Lindsay Powell's Blog - Posts Tagged "marcus-agrippa"
Marcus Agrippa, Right-Hand Man of Caesar Augustus
What will a man do for a friend? Marcus Agrippa provides an extra-ordinary example of loyalty and self-less service. Ahead of the release of my new biography of Augustus' best friend, I worked with The History Network to produce a podcast about the life of this unique man. Listen to it here: http://thehistorynetwork.org/1805-mar...
Uncovering the Enigma of Marcus Agrippa, Right-Hand Man of Caesar Augustus
This is a piece I wrote for Casemate's Athena Blog site about writing my biography of Marcus Agrippa: https://athenabooks.wordpress.com/201...
How a Royal Navy Base Came to Be Named After Marcus Agrippa, BFF of Caesar Augustus
One of the joys of being an author is to receive letters from readers who have enjoyed one's work. Sometimes they share information that can be included in a revised edition, and occasionally they tell a story that deserves a wider audience. This is one of those fascinating stories (presented unedited with permission):
Dear Mr Powell
I have just finished reading your excellent book 'Marcus Agrippa' in which you made the point that, despite his many achievements, Agrippa has never been much championed nor brought into the general public knowledge. I thought you might be interested in an incidence when he did gain some minor notice.
In 1996 I was serving as a captain in the COMNAVSOUTH NATO base on Nisida Island near Naples along with a large contingent of Royal Naval personnel for whom I held some administrative and disciplinary responsibilty. Since the pay accounts for this contingent were held at the RN pay and administration establishment in Gosport, HMS Centurion, our junior ratings' cap tallies bore the unglamorous title 'HMS Centurion'. I noticed however that newly drafted ratings were not wearing HMS Centurion cap tallies and, when I challenged them, they claimed they were no longer available from naval stores. I made enquiries and discovered that the Navy had outsourced the provision of pay and HMS Centurion had been de-commissioned so there was no longer a need for a cap tally. I asked around other outposts of naval contingents and discovered that most of them had opted for the very prosaic "NP 2016'' - NP standing for 'Naval Party' and the number being arbitrarily allocated. I thought this unacceptably unglamorous and not conducive to the instillation of team spirit or a sense of identity that sailors like to have, particularly when serving overseas.
The only alternative was to establish a new naval establishment with a name of its own based at the NATO HQ near Naples with the officer in my appointment as the commanding officer. There was little official enthusiasm for the creation of a new establishment in a shrinking navy but after some, understandable, administrative opposition, the plan was agreed – largely because there was no real alternative and the consequences of de-commissioning HMS Centurion had not been fully thought through. I was told to consult the Naval Historical Section of the M.O.D. over a name, which I did but their suggestions were all related to Admiral Lord Nelson's time in the Mediterranean and in Naples in particular. As it happens Nelson made himself thoroughly unpopular in Naples by supporting the Bourbon king and in the process having hanged a popular local aristocrat, Caracciolo, an event still remembered and resented in the city and I knew that anything Nelson-related would not do.
I knew very little about Agrippa but I had read about the creation of Portius Iulius and how he had trained the Roman fleet, built tunnels in the large sheltered area behind Cabo Misena which my wife and I used to enjoy exploring in the tender to our small cruising boat. I also knew he had played a major part in the battle of Actium and that was enough, it seemed to me, to make HMS Agrippa a suitable name for the new Royal Naval establishment. This was eventually agreed by those in the M.O.D who approve such matters and we held a commissioning ceremony on the roof terrace of the COMNAVSOUTH headquarters. I felt the decision on the name was vindicated when the Italian Commander in Chief, a four star admiral called Mario Angeli, wrote to me congratulating me on my choice!
Anyway, now I have read your book, I know so much more about this terrific chap and I'm glad to have played a tiny part in preserving his name. I do find it sad and extraordinary that he has never caught the eye of the Royal Navy's Ship's Naming Committee in the past. We have had Caesar, Cleopatra, loads of Greek heros in the Leander class but no ship bearing the name of a man who exemplified so many of the qualities that the Royal Navy prides itself in instilling in its people: tragic!
Thank you for doing such a comprehensive job of bringing the man to the public's attention in your scholarly but highly readable biography.
With very best wishes,
Commodore D J M Mowlam
Royal Navy
I replied that I was sure the old Roman admiral would have been chuffed. In his usual self-effacing way, though, he might have proposed calling it HMS Iulia or Augusta, as he did with his other public projects, but as his biographer I am very pleased to know that an establishment of HM Royal Navy bears his name - and so close to a naval base which he himself laboured to create.
Thank you Cdre. Mowlam.
Hip! Hip! Hooray!
Dear Mr Powell
I have just finished reading your excellent book 'Marcus Agrippa' in which you made the point that, despite his many achievements, Agrippa has never been much championed nor brought into the general public knowledge. I thought you might be interested in an incidence when he did gain some minor notice.
In 1996 I was serving as a captain in the COMNAVSOUTH NATO base on Nisida Island near Naples along with a large contingent of Royal Naval personnel for whom I held some administrative and disciplinary responsibilty. Since the pay accounts for this contingent were held at the RN pay and administration establishment in Gosport, HMS Centurion, our junior ratings' cap tallies bore the unglamorous title 'HMS Centurion'. I noticed however that newly drafted ratings were not wearing HMS Centurion cap tallies and, when I challenged them, they claimed they were no longer available from naval stores. I made enquiries and discovered that the Navy had outsourced the provision of pay and HMS Centurion had been de-commissioned so there was no longer a need for a cap tally. I asked around other outposts of naval contingents and discovered that most of them had opted for the very prosaic "NP 2016'' - NP standing for 'Naval Party' and the number being arbitrarily allocated. I thought this unacceptably unglamorous and not conducive to the instillation of team spirit or a sense of identity that sailors like to have, particularly when serving overseas.
The only alternative was to establish a new naval establishment with a name of its own based at the NATO HQ near Naples with the officer in my appointment as the commanding officer. There was little official enthusiasm for the creation of a new establishment in a shrinking navy but after some, understandable, administrative opposition, the plan was agreed – largely because there was no real alternative and the consequences of de-commissioning HMS Centurion had not been fully thought through. I was told to consult the Naval Historical Section of the M.O.D. over a name, which I did but their suggestions were all related to Admiral Lord Nelson's time in the Mediterranean and in Naples in particular. As it happens Nelson made himself thoroughly unpopular in Naples by supporting the Bourbon king and in the process having hanged a popular local aristocrat, Caracciolo, an event still remembered and resented in the city and I knew that anything Nelson-related would not do.
I knew very little about Agrippa but I had read about the creation of Portius Iulius and how he had trained the Roman fleet, built tunnels in the large sheltered area behind Cabo Misena which my wife and I used to enjoy exploring in the tender to our small cruising boat. I also knew he had played a major part in the battle of Actium and that was enough, it seemed to me, to make HMS Agrippa a suitable name for the new Royal Naval establishment. This was eventually agreed by those in the M.O.D who approve such matters and we held a commissioning ceremony on the roof terrace of the COMNAVSOUTH headquarters. I felt the decision on the name was vindicated when the Italian Commander in Chief, a four star admiral called Mario Angeli, wrote to me congratulating me on my choice!
Anyway, now I have read your book, I know so much more about this terrific chap and I'm glad to have played a tiny part in preserving his name. I do find it sad and extraordinary that he has never caught the eye of the Royal Navy's Ship's Naming Committee in the past. We have had Caesar, Cleopatra, loads of Greek heros in the Leander class but no ship bearing the name of a man who exemplified so many of the qualities that the Royal Navy prides itself in instilling in its people: tragic!
Thank you for doing such a comprehensive job of bringing the man to the public's attention in your scholarly but highly readable biography.
With very best wishes,
Commodore D J M Mowlam
Royal Navy
I replied that I was sure the old Roman admiral would have been chuffed. In his usual self-effacing way, though, he might have proposed calling it HMS Iulia or Augusta, as he did with his other public projects, but as his biographer I am very pleased to know that an establishment of HM Royal Navy bears his name - and so close to a naval base which he himself laboured to create.
Thank you Cdre. Mowlam.
Hip! Hip! Hooray!
