A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

AGRIPPA.

cognomen in the early times of the empire, but not
under the republic. One of the mythical kings of
Alba is called by this name. (Liv. i. 3.) According to Aulus Gellius (xvi. 16), Pliny (H. N.
vii. 6. s. 8), and Solinus (1), the word signifies a
birth, at which the child is presented with its feet.
foremost; but their derivation of it from aegre partus or pes is absurd enough. (Comp. Sen. Ged. 813.)
AGRIPPA ('Aypitr'as), a sceptical philosopher,
only known to have lived later than Aenesidemus,
the contemporary of Cicero, from whom he is said
to have been the fifth in descent. He is quoted
by Diogenes Laertius, who probably wrote about
the time of M. Antoninus. The "five grounds of
doubt" (ofe reivTE rpodrot), which are given by
Sextus Empiricus as a summary of the later scepticism, are ascribed by Diogenes Laertius (ix. 88) to
Agrippa.
1. The first of these argues from the uncertainty
of the rules of common life, and of the opinions of
philosophers. II. The second from the "'rejectio
ad infinitum:" all proof requires somei further
proof, and so on to infinity. III. All things are
changed as their relations become changed, or, as
we look upon them in different points of view.
LV. The truth asserted is merely an hypothesis or,
V. involves a vicious circle. (Sextus Empiricus,
Pyrrkon. hkpot. i. 15.)
With reference to these nVore rp6Aroi it need
only be remarked, that the first and third are a
short summary of the ten original grounds of doubt
which were the basis of the earlier scepticism.
[PYRRHON.] The three additional ones shew a
progress in the sceptical system, and a transition
from the common objections derived from the fallibility of sense and opinion, to more abstract and
metaphysical grounds of doubt. They seem to
mark a new attempt to systematize the sceptical
philosophy and adapt it to the spirit of a later age.
(Ritter, (Gesclhicdte der Philosophie, xii.4.) [B. J.]
AGRIPPA, M. ASI'NIUS, consul A. D. 25,
lied A. D. 26, was descended from a family more
illustrious than ancient, and did not disgrace it by:iis mode of life. (Tac. Ann. iv. 34, 61.)
AGRIPPA CASTOR ('Aypnrwas Kdorwp),
Itout A. D. 135, praised as a historian by Euse)ius, and for his learning by St Jerome (de Viris
Tllustr. c. 21), lived in the reign of Hadrian. He
vrote against the twenty-four books of the Alexindrian Gnostic Basilides, on the Gospel. Quotaions are made from his work by Eusebius. (Hlist.
rccles. iv. 7; see Gallandi's Bibliotheca Patrumn,
0ol. i. p. 330.) [A. J. C.]
AGRIPPA, FONTEIUS. 1. One of the acusers of Libo, A. D. 16, is again mentioned in.. D, 19, as offering his daughter for a vestal virin. (Tac. Ann. ii. 30, 86.)
2. Probably the son of the preceding, commandd the province of Asia with pro-consular power,. D. 69, and was recalled from thence by Vespa-;an, and placed over Moesia in A. D. 70. He
-as shortly afterwards killed in battle by the Sar'tatians. (Tac. Hist. iii. 46; Joseph. B. Jud.
ii. 4. ~ 3.)
AGRIPPA, D. HATE'RIUS, called by Taciis (Ann. ii. 51) the propinquus of Germanicus,
-as tribune of the plebs A. D. 15, praetor A. n. 17,
Ad consul A. D. 22. His moral character was
sry low, and he is spoken of in A. D. 32, as plotng the destruction of many illustrious men.
Fac. Ann. i. 77, ii. 51, iii. 49, 52, vi. 4.)

AGRIPPA. 77
AGRIPPA, HERO'DES I. ('Hpcw'ss 'Aypsirwras),
called by Josephus (Ant. Jud. xvii. 2. ~ 2),
"'Agrippa the Great," was the son of Aristobulus
and Berenice, and grandson of Herod the Great.
Shortly before the death of his grandfather, he
came to Rome, where he was educated with the
future emperor Claudius, and Drusus the son of
Tiberius. He squandered his property in giving
sumptuous entertainments to gratify his princely
friends, and in bestowing largesses on the freedmen of the emperor, and became so deeply involved
in debt, that he was compelled to fly from Rome,
and betook himself to a fortress at Malatha in
Idumaea. Through the mediation of his wife
Cypros, with his sister Herodias, the wife of Herodes Antipas, lie was allowed to take up his
abode at Tiberias, and received the rank of aedile
in that city, with a small yearly income. But having quarrelled with his brother-in-law, he fled to
Flaccus, the proconsul of Syria. Soon afterwards
he was convicted, through the information of his
brother Aristobulus, of having received a bribe
from the Damascenes, who wished to purchase his
influence with the proconsul, and was again compelled to fly. He was arrested as he was about to
sail for Italy, for a sum of money which he owed
to the treasury of Caesar, but made his escape, and
reached Alexandria, where his wife succeeded in
procuring a supply of money from Alexander the
Alabarch. He then set sail, and landed at Puteoli.
He was favourably received by Tiberius, who entrusted him with the education of his grandson
Tiberius. He also formed an intimacy with Caius
Caligula. Having one day incautiously expressed
a wish that the latter might soon succeed to the
throne, his words were reported by his freedman
Eutychus to Tiberius, who forthwith threw him
into prison. Caligula, on his accession (A. D. 37),
set him at liberty, and gave him the tetrarchies of
Lysanias (Abilene) and Philippus (Batanaea,
Trachonitis, and Auranitis). He also presented
him with a golden chain of equal weight with the
iron one which he had worn in prison. In the
following year Agrippa took possession of his kingdom, and after the banishment of Herodes Antipas,
the tetrarchy of the latter was added to his dominions.
On the death of Caligula, Agrippa, who was at
the time in Rome, materially assisted Claudius in
gaining possession of the empire. As a reward for
his services, Judaea and Samaria were annexed to
his dominions, which were now even more extensive than those of Herod the Great. He was also
invested with the consular dignity, and a league
was publicly made with him by Claudius in the
forum. At his request, the kingdom of Chalcis
was given to his brother Herodes. (A. D. 41.) He
then went to Jerusalem, where he offered sacrifices,
and suspended in the treasury of the temple the
golden chain which Caligula had given him. His
government was mild and gentle, and he was exceedingly popular amongst the Jews. In the city
of Berytus he built a theatre and amphitheatre,
baths, and porticoes. The suspicions of Claudius
prevented him from finishing the impregnable fortifications with which he had begun to surround
Jerusalem. His friendship was courted by many
of the neighbouring kings and rulers. It was
probably to increase his popularity with the Jews
that he caused the apostle James, the brother of
John, to be beheaded, and Peter to be cast into