavia, and Agrippina arranged to have [[Seneca the Younger]] return from exile to tutor the future emperor. Claudius chose to adopt Nero because of his Julian and Claudian lineage.<ref>Tacitus, ''Annals'' XII.25.</ref>

Agrippina deprived Britannicus of his heritage and further isolated him from his father and succession for the throne in every way possible. For instance, in AD 51, Agrippina ordered the execution of Britannicus' tutor Sosibius. Sosibus had confronted her, outraged by Claudius' adoption of Nero and his choice of Nero as successor over his own son Britannicus.<ref>Some compare this to when Tiberius had chosen Caligula and the other grandson [[Tiberius Gemellus]] "without any approbation."  Why would there be any approbation?  Tiberius had few descendants and Gemellus was the youngest of all of them.  First Tiberius designated the older brothers of Caligula (his adopted son's sons) as his successors. Later he accused and imprisoned them.  All he had left was Caligula (by then over 20) and Gemellus (under 10).  There would be more approbation for overlooking Caligula in Gemellus' favour.</ref>

Nero and Octavia were married on 9 June AD 53. Claudius later regretted marrying Agrippina and adopting Nero and began to favor Britannicus, preparing him for the throne. These actions gave Agrippina a motive to allegedly eliminate Claudius. Ancient sources say she poisoned Claudius on 13 October AD 54 with a plate of [[Mushroom poisoning|deadly mushrooms]] at a banquet, thus enabling Nero to quickly take the throne as emperor. Accounts vary wildly with regard to this private incident, and according to more modern sources, it is possible that Claudius died of natural causes, being 63 years old. In the aftermath of Claudius's death, Agrippina, who initially kept the death secret, tried to consolidate power by immediately ordering that the palace and the capital be sealed. After all the gates were blockaded and exit of the capital forbidden, she introduced Nero first to the soldiers and then to the senators as emperor.<ref name="yyroia" />