Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was born in about 63 BC to a family of equestrian rank, but of unknown rural origins.^[1] His long association with Octavian, the future Augustus, began when they were educated together as youths. Over time, Agrippa became Augustus’ chief military commander and a key supporter in his rise to power, and finally, a pillar of the new Principate.

The Rise to Power

Agrippa began his connection to the Julii family by serving in Caesar’s forces when civil war broke out between Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius. He was present in the field with Octavian at the Battle of Pharsalus. Afterwards, both were sent by Caesar to serve in the Macedonian legions, then preparing for a campaign against Parthia.

The assassination of Caesar set off a scramble for power. Agrippa returned to Italy, raised troops in Campania to support Octavian, and held office as tribune of the plebs after the formation of the Second Triumvirate by Octavian, Marcus Antonius, and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. When war again broke out between the triumvirs and the assassins of Caesar, Agrippa fought with Octavian and Antonius in the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC, defeating the remaining forces of Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. Octavian was left in control of Italy, Antonius of the eastern provinces.

In the following year, Agrippa commanded forces in Octavian’s suppression of a revolt by Marcus Antonius’ brother and wife. After supressing the threat in Italy, Octavian left to take control of the legions in Gaul. Agrippa was made urban praetor in Rome. While organizing the Ludi Apollinares in 40 BC, Agrippa was forced to confront a raid on southern Italy by Pompey’s surviving son, Sextus Pompeius, still in command of a considerable fleet based in Sicily. Agrippa moved quickly and forced Sextus to retreat. Although Marcus Antonius had supported Sextus’ attack, Octavian made peace. However, it was discovered that Salvidienus, Octavian’s senior commander, had offered to betray him to Antonius. Salvidienus was forced to commit suicide, and Agrippa became Octavian’s top commander.

Agrippa the General

Octavian had Agrippa named proconsul of Gaul, where he served from early 39 to the autumn of 38 BC. Agrippa spent his time consolidating Roman rule in the province only recently conquered for Rome by Julius Caesar.^[2] First, Agrippa crossed the river Rhine, as Caesar had famously, on a campaign to pacify the Suebii. He also resettled the Ubii on the west bank of the Rhine at Oppidum Ubiorum (Cologne). In 38, he also suppressed a rising of the Aquitanians in western Gaul.^[3]

While wielding the force of the legions, Agrippa also began the building of Roman structures in the province. In Gaul, he built roads from Lugdunum (Lyon) to Aquitania, another to the upper Rhine, and one to the north with a branch road to Durocortorum (Reims) and another to Augusta Trevirorum (Trier).^[4]

Meanwhile, Octavian continued to be set by instability in Italy and threats from outside. Taxes, shortages of food, and high prices provoked riots in Rome in 39 BC that endangered Octavian’s life. Sextus Pompeius renewed his raids on the coast of Italy and was bought off only by confirmation of his control in the Mediterranean, additional territory in Greece, and a future consulship.^[5] The pact collapsed, and in 38 BC Octavian attempted an attack on Pompeius’ base in Sicily that ended in a defeat and the destruction of the remnants of his fleet in a storm. The defeat damaged Octavian’s authority and provoked renewed rioting in Rome.

Agrippa returned to Rome to join Octavian as consul for 37 BC. Agrippa refused the offer of a triumph for his exploits in Gaul – according to Cassius Dio, because he thought it improper to celebrate during Octavian’s time of trouble.^[6] Octavian negotiated with Antonius to renew the Triumvirate and gained the loans of ships in exchange for troops meant for Antonius’ campaign against Parthia.

Agrippa married Caecilia, daughter of the equestrian Titus Pomponius Atticus, at around this time. Their child Vipsania was later wed to Tiberius, the son of Octavian’s wife Livia.

To confront Sextus, Agrippa first built a safe harbor for the fleet near Naples by cutting through the land separating Lake Lucrinus from the sea, then cutting through to Lake Avernus to serve as an inner harbor. He also introduced larger ships and an improved grappling hook to the Roman fleet. Agrippa devised a three-pronged attack on Sicily, and in 36 BC the fleet under his command won decisive victories at Mylae and Naulochus. All but seventeen of Sextus' ships were destroyed and most of the Pompeians were forced to surrender. Agrippa received the unprecedented honor of a corona rostrata, a crown decorated with the beaks of ships.

Agrippa's father-in-law Atticus, died on the last day of March 32, with Agrippa at the bedside. Agrippa inherited several estates in Greece and was reported deeply moved by Atticus’ death.

After some smaller military actions in the following year, Agrippa returned to Rome in 34 BC. He was not called to command troops again until the outbreak of war between Octavian and Antonius in 31 BC.

Visit the Museum of Actium

Agrippa the Builder

The intervening years were the beginning of Agrippa’s second career emphasis as urban architect. In an unusual step for a former consul, Agrippa stood for election as aedile in 33 BC. Agrippa had streets repaired and made major improvements to enlarge and clean the Cloaca Maxima. He began a renovation and extension of the Aqua Marcia, which entered Rome from the northeast quarter of the city. He also began the construction of a new aqueduct called the Aqua Julia. He also founded a corps of 250 slaves that were to maintain the sewers and aqueducts.^[7]

The alliance between Augustus and his military chief was further strengthened when Agrippa was married to Octavian’s niece Marcella Major.

Following Actium, Octavian solidified his political alliance and friendship with Agrippa. In 28 BC, and Octavian and Agrippa again served together as consuls. The two men accepted censorial powers and conducted a census. In this position, they also revised the roll of the Senate to restore and purged its membership after the years of civil war. Of the 1,000 members, 50 retired voluntarily and 150 were dismissed.^[8]

In 27 BC, Octavian and Agrippa held the consulship together for the third time, and the Senate bestowed upon Octavian the title of Augustus.^[9] Late that year Augustus left for Spain, where he campaigned against the Cantabrians to subdue the last resistance to Roman rule.

He also stimulated the public exhibition of works of art by building porticos and laying out gardens for public recreation. In addition to restoring the Saepta as a public recreation area (rededicated as the Saepta Iulia), Agrippa built the surrounding Porticus Argonautarum and Porticus Meleagri, and the neighboring Stagnum, Thermae Agrippa, and Basilica Neptuni. Many years later, he also built nearby the Porticus Europa (or Porticus Vipsania, in memory of his first daughter), which featured a large map of the known world in considerable detail.

Agrippa the Stalwart

Augustus had fallen ill during his campaign in Hispania in 26 BC. He was still ill and weak when he returned to Rome in 24 BC.^[10] In late 24 or early 23 BC, Augustus’ co-consul Varro Murena spoke out critically of Augustus over the trial and conviction of the proconsul of Macedonia. Murena was later implicated in a mysterious conspiracy against the Princeps, which was uncovered and the conspirators executed. Shortly thereafter, Augustus fell seriously ill and appeared on the verge of death. At this point, he gave his signet ring to Agrippa.^[11]

Miraculously, Augustus recovered. In renewed health, he reorganized his powers to provide a more certain basis for political order and succession. First, he gave up the consulship, which he had held on a permanent basis since Actium. Second, he took proconsular imperium over the entire territory governed by Rome. Finally, he also assumed tribunicia potestas for life, which combined with imperium was the basis for monarchical rule within the structure of the Roman magistracies.^[12]

Later in the year, Augustus conferred proconsular powers on Agrippa for five years, possibly over all the imperial provinces. Agrippa was sent to take control of Syria, the key Roman military center in the eastern provinces. In fact, he sent his legate to Syria and governed by proxy. Agrippa himself remained at Lesbos, perhaps to keep an eye on the legions in Macedonia.^[13]

During Augustus’ illness, Agrippa seems to have been the focus of shadowy efforts to reduce his influence with Augustus. Agrippa was the most powerful leader within the Augustan party after the Princeps.^[14] Augustus’ sister Octavia, however, was trying to secure the succession for her son Marcellus, then Agrippa’s brother-in-law. There are rumors of rivalry between the two, and it has been argued that Agrippa was sent to Syria as some kind of honorable exile from Rome. This is implausible. Given that a large body of Roman troops were concentrated in Syria, it is most likely that Agrippa was positioned specifically to provide military support to Augustus in the event of he needed it. In the event, Marcellus died within the year.^[15]

Agrippa may also have had an ally in Livia, Augustus’ third wife, who hoped to secure the imperial succession for her sons, Tiberius and Drusus. With her blessing, Tiberius had been wed to Agrippa’s daughter Vipsania with Livia’s active encouragement of a familial alliance with the general. Augustus attached Agrippa still more closely to his own family. In 21 BC, he induced Agrippa to divorce Marcella and marry his daughter Julia the Elder, the widow of the late Marcellus. Julia and Agrippa had three sons and two daughters. Augustus adopted Agrippa’s elder sons, Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar. After Agrippa’s death, Tiberius was forced to divorce Vipsania and marry Julia.[16]

On his return in the summer of 18 BC, his proconsular powers were renewed and extended to all the provinces. In 17 Augustus made Agrippa vice-regent of the eastern provinces, which he superintended until 13 BC.^[19] His rule in the east won him the support and respect of the local population, especially among the Jewish residents of Syria. In his last military campaign, Agrippa began the conquest of the upper Danube region in 13 BC, a move intended to strengthen the frontiers and secure the communications lines of the empire from east to west. He did not live to complete this task.

Agrippa’s role as deputy regent exercising proconsular powers with Augustus could not be filled by anyone else. A number of legates held commands with lesser scope during the remainder of Augustus’ rule. Agrippa’s sons Gaius and Lucius had been adopted as Augustus’ heirs and groomed for succession by the Princeps. After their early deaths, however, Livia helped secure the imperial succession for her son Tiberius. Agrippa’s grandson Gaius (through his daughter Agrippina) became the Emperor Caligula, and his great-grandson was the Emperor Nero^[22]

Notes: