Augusta Agrippina (reigned 50 CE – 59 CE)
Agrippina was born into Roman royalty. She was the ambitious great-granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, daughter of Agrippina the Elder and Germanicus, and Emperor Caligula’s sister. After her first husband died, she married her uncle Emperor Claudius, and maneuvered to have her son Nero named successor. He declared her Augusta (Empress), and served as an advisor.
Nero became Emperor when Claudius died in 54 CE. Historians suspect Agrippina had a hand in Claudius’s demise. Nero’s reign gave Augusta Agrippina more power and influence than any woman in Roman history. Over time, Nero crawled out from under his mother’s influence and Agrippina’s power faded, and Nero had her removed from court. To prevent her from provoking a civil war, Nero had her killed in 59 CE.
