Emperor Claudius, against all notions of traditional Roman family values, married his niece, Agrippina the Younger this afternoon.
Sources say that freedman and adviser to the emperor, Marcus Antonius Pallas, has been promoting this marriage in private to Emperor Claudius since shortly after Empress Messalina's death last year. Pallas has been promoting the marriage for the good of the state, telling the Emperor that since Agrippina's son was the grandson of Germanicus, the marriage would unite and strengthen the dynasty. Rumor has it, however, that Pallas had taken Agrippina as a mistress and this marriage may, in fact, be a product of her own design.
Agrippina has a reputation for being as ruthless and manipulative as Messalina had been, so this could spell more trouble for the Emperor in the future. Only time will tell and we will, of course, keep you posted.
