My favorite excerpt from this rather obtuse text is found on page 203:

"So we come at last to Agrippa himself. Concerning his private life we have no anecdotes, and the only saying of his recorded is an expression of the debt he owed to a proverb -- 'By union small things become great, by division the gretest fall to pieces.'"

If anyone is familiar with this proverb and knows the source, please do share as I would be most grateful.

This does give us some insight as to why Agrippa a man of such capability and integrity would be loyal to Augustus, who although admittedly was a political genius, was corrupt of soul and rather disloyal at times to Agrippa.

I am presently reading a book by the above title. It is interesting, but I am not sure the point the author is trying to make about Marcus Agrippa. It is full of information about Augustus, Marcus Antonius, the Gracchi, Julius Caesar and even Marius and Sulla.

I wanted to read the book in order to glean any tidbits of information about Marcus Agrippa. It is so frustrating because the author focusses on everyone except Marcus Agrippa.

Some of the questions I wanted answered was whether Agrippa was fair or dark; I have learned that Augustus had curly golden hair, thank you sir. What was the ailment from which Agrippa suffered; I highly suspect it was gout from the descriptions of his severe foot pain discussed in other texts.

I think the only gossip I have learned is that Julia and Sempronius Gracchus were lovers before Agrippa died. I don't recall reading this before.

My recommendation is that if you have a strong interest in Marcus Agrippa and have spare reading time, I would read the book. If not, don't waste your time.

Setting: The Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games) consisting of feasts, sacrifice, and games celebrated the prosperity of Rome. Held about every one-hundred years, the games had been delayed about 32 years due to civil war.

What I found interesting about the following excerpt, is that is gives insight into Agrippa's public responsibilities and his relationship to Augustus.

"The next day Augustus and Agrippa went up together to the Capitol, and each sacrificed a bull to Jupiter, the matrons gave a second banquet, more plays were performed, and that night Augustus made a bloodless offering of twenty-seven cakes to the goddesses of child-birth. On June 2nd Augustus and Agrippa each sacrificed a cow to Juno, the matrons held a special service, over which Agrippa presided alone, kneeling in prayer for children, and in the evening Augustus sacrificed a cow to Mother Earth. On June 3rd in the morning, Augustus and Agrippa went up to the Palatine, and offered bloodless sacrifice to Apollo and twenty-seven maidens assembled before the temple of Apollo, and in the presence of the Commissioners chanted Horace's ode."

I doubt very much that Agrippa needed to pray for children being that he was quite viril (seven children), but it was a nice gesture regardless.