Historical Figure
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
b. 64 BC
Roman general and statesman (c. 63–12 BC)
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Biography
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was a Roman general and statesman who was a close friend, son-in-law and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. Agrippa is well known for his important military victories, notably the Battle of Actium in 31 BC against the forces of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra. He was also responsible for the construction of some of the most notable buildings of his era, including the original Pantheon.
Timeline
The story of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, told in moments.
Born into an obscure family. No noble ancestors. No famous name. He meets Octavian as a schoolboy. That friendship becomes the foundation of an empire.
Commands the fleet at the Battle of Actium, defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The battle lasts hours. Cleopatra's ships flee. Antony follows her. Agrippa has just won the Roman world for Octavian, who'll become Augustus. Agrippa gets no title.
Builds the original Pantheon in Rome. Also the Aqua Virgo aqueduct, public baths, and a massive map of the known world. He transforms Rome from brick to marble. Augustus gets the credit. Agrippa does the work.
Dies in Campania at about 51. He'd married Augustus's daughter Julia and fathered five children, three of them future heirs. Augustus wept at his funeral. The man who built the empire was gone. The empire he built outlasted him by centuries.
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