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Drooling over Drusilla

Posted By: Charles Pope
Date: Monday, 22 January 2007, at 5:18 p.m.

In Response To: broaching buxom, bossomy bumptious berenice (julie)

The idea of loosening the buttons of the bountifully breasted Berenice is most titillating, but we can probably get further along with her sister Drusilla.

www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Egypt/ptolemies/selene_ii.htm#Selene
(See footnote 10)

According to Tacitus, governor Antonius Felix was a descendant of Antony and married Herodian Drusilla, who he also considers "grand-daughter" of Antony and Cleopatra! (The description of Felix as a former "slave" has got to reflect royal snobbery.)

Tacitus further informs that Felix married another Drusilla Queen of Mauretania/Numibia. However, Cleopatra Selene the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra was also Queen of Mauretania. So, it is extremely doubtful that Felix was feeling it with two different royal Ladies named Drusilla. This double Drusilla might even also be one and the same as Livia Drusilla the "sister" of Caligula.

Had Herod Agrippa then married her mother Agrippina (hence the name Agrippina) after the death of Germanicus? Was one or more of the children of Agrippa I (Drusilla, Berenice, Mariamne V, and Agrippa II) then actually fathered by Germanicus? Was Berenice actually called Julia in Rome? Was her sister Mariamne called Agrippina II (mother of Nero!)? Did these women have multiple families by multiple partners (and at the same time)?

Although Herodian Drusilla could not have been the literal granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra, she was their descendant. Her father Agrippa descended from Antony. Her mother Cypros descended from both Antony and Cleopatra through her father Phasaelus son of Phasaelus (Ptolemy Alexander Helios). And even if the father of Drusilla was Germanicus, she was still the descendant of Antony and Cleopatra!

Interestingly, Agrippina is considered the daughter of Julia (daughter of Augustus and Scribonia). If Agrippina is to be equated to Cypros (daughter of Phasaelus and Salampsio), that would lead to another orgasmic revelation - Hasmonean Mariamne was two-timing with Herod the Great and Caesar Augustus, the two most powerful people on the planet.

As far as the relationship of Berenice with Titus, I don't see how this could have been objectionable. Berenice was as Roman as Titus and arguably of greater pedigree. However, she might not have been considered the best possible match for Titus in terms of dynastic propagation (i.e., too old or didn’t produce a son for him) or in the opinion of Titus' immediate family, the Flavians, or other powerful Claudians. He would have been urged to forsake Berenice (Julia?) as Augustus was urged to forsake Scribonia for Livia Drusilla.

I once bought a book about Berenice when I visited him in Madrid and left it with my host Oscar Calle Mesa. I have not been able to locate it on the Internet. [Oscar, can you recommend that book?]

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