Marcus Agrippa: Power behind the throne
Summary
Mary Beard and Charlotte Higgins explore the life of Marcus Agrippa, the indispensable right-hand man to Emperor Augustus. They discuss Agrippa’s crucial military victories, such as Actium, and his extensive infrastructure projects in Rome, including aqueducts and the Cloaca Maxima. The hosts analyze his complex relationship with Augustus, highlighting his role in succession planning through his marriages into the imperial family. Despite his immense power, Agrippa remains a shadowy figure in history, overshadowed by Augustus’s propaganda.
Topics discussed
Introduction to the Odyssey and the episode's theme
Who was Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa?
The chaotic backdrop of the Roman Civil Wars
Augustus's rise to power and Agrippa's role
Reconstructing Agrippa's life from sparse sources
Agrippa's military leadership and the Battle of Philippi
The Battle of Actium and Agrippa's tactical genius
Agrippa's infrastructure projects: aqueducts and sewers
Building Rome: public baths and urban renewal
Marriages and political alliances with the imperial family
Succession planning and the Agrippa-Julia children
Tensions with Augustus and the retreat to Lesbos
Agrippa's death and burial in the Mausoleum
Legacy: The Pantheon, maps, and historical memory
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