On This Day

54 Agrippina the Younger murders her husband, Roman Emperor Claudius, with poison to secure the succession for her son N

54 Agrippina the Younger murders her husband, Roman Emperor Claudius, with poison to secure the succession for her son Nero

Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero.

Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She was the great-granddaughter of Augustus (the first Roman emperor) and the daughter of the Roman general Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder. Her father, Germanicus, was the nephew and heir apparent of the second emperor, Tiberius. Agrippina's brother Caligula became emperor in AD 37. After Caligula was assassinated in AD 41, Germanicus' brother Claudius took the throne.

Historical Significance

Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero.

Key People

Agrippina the Younger

Roman empress from AD 49 to 54

Roman empress from AD 49 to 54

Claudius

Roman emperor from AD 41 to 54

Roman emperor from AD 41 to 54

Nero

Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68

Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68

Events Before

  1. 48 BC Caesar's Civil War: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey the Great at the Battle of Pharsalus, forcing Pompey t

    48 BC Caesar's Civil War: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey the Great at the Battle of Pharsalus, forcing Pompey to flee to Egypt

  2. 49 Roman Emperor Claudius marries his fourth wife and niece Agrippina the Younger

    Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of…

  3. 49 BC Julius Caesar defies the Roman Senate and crosses the Rubicon, uttering "alea iacta est" (the die is cast), signal

    49 BC Julius Caesar defies the Roman Senate and crosses the Rubicon, uttering "alea iacta est" (the die is cast), signaling the start of civil war and his appointment as Roman dictator for life

  4. 49 BC Julius Caesar's general Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River by the Numid

    49 BC Julius Caesar's general Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River by the Numidians under Publius Attius Varus and King Juba I of Numidia. Curio commits suicide to avoid capture

  5. 52 BC Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, surrenders to the Romans under Julius Caesar, ending the siege and Battle of A

    52 BC Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, surrenders to the Romans under Julius Caesar, ending the siege and Battle of Alesia

Events After

  1. 60 St. Paul is thought to have been shipwrecked at Malta

    Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa.

  2. 64 Great Fire of Rome begins under the Emperor Nero

    Early Christians were heavily persecuted throughout the Roman Empire until the 3rd century.

  3. 64 Circus Maximus in Rome catches fire

    64 Circus Maximus in Rome catches fire

More from the 50s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 13, 54?
Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero. Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She was the great-granddaughter of Augustus (the first Roman emperor) and the daughter of the Roman general Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder.
Why is 54 Agrippina the Younger murders her husband, Roman Emperor Claudius, with po... significant?
Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero.
Who was involved in 54 Agrippina the Younger murders her husband, Roman Emperor Claudius, with po...?
Key figures include Agrippina the Younger (Roman empress from AD 49 to 54), Claudius (Roman emperor from AD 41 to 54), Nero (Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68).

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