Agrippa I: Loyal Roman or Planning a Rebellion?

This is the complete script of a formal thesis defence delivered for a cum laude Master's in Classical Archaeology at the University of Pisa.

Note on Format & Scope: This 20-page transcript is a focused window into a decades-long research project that began when the author was 19. Spanning over 200 sources, this work bridges top-grade academic scholarship and peer-reviewed articles with an epic historical fiction series. Because digital platforms require audio presentations to be classed as audiobooks, this piece is available in text and podcast-style audio as delivered.

Based on an original 750-page dissertation, the defence examines Herod Agrippa I—grandson of Herod the Great and client king of Judea. Was he a loyal Roman statesman, a potential rebel, or a cunning political survivor?

Using a critical approach to ancient sources, archaeology, and historiography, the work explores: – The material and political landscape of Agrippa's reign – His diplomatic positioning between Roman and Judean authorities – Symptoms, political consequences, and the forensic plausibility of poisoning in his sudden death – Competing narratives of loyalty and power in the 1st century CE

Ideal for readers interested in Roman history, ancient politics, and classical antiquity.