How Do You Solve a Problem Like Marcus Agrippa?

This chapter offers a reconsideration of Agrippa, usually seen as the “right-hand man” of Augustus. Traditional republican culture demanded that a victor of Agrippa’s accomplishments had to earn the highest stature, but only the most extraordinary honors could reflect Agrippa’s achievements. Much like Cn. Pompeius Magnus before him, he embraced this path, advertising his exceptionalism by declining conventional honors and pursuing extraordinary ones, yet also ostentatiously avoiding the sort of solipsistic ambition that had led to civil war in the past. The promotion of Agrippa to someone of unprecedented excellence also worked well for Augustus. By elevating the independent status of his partner, he increased the value of Agrippa’s endorsement of the status quo.