A Deafening Silence: Agrippa Postumus and The Will of AugustusI Saw and I Wondered: Roman Tourists at the Colossus of Memnon TIMOTHY JONES was a rival to Tiberius.5 There was a degree of social and legal equality between Tiberius and Postumus as sons of Augustus: however acitus opens his account of Tiberius’ Tiberius was clearly politically superior, since he had what Swan calls ‘seniority, experience reign with the ominous report that the 6 first deed of the new regime was the and indisputable military competence.’ In T addition, Postumus was fifteen years old. The slaughter of Agrippa Postumus (Primum facinus novi principatus fuit Postumi Agrippae caedes).1 46-year-old Tiberius was clearly the senior deputy to Augustus, contrary to ancient claims Modern scholarship provides a substantial 7 body of analysis concerning this episode, but about rivalry between the two. no unitary explanation has been forthcoming as to why Postumus died.2 The purpose of this article is to consider Agrippa Postumus’ 2. Postumus’ Fall from Grace position at the time of Augustus’ death in light of his last will and testament. We will see that Relations between Augustus and Postumus the young man goes entirely unmentioned in were to deteriorate, and we now turn to Augustus’ will. Legal texts may shed some Suetonius and Dio for the details. In assessing light on the fate of Postumus, but, as we will Augustus’ relationship with his family, Suetonius see, they also further complicate the issue. comments on the breakdown of relations Our purpose is to establish the historical facts between Augustus and Agrippa Postumus and around Postumus and his place in the state and Augustus’ response. Suetonius writes then apply selected legal texts to those facts. Tertium nepotem Agrippam simulque privignum Tiberium adoptavit in foro 1. The Adoptions of 4CE lege curiata; ex quibus Agrippam brevi ob ingenium sordidum ac ferox abdicavit seposuitque Surrentum… Agrippam nihilo Prior to looking specifically at Augustus’ tractabiliorem, immo in dies amentiorem, will and the legal texts, it is necessary to in insulam transportavit saepsitque insuper examine the aftermath of the adoptions of custodia militum. Cavit etiam s. c. ut eodem 4CE. Augustus adopted Agrippa Postumus at loci in perpetuum contineretur. 8 the same time as Tiberius. Postumus was the son of Julia and Marcus Agrippa and thus the grandson of Augustus.3 His motivation in the He [Augustus] then adopted his third simultaneous adoption seems to have been to grandson Agrippa at the same time provide what Birch called ‘internal balance’ as he adopted his step-son Tiberius between his own descendants and those of in the forum by a law passed through Livia.4 These adoptions made both Tiberius the curiate assembly; however, he and Agrippa Postumus sons of Augustus. quickly disowned Agrippa due to his Dio goes so far as to suggest that Postumus ferocious and sordid temperament and relegated him to Serentum … 1 Tac. Ann. 1.6. The text is from The Latin Library. 5 Dio 57.4.1. 2 Pappano (1941); Allen (1947); Detweiler (1970); Levick (1972); Jameson (1975); Birch (1981); Simpson (1996). 6 Swan (2004). 3 The adoptions of 4CE are dealt with in detail by the 7 It is worth noting in passing the view of Simpson, that, ancients – see Vell. Pat. 2.103.1-104.2, 112.7, Suet. Aug. 65.1, through the adoption of Postumus, Augustus ‘extinguished’ Suet. Tib. 15.2-16.1, 21.2-3, Tac. Ann. 1.3.3-5. the line of the great Agrippa. See Simpson (1996). 4 Birch (1981). 8 Suet. Aug. 65.1,4. 76 77 Iris | Journal of the Classical Association of Victoria | New Series | Volume 29 | 2016 A Deafening Silence: Agrippa Postumus and The Will of Augustus affection.10 Finally, the impermanent nature of as Agrippa became in no way more abdicatio renders the allegation of a restoration manageable, but rather became more in the period leading up to Augustus’ death unstable by the day, he [Augustus] plausible, and we turn to those events now. sent him to an island and placed him under a guard of soldiers. He [Augustus] also secured, by Senatorial 3. Augustus’ Death and the Alleged Decree, that he [Postumus] should be Restoration of Postumus confined in that place forever. The main source for these events is Tacitus, so Suetonius identifies two distinct phases to we start with his account. Tacitus writes Agrippa’s fall from grace. The first phase was Augustus disowning Postumus due to his Haec atque talia agitantibus gravescere temperament and behaviour and sending him valetudo Augusti, et quidam scelus uxoris to his father’s villa at Serentum. The second suspectabant. quippe rumor incesserat, paucos phase took place when Postumus’ behaviour ante menses Augustum, electis consciis et did not improve and Augustus sent him comite uno Fabio Maximo, Planasiam vectum under military guard to the island of Planasia. ad visendum Agrippam; multas illic utrimque Agrippa’s behaviour not improving is likely to lacrimas et signa caritatis spemque ex eo fore refer, in part, to the fact that he had berated ut iuvenis penatibus avi redderetur: quod Augustus for not granting him what he thought Maximum uxori Marciae aperuisse, illam were his entitlements from his natural father Liviae. gnarum id Caesari; neque multo post Marcus Agrippa.9 extincto Maximo, dubium an quaesita morte, auditos in funere eius Marciae gemitus semet 11 The situation, then, was that by 7CE, incusantis, quod causa exitii marito fuisset. Postumus was seemingly persona non grata in Rome. However, Jameson notes an interesting As these topics were being discussed, complexity in Agrippa’s status in these years. the health of Augustus became If he had been subject to Augustus’ formal worse, and some began to suspect the renunciation (abdicatio), this was likely to criminality of his wife. For a rumour have been intended as a corrective measure had circulated that Augustus, a few on his behaviour, which, she writes, may months before, confiding in a select have included the possibility of a restoration. few and accompanied by one Fabius Abdicatio, then, need not necessarily be seen Maximus, sailed to the island of as permanent. This lack of clarity around Planasia to visit his grandson Agrippa Postumus’ position, even after his banishment Postumus. In that place many tears to Planasia, is reflected in Jameson’s suggestion and signs of affection were exchanged that, if Augustus had wanted to invalidate on both sides, such that there was Postumus’ claim on his estate, he had other hope that the youth might be restored options open to him. The implication of this to the house of his grandfather. This statement is that banishment was not sufficient. Maximus revealed to his wife, Marcia, These remedies were not without their and she to Livia. That was known to problems. For instance, if Augustus had simply Caesar. Maximus died soon after, and disinherited him in his will, Postumus could doubt exists about the nature of his have claimed that the will had not been made death. Marcia was heard at his funeral with proper consideration of familial ties of sobbing and blaming herself for the destruction of her husband. 10 Jameson (1975). 9 Dio 55.32.2. 11 Tac. Ann. 1.5. 78 A Deafening Silence: Agrippa Postumus and The Will of Augustus The idea that Augustus would restore Postumus possibly fear, on the part of Tiberius or Livia. to the Imperial House parallels the death scene We will see that suspicion around Tiberius of Claudius.12 As the incident is presented, the and his mother for the death of Postumus is clear heir, in that case Nero, was allegedly common among many of the sources. to be supplanted by a natural descendant of the incumbent Princeps but was secured in We now turn to Dio’s account of Augustus’ the role by the actions of a woman. The form death, with the focus once again on Agrippa of the story around the death of Augustus is Postumus’ role in the narrative. Dio writes similar, with Tiberius as the empowered heir and Postumus as the natural descendant. This Augustus, being unwell, died, and his leitmotif should cause us to be suspicious: wife, Livia, incurred some suspicion Tacitus has taken a standard historiographical concerning his death because he had device and applied it to different situations.13 secretly sailed to Agrippa Postumus The likelihood of these schema applying to on the island where he was exiled and both situations exactly is extremely low. That seemed to be about to be reconciled said, even if we doubt the alleged reason for with him. For she was fearing, as some the visit, that Augustus may have considered say, that he [Augustus] might restore restoring, the idea that he should want to see him [Postumus] to the monarchy. She his grandson one final time before his death is approached the fig trees from which not outside the realm of possibility. We note Augustus had been accustomed to here that, in Tacitus’ narrative, Augustus’ gather figs by his own hand, smeared visit to Postumus is reported as a rumour, a some with poison, ate the others favoured device of Tacitus’. We will see that and offered the poisoned ones to other sources, principally Dio, are not as subtle. Augustus.15 That said, interpreting Tacitus’ representation of this rumoured assignation on Planasia It was because of the visit and alleged plans may simply be a matter of accommodating to restore Postumus to the monarchy (the appearances and perceptions. In politics, the anachronistic term is appropriate given Dio’s appearances, what we may call the optics of chronological placement) that Augustus was the situation, are often more important than reportedly murdered.