Agrippina

Agrippina is a feminine given name of Latin origin that is most often associated with two prominent Roman noblewomen of the Julio-Claudian dynasty: Agrippina the Elder and her daughter, Agrippina the Younger.

Agrippina the Elder (c. 14 BCE–AD 33) was a daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. She married Germanicus, a leading general and heir to the imperial line, and their children included Caligula and Agrippina the Younger. After Germanicus’s death, she became implicated in dynastic intrigues connected to the succession and spent periods in exile, dying in AD 33. Her lineage contributed significantly to the early imperial family’s connections and power struggles.

Agrippina the Younger (AD 15–59), also known as Julia Agrippina, was the daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder and the sister of Caligula. She married Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and bore Nero. After Caligula’s death, she aligned with Emperor Claudius and became empress through their marriage in 51. Agrippina the Younger was a central actor in court politics, promoting Nero’s rise and shaping policy during Claudius’s reign. Her influence and eventual fallout with Claudius and Nero are notable features of the period, and she was likely murdered—on Nero’s orders or with his approval—reflecting the volatile nature of succession politics in early imperial Rome.

Beyond these figures, Agrippina remains a historic given name associated with Roman imperial lineage and the broader narrative of Julio-Claudian rule.