Agrippina the Elder at the Archaeological Museum of Venice

“Head of Agrippina the Elder”

Sculpture – Marble (Height 41 cm) 37–41 AD

Agrippina the Elder Agrippina the Elder was born in Athens in 14 BC and died in the year 33.

Granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, Agrippina was the mother of Emperor Caligula and the grandmother of Emperor Nero.

She married her cousin, General Germanicus, who was adopted by Tiberius on the orders of Augustus.

Agrippina had nine children with Germanicus, but only six of them reached adulthood.

Among these six children were Agrippina the Younger and the future Emperor Caligula.

Agrippina the Elder Agrippina was very close to her husband Germanicus, to the extent that she accompanied him on his military campaigns.

This display of courage meant that she was regarded as a heroic and perfect wife.

As they became increasingly popular in Rome, the couple Agrippina and Germanicus were beginning to cast a little too much of a shadow over Tiberius, who therefore decided to send them to the East, where Germanicus met his death near Antioch in the year 19.

Having no direct heir, as his son had been murdered, and although he distrusted Agrippina, who did not love him, Tiberius relinquished power in the year 37 and appointed Caligula, Agrippina’s son, to succeed him.

Agrippina the Elder