Agrippina and Messalina: Women Whom Men Desired But Who Loved Power More

Julia Agrippina, or Julia the Younger, known as Agrippinilla, was born around 9AD. She was the daughter of Germanicus (whose mother was Antonia, the daughter of Marc Antony) and Agrippina (the granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus the Divine). She was the niece and adopted daughter of the Emperor Tiberius, sister of Caligula and the mother of Nero. She was a scion of the Imperial family and was immersed in Court intrigue from the day she was born. She was beautiful, ruthless, domineering, violent and ambitious.

Valeria Messalina, though certainly not of low birth, did not emerge from such exalted circles. Even so she was a regular attendee of the parties thrown at the Imperial Palace. This vicious and scheming woman, who was little more than a girl, was to become the most powerful person in Rome, more powerful than the Emperor himself. She certainly thought so.

Agrippina’s life was one fraught with danger. As a daughter of the Imperial family her life was in the hands of others and was dictated by the requirements of State policy. A series of politically determined marriages followed. However, her life remained fairly conventional until her brother Gaius ascended to the throne as the Emperor Caligula (Little Boot) in 37AD.

Caligula, was notoriously fond of his sisters, particularly, Drusilla. He is believed to have had an incestuous relationship with all of his sisters, and certainly enjoyed forcing his sisters to have sex in public with his friends. After Drusilla died, apparently at his own hands after she revealed that she was pregnant with his child, his relationship with his other sisters changed. He no longer trusted them. Accusing them of plotting against him he had them exiled to the Pontine Islands. He then auctioned (something he felt he had a penchant for) all their worldly goods. Agrippina and her sister Livilla, were forced to dive for sponges to make ends meet, and to work for a living.

Caligula’s reign was short, however. Thought to be insane, he was murdered on 24 January, 41AD, after less than 4 years in power. Caligula had been the victim of a Republican plot and an attempt had been made to murder the entire Imperial family. Despite also killing Caligula’s wife and baby daughter they failed to murder his uncle Claudius, who was found cowering behind a curtain in the Imperial Palace and proclaimed Emperor by the Praetorian Guard. Caligula’s assassins were hunted down and executed.