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Marcus Agrippa: Right-Hand Man of Caesar Augustus
The authoritative biography of the ancient Roman general and loyal deputy to Emperor Augustus by the acclaimed historian and author of Augustus at War.
When Gaius Octavius became the first emperor of Rome, Marcus Agrippa was by his side. As the emperor's loyal deputy, he waged wars, pacified provinces, beautified Rome, and played a crucial role in establishing the Pax Romana--but he always served knowing that he would never rule in his own name. Why he did so, and never grasped power for himself, has perplexed historians for centuries. In this authoritative biography, historian Lindsay Powell offers a penetrating new assessment of Agrippa's life and achievements.
Following Caesar's assassination, Agrippa was instrumental in asserting the rights of his friend Gaius Octavius as the dictator's heir, seeing him crowned Emperor Augustus. Agrippa then established a reputation as a bold admiral, defeating Marcus Antonius and Queen Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, and ending bloody rebellions in the Cimmerian Bosporus, Gaul, Hispania, and Illyricum.
Agrippa was also an influential statesman and architect. He established the vital road network that turned Julius Caesar's conquests into viable provinces, overhauled Rome's drains and aqueducts, and built the original Pantheon. Marrying Augustus's daughter, Julia the Elder, Agrippa became co-ruler of the Roman Empire until his death in 12 BC. His bloodline lived on in the imperial family, through Agrippina the Elder, his grandson Caligula, and great-grandson Nero.
When Gaius Octavius became the first emperor of Rome, Marcus Agrippa was by his side. As the emperor's loyal deputy, he waged wars, pacified provinces, beautified Rome, and played a crucial role in establishing the Pax Romana--but he always served knowing that he would never rule in his own name. Why he did so, and never grasped power for himself, has perplexed historians for centuries. In this authoritative biography, historian Lindsay Powell offers a penetrating new assessment of Agrippa's life and achievements.
Following Caesar's assassination, Agrippa was instrumental in asserting the rights of his friend Gaius Octavius as the dictator's heir, seeing him crowned Emperor Augustus. Agrippa then established a reputation as a bold admiral, defeating Marcus Antonius and Queen Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, and ending bloody rebellions in the Cimmerian Bosporus, Gaul, Hispania, and Illyricum.
Agrippa was also an influential statesman and architect. He established the vital road network that turned Julius Caesar's conquests into viable provinces, overhauled Rome's drains and aqueducts, and built the original Pantheon. Marrying Augustus's daughter, Julia the Elder, Agrippa became co-ruler of the Roman Empire until his death in 12 BC. His bloodline lived on in the imperial family, through Agrippina the Elder, his grandson Caligula, and great-grandson Nero.
685 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 19, 2014
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About the author
Lindsay Powell
26 books48 followersLINDSAY POWELL is a historical detective. He is motivated to tell the stories of the under-reported personalities and events of history in the belief that they deserve to be told to complete our understanding of the past.
A historian and writer, Lindsay has a particular passion for the military history of the Roman Empire. He scours ancient documents, inscriptions, coins and museums for stories, and archaeological, engineering, medical and scientific reports to reveal deeper truths.
He was news editor of Ancient Warfare (2011-2016) and continues to contribute to the magazine. He has written for Military Heritage, Desperta Ferro and Strategy & Tactics magazines, as well as Pen and Sword Books, Osprey Publishing, The History Network and UNRV.com. Lindsay is a veteran of the world renowned Ermine Street Guard. His appearances include BBC Radio and The History Channel,
He divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, England.
A historian and writer, Lindsay has a particular passion for the military history of the Roman Empire. He scours ancient documents, inscriptions, coins and museums for stories, and archaeological, engineering, medical and scientific reports to reveal deeper truths.
He was news editor of Ancient Warfare (2011-2016) and continues to contribute to the magazine. He has written for Military Heritage, Desperta Ferro and Strategy & Tactics magazines, as well as Pen and Sword Books, Osprey Publishing, The History Network and UNRV.com. Lindsay is a veteran of the world renowned Ermine Street Guard. His appearances include BBC Radio and The History Channel,
He divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 26, 2021
Merriam-Webster provides the following definition of a wingman:
informal: a male friend or partner who accompanies and supports a man in some activity
Was Marcus Agrippa Augustus’s wingman? One could say he was, if you think of “some activity” as securing, stabilizing, building, expanding and administering the Roman Empire, and what’s more, doing it well.
Lindsay Powell does an excellent job researching the available sources, mustering the evidence, and using reasonable inferences from that evidence to fill in the blanks, providing a lifelike portrait of the man, his August best friend, and the world they lived in. What exactly was Agrippa’s job description? Think of it this way. Imagine a modern Prime Minister or President and his or her cabinet. Then imagine one individual doing the work of all the cabinet ministers or secretaries, and doing all that work supremely well. Then add on the responsibilities of being the Prime Minister or President’s best general, admiral and diplomat, and you get the picture. Powell sums it up this way:
“Agrippa lived a full and active life. Over fifty-one restless years he had played many parts – family man, commander, admiral, magistrate, priest, architect, diplomat, associate of Augustus, patron, benefactor and even as ‘saviour god’. He was a self-starter, strong-willed, highly-motivated, innovative and practically minded, politically astute and socially aware.
He was driven by emotional energy, which propelled his relationships and made him competitive, but he lived by ethical principles, was loyal to his friends and did not crave the standard trappings of success. On his deathbed he could be content knowing that he had served both his country and his best friend well. To spread Roman civilization he travelled all over the known world, fighting wars against her enemies and encouraging her allies and communities to flourish.
As the second most powerful man in the empire he worked with many of the most significant people of his – and, indeed, of any – age. His lasting achievement was to help establish the foundations for the Pax Augusta which would endure for centuries. It is entirely fitting that the name which adorns the most recognizable and complete of Roman buildings to survive down to our own time is that of M. Agrippa.”
Was there a dark side or downside to this story? Agrippa, born a plebian, came into the patrician class by way of his relationship to Augustus. But as a “new man” he was never fully accepted by the patricians as “one of them.” Moreover, through his marriage into the Julio-Claudian family he became the grandfather of Caligula and the great-grandfather of the last of the line, Nero, a pair of wormy apples that fell very far from the tree.
The book contains useful notes in an appendix, interesting maps, illustrations of public buildings and infrastructure, a glossary of terms, and an informative discussion of the Res Publica, the commonwealth system of government of ancient Rome.
informal: a male friend or partner who accompanies and supports a man in some activity
Was Marcus Agrippa Augustus’s wingman? One could say he was, if you think of “some activity” as securing, stabilizing, building, expanding and administering the Roman Empire, and what’s more, doing it well.
Lindsay Powell does an excellent job researching the available sources, mustering the evidence, and using reasonable inferences from that evidence to fill in the blanks, providing a lifelike portrait of the man, his August best friend, and the world they lived in. What exactly was Agrippa’s job description? Think of it this way. Imagine a modern Prime Minister or President and his or her cabinet. Then imagine one individual doing the work of all the cabinet ministers or secretaries, and doing all that work supremely well. Then add on the responsibilities of being the Prime Minister or President’s best general, admiral and diplomat, and you get the picture. Powell sums it up this way:
“Agrippa lived a full and active life. Over fifty-one restless years he had played many parts – family man, commander, admiral, magistrate, priest, architect, diplomat, associate of Augustus, patron, benefactor and even as ‘saviour god’. He was a self-starter, strong-willed, highly-motivated, innovative and practically minded, politically astute and socially aware.
He was driven by emotional energy, which propelled his relationships and made him competitive, but he lived by ethical principles, was loyal to his friends and did not crave the standard trappings of success. On his deathbed he could be content knowing that he had served both his country and his best friend well. To spread Roman civilization he travelled all over the known world, fighting wars against her enemies and encouraging her allies and communities to flourish.
As the second most powerful man in the empire he worked with many of the most significant people of his – and, indeed, of any – age. His lasting achievement was to help establish the foundations for the Pax Augusta which would endure for centuries. It is entirely fitting that the name which adorns the most recognizable and complete of Roman buildings to survive down to our own time is that of M. Agrippa.”
Was there a dark side or downside to this story? Agrippa, born a plebian, came into the patrician class by way of his relationship to Augustus. But as a “new man” he was never fully accepted by the patricians as “one of them.” Moreover, through his marriage into the Julio-Claudian family he became the grandfather of Caligula and the great-grandfather of the last of the line, Nero, a pair of wormy apples that fell very far from the tree.
The book contains useful notes in an appendix, interesting maps, illustrations of public buildings and infrastructure, a glossary of terms, and an informative discussion of the Res Publica, the commonwealth system of government of ancient Rome.
June 11, 2017
This book starts slow and has many confusing names so that it can be difficult to read, however, after Agrippa becomes a loyal follower of Octavius as a young man, then it picks up. There are excellent maps which explain the movements of both men as they fight together and separately as they try to achieve dominance for Octavian, called Caesar after his great uncle, Julius Caesar, who is assassinated in 44 B.C.
From then on, the two young men are inseparable even though Octavian is frequently ill, and marries twice. Agrippa, despite his plebian birth, is an excellent soldier, skilled admiral, devotee of the arts and architecture, and able negotiator. In short, he is someone that Caesar can count on absolutely. His attributes and particularly his loyalty make him the right-hand man of Caesar Augustus. He even marries, Julia, the daughter of Caesar at his friend's request despite the fact that he was already happily married.
Probably, the most interesting section for most people deals with Antony and Cleopatra, but I liked the last part, which deals with Agrippa's efforts to improve Rome's buildings, roads and lifestyle. He did much and frequently at his own expense. Caesar Augustus and Rome were fortunate to have him.
From then on, the two young men are inseparable even though Octavian is frequently ill, and marries twice. Agrippa, despite his plebian birth, is an excellent soldier, skilled admiral, devotee of the arts and architecture, and able negotiator. In short, he is someone that Caesar can count on absolutely. His attributes and particularly his loyalty make him the right-hand man of Caesar Augustus. He even marries, Julia, the daughter of Caesar at his friend's request despite the fact that he was already happily married.
Probably, the most interesting section for most people deals with Antony and Cleopatra, but I liked the last part, which deals with Agrippa's efforts to improve Rome's buildings, roads and lifestyle. He did much and frequently at his own expense. Caesar Augustus and Rome were fortunate to have him.
November 2, 2019
Marcus Agrippa is such an interesting commander and statesman, in many ways Augustus's co-ruler, that a recent biography was overdue, and Lindsay Powell does a decent job to describe his life and many qualities. A few things bothered me though.
1) First, the book is filled with spelling or editing mistakes. Here are a few examples that I highlighted while reading.
- "umbridge" (instead of "umbrage")
- "rotated 908" (instead of 90°)
- "so that Tarius should not beforehand because aware of his numbers" ("because" instead of "become")
- "and the ones there were tasted bad" ("were" should be deleted)
- "but he excludes from his tally the advanced forced of Agrippa" ("forced" instead of "forces")
- "among Antonius’ ships many ‘were many vessels of eight" (twice "many" + a misplaced apostrophe)
- "the citizens paid for a colossal state of Agrippa to be erected" ("state" instead of "statue")
- "Just as he done had twenty years before" (instead of "just as he had done")
2) Then there are factual mistakes.
- In chapter 3, the author wrotes that "Libo was Sextus’ son-in-law", but it's in fact the opposite
- In the appendix 1, where Lindsay Powell explains the basics of the Roman Republic to the non-initiated, he states several times that the equestrian order ("equites") are a separate class from the plebeians and the patricians. In fact, he confuses the hereditary orders (patrician vs plebeian) and the property-based classes (senatores, equites, triarii, principes, hastati, leves, proletarii). Originally all equites and senators came from the patrician order, but this was extended to the plebeians (long before Agrippa's birth). So a knight (eques) could be either a patrician or a plebeian. It was not an order in between!
3) The book comprises 9 chapters, but these make up less than half of the book. Chapters 1 to 4 deal mostly about the life of Julius Caesar, his assassination, then the rise of Augustus and Mark Antony. The interesting chapters about Agrippa are chapters 5 to 8. The 9th chapter is a summary of what is said in previous chapters about Agrippa. I don't know the exact number of pages as I read the Kindle version, but the preface, foreword, acknowledgements, lists and so on at the beginning already take 4% of the book. The book itself is a further 43%. The remaining 53% are the appendices, glossary, place names, sources, notes and bibliography. The core chapters (5 to 8) about Agrippa himself take only 19% of the book. The rest is mostly fillers. Even in the interesting sections, Lindsay Powell often copied and pasted long quotes by ancient authors.
Unfortunately the same criticism is also true for other books by the same author, notably Eager for Glory (about Drusus the Elder) and Germanicus.
1) First, the book is filled with spelling or editing mistakes. Here are a few examples that I highlighted while reading.
- "umbridge" (instead of "umbrage")
- "rotated 908" (instead of 90°)
- "so that Tarius should not beforehand because aware of his numbers" ("because" instead of "become")
- "and the ones there were tasted bad" ("were" should be deleted)
- "but he excludes from his tally the advanced forced of Agrippa" ("forced" instead of "forces")
- "among Antonius’ ships many ‘were many vessels of eight" (twice "many" + a misplaced apostrophe)
- "the citizens paid for a colossal state of Agrippa to be erected" ("state" instead of "statue")
- "Just as he done had twenty years before" (instead of "just as he had done")
2) Then there are factual mistakes.
- In chapter 3, the author wrotes that "Libo was Sextus’ son-in-law", but it's in fact the opposite
- In the appendix 1, where Lindsay Powell explains the basics of the Roman Republic to the non-initiated, he states several times that the equestrian order ("equites") are a separate class from the plebeians and the patricians. In fact, he confuses the hereditary orders (patrician vs plebeian) and the property-based classes (senatores, equites, triarii, principes, hastati, leves, proletarii). Originally all equites and senators came from the patrician order, but this was extended to the plebeians (long before Agrippa's birth). So a knight (eques) could be either a patrician or a plebeian. It was not an order in between!
3) The book comprises 9 chapters, but these make up less than half of the book. Chapters 1 to 4 deal mostly about the life of Julius Caesar, his assassination, then the rise of Augustus and Mark Antony. The interesting chapters about Agrippa are chapters 5 to 8. The 9th chapter is a summary of what is said in previous chapters about Agrippa. I don't know the exact number of pages as I read the Kindle version, but the preface, foreword, acknowledgements, lists and so on at the beginning already take 4% of the book. The book itself is a further 43%. The remaining 53% are the appendices, glossary, place names, sources, notes and bibliography. The core chapters (5 to 8) about Agrippa himself take only 19% of the book. The rest is mostly fillers. Even in the interesting sections, Lindsay Powell often copied and pasted long quotes by ancient authors.
Unfortunately the same criticism is also true for other books by the same author, notably Eager for Glory (about Drusus the Elder) and Germanicus.
July 19, 2017
Octavian/Augustus would probably not have been successful without his friend Marcus Agrippa. They apparently met when they were teenagers and were together in Macedonia when word came of Julius Caesar's assassination and his adoption of Octavian. They went to Rome (against the advice of Octavian's mother and stepfather) to collect the inheritance, meeting Marc Antony and Cicero, and getting involved in Roman politics. Powell puts together ancient sources to tell the story of Agrippa's life. It's quite detailed, with many end-notes, sometimes one for each sentence of a passage. There are lots of maps showing his travels. This was a very interesting book about a fascinating man. I was put off a bit by the author's eschewing of the letter J, preferring to use Roman spellings with I, as in Iulius, Iupiter, Iudea, etc.
March 14, 2019
Lindsay Powell tells us in his introduction that one of the reasons why he decided to write a biography of Marcus Agrippa was because the last one to be written was nearly 100 years ago. Even then, the total number of full biographies (which survive) can be counted on one hand. This is poor representation for the man who wasn't just Augustus' right hand man, but ended up being his legal equal. Reading this biography, two things become very clear. 1) Powell is right. A modern biography is very much needed for this very important man. 2) There's a reason why no one has tackled it yet: the source material available pales in comparison to other famous men.
The difficulty with this biography is the same which plagued Powell in his biography on Drusus the Elder: the source material is very limited, and so, a biography must become a Life & Times treatment to satisfy a whole book. But this is not a criticism, rather an observation. Powell is very thorough and has the time and space to include all (literally, all) sources to craft his biography of M. Agrippa. We follow Agrippa from a young man through to the end of his life, stopping along the way to address various aspects of his career where appropriate, such as his building works, his generalship, and his family. Unfortunately, due to the lack of source material, the most used phrases in this book are "we don't know", "we can imagine that", and "it is likely". The arguments that Powell makes to support these suppositions and best-educated-guesses for Agrippa's career are well supported in text and with a very robust end note section. Perhaps the strongest part of this book is the final chapter where Powell is able to summarize the character and career of Agrippa through his building regime, in his politics, his fascinating relationship with Augustus, his family, and his impact on history. It is with this summary that Powell can truly put aside all the "we don't know for sure" statements and write his convictions on what Agrippa's legacy was and is based on all the evidence presented. If you aren't impressed by Agrippa by the end of this chapter, you need to read the book again (which you may do anyway because this book has enough detail to last a couple read throughs).
I will say that, perhaps I bought a first edition of this book, but it was riddled with editing errors, not something I have seen in any other Powell books so was disappointed to see here. There were missing words or wrong words, and more importantly, factual errors that would be easy enough for a student of this period to notice but would be confusing to anyone else. A prime example is Fulvia twice being referred to as M. Antonius' sister rather than wife. Awkward.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to remove another layer from Augustus' facade to see one of the most important men behind it. Not a book for someone who is brand new to this era of history, but for someone who has even a basic idea of what's going on will be well served to have this on their shelf.
The difficulty with this biography is the same which plagued Powell in his biography on Drusus the Elder: the source material is very limited, and so, a biography must become a Life & Times treatment to satisfy a whole book. But this is not a criticism, rather an observation. Powell is very thorough and has the time and space to include all (literally, all) sources to craft his biography of M. Agrippa. We follow Agrippa from a young man through to the end of his life, stopping along the way to address various aspects of his career where appropriate, such as his building works, his generalship, and his family. Unfortunately, due to the lack of source material, the most used phrases in this book are "we don't know", "we can imagine that", and "it is likely". The arguments that Powell makes to support these suppositions and best-educated-guesses for Agrippa's career are well supported in text and with a very robust end note section. Perhaps the strongest part of this book is the final chapter where Powell is able to summarize the character and career of Agrippa through his building regime, in his politics, his fascinating relationship with Augustus, his family, and his impact on history. It is with this summary that Powell can truly put aside all the "we don't know for sure" statements and write his convictions on what Agrippa's legacy was and is based on all the evidence presented. If you aren't impressed by Agrippa by the end of this chapter, you need to read the book again (which you may do anyway because this book has enough detail to last a couple read throughs).
I will say that, perhaps I bought a first edition of this book, but it was riddled with editing errors, not something I have seen in any other Powell books so was disappointed to see here. There were missing words or wrong words, and more importantly, factual errors that would be easy enough for a student of this period to notice but would be confusing to anyone else. A prime example is Fulvia twice being referred to as M. Antonius' sister rather than wife. Awkward.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to remove another layer from Augustus' facade to see one of the most important men behind it. Not a book for someone who is brand new to this era of history, but for someone who has even a basic idea of what's going on will be well served to have this on their shelf.
December 22, 2018
A fantastic piece of work that manages to construct a pretty comprehensive overview of the life of Agrippa - as well as his friendship and work with Augustus - using a wide variety of historical sources.
July 27, 2021
If I had the opportunity to hold that imaginary historical dinner party, I've always thought one of my picks would be Marcus Agrippa. Yes, Augustus himself would be interesting, but it seems to me that his friend and faithful supporter might be even more so.
After all, there are few in Roman history who have risen so high, yet seemed to have no ambition to take that one step further. And there are few who have risen so high without incurring the suspicion of the top man and suffered a gory fate.
Anyone who knows even a little about Roman history is aware that our knowledge of Agrippa is limited, and trying to write his biography is an ambitious task. So has Lindsay Powell given us a new insight into the man who helped Octavian rise to power, and then keep him there?
There is certainly a lot of information. It is, perhaps, halfway between popular history and a more academic work, with masses of lists, appendices, notes and a bibliography. These take up more than half the book. Whilst they are packed with detail, I do wonder who will read them all. Those familiar with the subject may not need them; those new to it will find it all rather daunting.
And when you get down to the meat of the book, it is ultimately disappointing. That lack of sources is evident from the beginning, with the author mainly telling the story of Octavian/Augustus, and adding Agrippa in, either based on the few sources or, more often, based on supposition and assumption. It is an interesting story, but you never feel it is Agrippa's story.
The style is rather dry, as well, meaning you never feel the author got close to his subject, so as the reader you don't either. There are long passages of intricate detail where it really isn't needed, such as battle formations, or lists of people, which sometimes led me to skim forward. I never felt involved in the action.
The structure is rather strange too, with some jumps in time for no obvious reason, and an assessment chapter at the end, which merely summarises the whole book, without adding anything. There are also many grammar and spelling mistakes, which don't help.
In the end, I'm not sure I can recommend this book. For those who know their history of the time, it won't add anything new. For those taking their first steps into Roman history, it's likely to put them off with it's style and lack of feeling.
November 29, 2024
I have read two books of the writer Lindays about some Romans. These were about Germanicus and Drusus the Elder. The problem with those books were that there just wasn’t much information about the characters which made those books look informationless (if that is even a word).
With Agrippa you got a lot more information and sources which Powell wrote fantastically in this book. The man Agrippa is an interesting fellow and stayed with his longtime friend, Augustus, till the end. Most of what Augustus achieved is mainly created by M. Agrippa.
A good and informative book!
With Agrippa you got a lot more information and sources which Powell wrote fantastically in this book. The man Agrippa is an interesting fellow and stayed with his longtime friend, Augustus, till the end. Most of what Augustus achieved is mainly created by M. Agrippa.
A good and informative book!
June 13, 2015
A fine book. I have read quite a number of books that mention Marcus Agrippa. But references to him tend to be brief and not very illuminating. What I knew? He did great deeds in war and in peace. He was Augustus' right hand man. He had no ambition to supplant Augustus. But precious little beyond these broad statements. This book, although not perfect, is a major step forward for my understanding of Agrippa.
There is a lot of speculation. One common gambit: the author notes some event and then mentions that Agrippa might have been there. I have read such phrases in biographies of characters from 800 years ago and back. But so much information is missing that I do not find this overly problematic. The loss of Agrippa's autobiography is a shame (although autobiographies can be unreliable).
The book is told chronologically--from Agrippa's childhood to his death. We learn of the development of his friendship with the young Augustus. Their relationship developed in tumultuous times--war, the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Civil War, the uncertain alliances with Antoninus (Mark Antony) and Lepidus, the war with Antoninus and Kleopatra. . . . And so on. Agrippa at Augustus' right hand. During this time, Agrippa showed considerable developing skill in military matters. After Augustus' quelling of Civil War, Agrippa ended up helping to develop Rome further--from public baths to new aqueducts to public buildings (such as the Pantheon) and so on. And apparently done honestly with many improvements coming from his own purse (he had done nicely with the rewards of war).
Over time, his scope of activity increased as he maintained Augusts' trust. We also see his family life--three wives, several children (he had bad luck with his children surviving long). We learn of physical ailments that may have precipitated his death.
A final chapter tries to make sense of the life of Agrippa. The book is rather short (just over 200 pages long), but there is a lot that we do not yet know about Agrippa's life. I wish that the concluding chapter had helped make greater sense of Agrippa's life and his role in Rome's development, but it is serviceable. A book well worth reading.
There is a lot of speculation. One common gambit: the author notes some event and then mentions that Agrippa might have been there. I have read such phrases in biographies of characters from 800 years ago and back. But so much information is missing that I do not find this overly problematic. The loss of Agrippa's autobiography is a shame (although autobiographies can be unreliable).
The book is told chronologically--from Agrippa's childhood to his death. We learn of the development of his friendship with the young Augustus. Their relationship developed in tumultuous times--war, the assassination of Julius Caesar, the Civil War, the uncertain alliances with Antoninus (Mark Antony) and Lepidus, the war with Antoninus and Kleopatra. . . . And so on. Agrippa at Augustus' right hand. During this time, Agrippa showed considerable developing skill in military matters. After Augustus' quelling of Civil War, Agrippa ended up helping to develop Rome further--from public baths to new aqueducts to public buildings (such as the Pantheon) and so on. And apparently done honestly with many improvements coming from his own purse (he had done nicely with the rewards of war).
Over time, his scope of activity increased as he maintained Augusts' trust. We also see his family life--three wives, several children (he had bad luck with his children surviving long). We learn of physical ailments that may have precipitated his death.
A final chapter tries to make sense of the life of Agrippa. The book is rather short (just over 200 pages long), but there is a lot that we do not yet know about Agrippa's life. I wish that the concluding chapter had helped make greater sense of Agrippa's life and his role in Rome's development, but it is serviceable. A book well worth reading.
March 4, 2018
Positives: I enjoyed learning more about Agrippa's role in the Augustus' life. Powell does a good job of adding color to man's life who history left us with very little to go on. He did solid detective work. I don't think he went beyond the bounds of the evidence but still was willing to make educated guesses.
Negatives: I think it was a biography about Agrippa it would be much shorter. I think Powell spent as much time talking about Augustus as he did Agrippa, maybe more. I can see why he did this, but the reader should be aware, this is a biography that focuses more on Agrippa within a larger context and has less about Agrippa then what happens around him.
Positives 2: On the other hand, Powell does a great job of explaining what Agrippa accomplished while Augustus ruled/?co-ruled? so don't take my negative as being pervasive throughout the whole book.
nota bene: if you are not familiar with this era of history, I don't know if this would be a good book to jump into it. I suggest read some other more general books on the time period before picking this one up.
Negatives: I think it was a biography about Agrippa it would be much shorter. I think Powell spent as much time talking about Augustus as he did Agrippa, maybe more. I can see why he did this, but the reader should be aware, this is a biography that focuses more on Agrippa within a larger context and has less about Agrippa then what happens around him.
Positives 2: On the other hand, Powell does a great job of explaining what Agrippa accomplished while Augustus ruled/?co-ruled? so don't take my negative as being pervasive throughout the whole book.
nota bene: if you are not familiar with this era of history, I don't know if this would be a good book to jump into it. I suggest read some other more general books on the time period before picking this one up.
November 21, 2015
It is hard to review this book. I truly enjoyed it and felt the author did a wonderful job relating the history of Rome in the late 1st century BCE. At the same time I think the book failed as a biography of Marcus Agrippa. I don't blame the author for this. There just isn't enough material to do this job. However, the material he adds about Augustus and the transition of the Republic to the Principate may be the best description of what went on at this time that I have ever read. I would also point out two other problems I had with the book in hopes they will be changed in future editions for others: 1) There were a lot of typos and grammatical errors and 2) The format used for people and place names was confusing. The author should have stayed with one fo the many modern conventions rather than re-inventing the wheel and making up his own.
December 7, 2020
Borrow.
Agrippa is one of my favourite historical figures and it pains me we don't know more about him. His relationship with Augustus is unparalleled and together they form the most effective power duo in history. It is for this reason this book gets three stars.
The reason Powell does not earn my final two stars is because of three reasons:
1. There is little here that is not already covered in Adrian Goldsworthy's Augustus.
2. I found Powell's writing style overall average and at times a little amateur.
3. Powell commits my cardinal sin of a good professional history book...his conclusion chapter is 15 pages long and summarises, in their entirety, the previous 200 pages. I just read those 200 pages...why do I need a 15 page summary?
Agrippa is one of my favourite historical figures and it pains me we don't know more about him. His relationship with Augustus is unparalleled and together they form the most effective power duo in history. It is for this reason this book gets three stars.
The reason Powell does not earn my final two stars is because of three reasons:
1. There is little here that is not already covered in Adrian Goldsworthy's Augustus.
2. I found Powell's writing style overall average and at times a little amateur.
3. Powell commits my cardinal sin of a good professional history book...his conclusion chapter is 15 pages long and summarises, in their entirety, the previous 200 pages. I just read those 200 pages...why do I need a 15 page summary?
May 17, 2022
Marcus Agrippa was born to a plebeian Roman family during the tumultuous waning years of the Roman Republic. He became a school-friend of Gaius Octavius, grand-nephew of Julius Caesar, and built a close bond with him that lasted a lifetime. During that lifetime, Gaius Octavius outmaneuvered his rivals and traveled a long path of war and intrigue that transformed him into Augustus Caesar, the first citizen of Rome and the progenitor of the Roman Empire. Agrippa rose with Augustus as Augustus’s closest advisor, his leading general, his master of engineering, his co-proconsul, and eventually his son-in-law and heir, whose issue would include the emperors Caligula and Nero.
Agrippa himself was an extraordinary man. Exceedingly competent and driven, he was at once the finest naval commander of his time and one of its strongest military strategists. He was an exceptional builder and central to the transformation of Rome from brick to marble, assembling aqueducts, rebuilding sewer systems, and constructing some of Rome’s largest and most ambitious temples and public spaces. He was instrumental in envisioning and constructing grand baths for the Roman people, inculcating the Roman bathing pastime and fervor for social cleanliness. He was also an able and fair administrator, public-spirited and of high morals, and effective at resolving disputes and promoting harmony in far-flung regions of the empire. His loyalty and competence endeared him to Augustus, who recognized that his success was in no small part due to Agrippa’s good works.
Lindsay Powell works hard to concentrate on Agrippa’s achievements in this effective biography. He tells the story of Augustus and Agrippa well, focusing on Agrippa where possible, and specifically including Agrippa’s architectural accomplishments and the travels we know he pursued on his own. We gain a good outline of Agrippa’s life, as well as a feel for his character and personality. The challenge, however, is that most of what we know about Agrippa today appears to be derivative of sources telling Augustus’s story, and the author is forced to speculate whether Agrippa was present at major points in Augustus’s life. For someone who has read a biography of Augustus, most of the content is similar. Even the conclusion, which assesses Agrippa’s life, is mostly a brief duplication of the rest of the book. Still, this is a valuable text to understand Agrippa, and the deeply detailed appendices at the back are a treasure trove of resources on Agrippa.
Agrippa himself was an extraordinary man. Exceedingly competent and driven, he was at once the finest naval commander of his time and one of its strongest military strategists. He was an exceptional builder and central to the transformation of Rome from brick to marble, assembling aqueducts, rebuilding sewer systems, and constructing some of Rome’s largest and most ambitious temples and public spaces. He was instrumental in envisioning and constructing grand baths for the Roman people, inculcating the Roman bathing pastime and fervor for social cleanliness. He was also an able and fair administrator, public-spirited and of high morals, and effective at resolving disputes and promoting harmony in far-flung regions of the empire. His loyalty and competence endeared him to Augustus, who recognized that his success was in no small part due to Agrippa’s good works.
Lindsay Powell works hard to concentrate on Agrippa’s achievements in this effective biography. He tells the story of Augustus and Agrippa well, focusing on Agrippa where possible, and specifically including Agrippa’s architectural accomplishments and the travels we know he pursued on his own. We gain a good outline of Agrippa’s life, as well as a feel for his character and personality. The challenge, however, is that most of what we know about Agrippa today appears to be derivative of sources telling Augustus’s story, and the author is forced to speculate whether Agrippa was present at major points in Augustus’s life. For someone who has read a biography of Augustus, most of the content is similar. Even the conclusion, which assesses Agrippa’s life, is mostly a brief duplication of the rest of the book. Still, this is a valuable text to understand Agrippa, and the deeply detailed appendices at the back are a treasure trove of resources on Agrippa.
December 23, 2017
This is a fascinating historical perspective on one of the foundations of the successful Pax Augusta - Marcus Agrippa, lifelong friend of Augustus Caesar and his commander in chief and loyal energetic help meet in designing the Roman peace. It is a difficult book to put together as so little was written of Marcus Agrippa even though he was married to Julia, Augusta's only daughter. His echoes are found on a multitude of buildings and traces of battles, both land and sea. He died at age 51, having travelled the Roman world from East to West and in every way epitomising the self made man with high aspirations of virtue and improving public life. I learned a lot about battle tactics, the building of the aqueducts and the system of sewers and bath houses and fountains, and how public building were not only to be built but to be maintained. Roman engineering and Marcus Agrippa's genius in assessing problems and bringing resources to bear in an organised and long-term manner together with his ability to recognise and manage human resources are all outlined.
One of the questions raised by Mr. Powell which few have asked is that Agrippa had the popularity, influence and wealth to challenge Augustus Caesar and he never did. There is no whisper of any such disloyalty from those who mock his humble birth and his position as a self-made man -he was consistently loved and honoured by Augustus and maintained his place as second in command eschewing the triumphs voted in his honour. The best construct in Mr. Powell's final chapter is that if Rome were a modern day multinational corporation, then Agrippa was the President and COO while Augustus was the Chairman and CEO. Strange analogy but putting them together as they modernised their world and stopped the civil wars that tore Rome apart in their early years.
A well-written and well-researched history of an amazing Roman. Very enjoyable.
One of the questions raised by Mr. Powell which few have asked is that Agrippa had the popularity, influence and wealth to challenge Augustus Caesar and he never did. There is no whisper of any such disloyalty from those who mock his humble birth and his position as a self-made man -he was consistently loved and honoured by Augustus and maintained his place as second in command eschewing the triumphs voted in his honour. The best construct in Mr. Powell's final chapter is that if Rome were a modern day multinational corporation, then Agrippa was the President and COO while Augustus was the Chairman and CEO. Strange analogy but putting them together as they modernised their world and stopped the civil wars that tore Rome apart in their early years.
A well-written and well-researched history of an amazing Roman. Very enjoyable.
January 22, 2022
This was a great book and although it starts out a good chunk of it dedicated to the circumstances predating Agrippa’s lifetime, it is critical that any reader learning more about him to understand the times the man had lived in and the various important people that played a role in the Roman world at this time.
I think what really impressed me about Agrippa’s character and the author achieves his goal of showing, is how consistently loyal and steadfast he seems to have been even from what has survived from the sources and archaeological sites throughout the empire. The magnitude of his contributions as essentially right hand to Augustus and in many ways the second in charge for much of that time; are not only in military might and diplomacy but in his extensive public works projects and civil engineering including the expansion of aqueduct access which allowed more citizens and non citizens of Rome access to clean water and bath houses. He is of course heavily associated with the construction of other buildings such as the Pantheon (the modern of which is a reconstruction under Hadrian as original was lost in a fire) and several other buildings in Rome and elsewhere in the empire and it shows how extensive his influence that archaeological sites and coinage reveal how great he was considered during this time and not just by the Roman soldiers or citizens. I think another interesting component is how even though we have limited knowledge of Agrippa’s origins, the fact he was not of the elite patrician families is something that can never quite be overcome in the eyes of many of the Senatorial class of Rome despite his tremendous accomplishments.
I think what really impressed me about Agrippa’s character and the author achieves his goal of showing, is how consistently loyal and steadfast he seems to have been even from what has survived from the sources and archaeological sites throughout the empire. The magnitude of his contributions as essentially right hand to Augustus and in many ways the second in charge for much of that time; are not only in military might and diplomacy but in his extensive public works projects and civil engineering including the expansion of aqueduct access which allowed more citizens and non citizens of Rome access to clean water and bath houses. He is of course heavily associated with the construction of other buildings such as the Pantheon (the modern of which is a reconstruction under Hadrian as original was lost in a fire) and several other buildings in Rome and elsewhere in the empire and it shows how extensive his influence that archaeological sites and coinage reveal how great he was considered during this time and not just by the Roman soldiers or citizens. I think another interesting component is how even though we have limited knowledge of Agrippa’s origins, the fact he was not of the elite patrician families is something that can never quite be overcome in the eyes of many of the Senatorial class of Rome despite his tremendous accomplishments.
August 21, 2018
Overall, a good biography. Perhaps too laudatory. Agrippa must have had a few faults. But Agrippa really put himself out for Augustus and for Rome and its empire, so he should be better known as one of the greatest Romans.
Caesar Augustus said “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” I suppose one could dispute that claim. Neither he nor his right-hand man Marcus Agrippa could turn the entire city into marble; but Agrippa certainly made it more livable. He built baths, aquaduct systems, amphitheaters, sporting venues, even what we would call public art galleries; not just in Rome but throughout the empire, at his own expense. He even repaired and upgraded Rome's sewers. (Yes. Caesar was generous to him and he probably got a lot of loot and slaves from defeating Antony and Sextus Pompey, and yes, a good Roman of means is supposed to benefit his city; but he didn't have to spend so much of his own on public works. That he did really impressed me.)
It also answered a question. I had watched parts of "I Claudius" and wondered why the young Jewish prince Herod Agrippa was named "Agrippa" - not "Julius" or "Roma" or "Philo-Caesar" or any other emperor-flattering name. Powell states that Agrippa and Herod the Great, the youth's grandfather, had become firm friends and allies during Agrippa's overlordship of the eastern part of the Roman empire. Herod was grieved when Agrippa died, and honoured his memory by naming his grandson "Herod Agrippa".
One error caught my attention. Powell said that Fulvia, Antony's wife, was his sister.
Caesar Augustus said “I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.” I suppose one could dispute that claim. Neither he nor his right-hand man Marcus Agrippa could turn the entire city into marble; but Agrippa certainly made it more livable. He built baths, aquaduct systems, amphitheaters, sporting venues, even what we would call public art galleries; not just in Rome but throughout the empire, at his own expense. He even repaired and upgraded Rome's sewers. (Yes. Caesar was generous to him and he probably got a lot of loot and slaves from defeating Antony and Sextus Pompey, and yes, a good Roman of means is supposed to benefit his city; but he didn't have to spend so much of his own on public works. That he did really impressed me.)
It also answered a question. I had watched parts of "I Claudius" and wondered why the young Jewish prince Herod Agrippa was named "Agrippa" - not "Julius" or "Roma" or "Philo-Caesar" or any other emperor-flattering name. Powell states that Agrippa and Herod the Great, the youth's grandfather, had become firm friends and allies during Agrippa's overlordship of the eastern part of the Roman empire. Herod was grieved when Agrippa died, and honoured his memory by naming his grandson "Herod Agrippa".
One error caught my attention. Powell said that Fulvia, Antony's wife, was his sister.
May 27, 2024
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was far more than Augustus Caesar's high right hand man and trouble shooter, though he carried out that role with aplomb.
In every history and historical fiction concerning the period of the great Roman Civil War, the assassination G. Julius Caesar and the rise of his great-nephew, the future Augustus Caesar, Agrippa lurks in the background as something as an eminence grise. He was more than that, as this biography proves. Unfortunate as, author Lindsay Powell discloses, much of what we know of Agrippa is from Roman history, which may or may not be colored by rank classism, he was after all born plebeian, and through dint of effort and close friendship with Augustus, became what was known as an novus homo, a new man.
Yet, suffice it to say, Roman, and ultimately world, history would have turned out far differently without this outwardly humble man who seemingly performed military and diplomatic miracles. A dogged bureaucrat who tirelessly worked for the benefit of those we call the working classes today. An innovator in public works, Agrippa is the man most responsible for turning ancient Rome from a town of bricks into a city of marble.
In every history and historical fiction concerning the period of the great Roman Civil War, the assassination G. Julius Caesar and the rise of his great-nephew, the future Augustus Caesar, Agrippa lurks in the background as something as an eminence grise. He was more than that, as this biography proves. Unfortunate as, author Lindsay Powell discloses, much of what we know of Agrippa is from Roman history, which may or may not be colored by rank classism, he was after all born plebeian, and through dint of effort and close friendship with Augustus, became what was known as an novus homo, a new man.
Yet, suffice it to say, Roman, and ultimately world, history would have turned out far differently without this outwardly humble man who seemingly performed military and diplomatic miracles. A dogged bureaucrat who tirelessly worked for the benefit of those we call the working classes today. An innovator in public works, Agrippa is the man most responsible for turning ancient Rome from a town of bricks into a city of marble.
September 28, 2023
A superb book. And what a personal discovery it was! Having been a life long student of ancient history, I was stupefied to discover the monumental contribution of this one man, Agrippa, who almost single handedly changed the course of world history by enabling Augustus to become AUGUSTUS. My initial embarrassment with my ignorance of the man was rapidly morphed into a deep reverence for the accomplishments, victories, and political contributions of this man to war, peace, government, and humility. Yes, humility. Whether intentional or not, the author's tacit admiration of Agrippa's steadfast acceptance of his supporting role to the glory of Augustus comes across as perhaps the most admirable character trait of the man. How different would be if our political "leaderers" even attempted to aspire to his subdued greatness. The author also provides a treasure trove of references and ancillary introductions to the world of Rome. Overall, a magnificent book that is both comprehensive and succinct concomitantly. A definite MUST READ to any and all.
November 16, 2020
Considering how important Marcus Agrippa was to Roman history (and thus history in general), it’s odd that we know so little about him. Of course as Augustus’s loyal right hand man, he doesn’t get as much attention as the first Roman Emperor. And it doesn’t help that his memoir has been lost to the ages. But author Lindsay Powell does a great job of turning what might otherwise have been a Wikipedia entry into a fascinating read. He pads out the narrative by including all kinds of details about social organization, military strategy and the like. Of course some of it gets a little trivia intensive, and the use of given names rather than popular names sometimes makes things confusing even to readers with a prior familiarity with the subject at hand. But overall this is an excellent portrait of the man responsible for a lot of the dirty work during the death of the republic and the rist of the empire.
September 18, 2019
5 stars to Agrippa, 3 stars to patchy the historical record, 4 stars for Powell who does his best putting it all together. Reading this made me was several novels about Agrippa: the outlines suggest exactly the kind of person I find compelling, stunningly ambitious and competent but also clearly defining his own unexpected terms of success. But all we appear to have are very sketchy outlines. Often this book ends up describing Augustus’s movements in exhaustive detail and then saying “Agrippa might have been there, maybe.” This is no fault of Powell’s scholarship! And it’s good to have a record of the limits of what is known and how and why. But a move could do a lot with a bit of poetic license to just fill in the gaps.
December 28, 2020
Rather well written book about a historical figure where not much has been written about. Not then, not now. That is also one of the points which made me deceide on giving 4*. There are so mamy 'ifs' because not all is known for certain. 60% of the book is about Augustus, which I also enjoy but faces the hard truth that there aren't that many sources on Marcus Agrippa.
Lindsay Powell writes engaging and makes you want to keep on reading. The thing that I didn't like is that there are so many typos in the book. Somwhere Vipsanius is written as Vispanius. In the end, when he writes about Sulla he names him P. Cornelius Sulla, which means Publius. His name was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, which is also the correct way he uses the name troughout the book. And there are many, many more.
Lindsay Powell writes engaging and makes you want to keep on reading. The thing that I didn't like is that there are so many typos in the book. Somwhere Vipsanius is written as Vispanius. In the end, when he writes about Sulla he names him P. Cornelius Sulla, which means Publius. His name was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, which is also the correct way he uses the name troughout the book. And there are many, many more.
January 22, 2021
Very readable, pretty comprehensive biography
I really enjoyed this book. Powell digs deep into the references to Agrippa not only in the contemporary literature and in the later writers such as Appian and Dio but in inscriptions, coins, and statuary throughout the lengths of the Empire during its early days. The book gives the lay reader (like me) a terrific perspective on Agrippa’s accomplishments as an administrator; most of the books I have read on the period do a good job on the military aspects of his career, but only skim the peacetime pursuits other than the construction of the Pantheon. Enjoyed it so much that upon finishing it, I bought his book on Drusus the Elder, which I had not planned to buy when I picked up this book on Agrippa.
I really enjoyed this book. Powell digs deep into the references to Agrippa not only in the contemporary literature and in the later writers such as Appian and Dio but in inscriptions, coins, and statuary throughout the lengths of the Empire during its early days. The book gives the lay reader (like me) a terrific perspective on Agrippa’s accomplishments as an administrator; most of the books I have read on the period do a good job on the military aspects of his career, but only skim the peacetime pursuits other than the construction of the Pantheon. Enjoyed it so much that upon finishing it, I bought his book on Drusus the Elder, which I had not planned to buy when I picked up this book on Agrippa.
May 11, 2022
Marcus Agrippa. He was the right hand man of Augustus, but also is best friend who was loyal to him. He was the kind of Roman that had all the qualities that old Cato would have loved. He was loyal, humble, practical minded, wise, who assessed the situation before taking action. He was a man of principle he was dedicated. But most of all he was a man who cared deeply for his friend. It is a shame that we do not have an Agrippa in our time. This book was a fantastic read. For the specialist and the average reader alike, this book brings Marcus Agrippa alive, a man who deserves to be talked about more. Now on to the next book!
February 25, 2021
It's always tough to write a biography when there are so many unknowns. This book is frustrating in that the final chapter summarizes the entire rest of the book making one wonder about the need for the entire book, especially when so much of the expanded details are not necessarily about Agrippa himself. So many unnecessary details - battle statistics for major events, but not always involving Agrippa, and detailed architectural analysis as two examples.
September 14, 2025
I learned of Lindsey Powell from Ancient Warfare podcast. His biography of Marcus Agrippa is incredibly well researched and laid out in a smooth flowing format, it’s addictive. So many fascinating details! It’s made me want to read all his books. I’m now reading Tiberius by Lindsey. I waited 4 months for the book from Amazon. Another master work by LP!
June 20, 2019
With limited documentation hard to learn who m Agrippa truly was but from the limited information there is this book provides a great view of his life during a time of unparalleled change in Rome. One of the most powerful right hand man to ever walk the earth
September 27, 2022
Solid overview
A good summary of his important contributions to Rome and Augustus. The long examination of the building activities was somewhat tedious for me. It seemed if at times the book got wordy. Excellent footnotes.
A good summary of his important contributions to Rome and Augustus. The long examination of the building activities was somewhat tedious for me. It seemed if at times the book got wordy. Excellent footnotes.
January 30, 2019
I did not know much about Marcus Agrippa, I do now. A great textbook, great details andit reads well. Enjoy!
July 27, 2019
Marcus Agrippa was a remarkable man. Augustus was lucky to have Agrippa as his close friend and right-hand man.
December 20, 2020
Lindsay Powell provides the detail of life for the man who's successfully navigated Imperial politics of the Roman Empire.
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