Before she really had a chance to grow up, Sansa Stark had been betrothed to Joffrey Baratheon, married to Tyrion Lannister, and then married again to Ramsey Bolton. But at least she ended up as Queen in the North. A relative of the first Roman Emperor Augustus, Agrippina Minor was married at 13 years old to her much older relative. She survived rumors of incest with her unstable brother, Emperor Caligula, until he exiled her from Rome. When he was eventually murdered, she returned and was married off to another wealthy older man. He kicked the bucket, and Agrippina married her much older uncle, the emperor Claudius (that’s her third marriage and his fourth, but who’s counting). Then when HE kicked the bucket (supposedly fed poisonous mushrooms), her son Nero became emperor. Wanting to prove he was a Big Boy, Nero tried to kill Agrippina several times, including by dropping a rock on her yacht, until his soldiers finally cornered her and murdered her through the more direct route of stabbing. No happy ending here, but in a world ruled by men, Agrippina still managed to have a huge impact on the Roman Empire and the history of the world.

Want to know more? Enroll in CLAS-C 387 (combined with HIST-C 388) for Fall 2025 and Learn What You Love.

• MW 1:30–2:45 PM
• Dr. Andy Findley

Fun Facts:

• no pre-requisites
• combined with HIST-C 388
• can be applied to History Minor
• 3 credits