Agrippina - Rome’s Most Powerful Woman?

Is it fair to describe Julia Agrippina as Rome’s most powerful woman? And was she Rome’s first true empress? Julia Agrippina, better known as Agrippina the Younger, was born in Cologne in AD 15. She was granddaughter of Augustus, sister of Caligula, wife (and niece) of Claudius and mother of Nero. One of the most prominent women of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, she’s universally recognised for her resolute quest for power for both herself and her son, Nero. Does the re-evaluation of Nero in the exhibition Nero: the man behind the myth (27 May – 24 October) also shed new light on the woman described by both ancient and modern sources as power-hungry, ruthless, ambitious and even murderous? This panel discussion will explore the life, death and legacy of Agrippina. Chaired by Natalie Haynes, writer, broadcaster, classicist and comedian, and in conversation with Francesca Bologna, Nero Project Curator.