Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was born to a relatively wealthy family in ~63 BCE. Very early in his career he accompanied Augustus to Rome to assist in the prosecution of Cassius (one of Julius Caesar's assassins). He was also a leader in the war against Lucuis Antoninus Pietas. Agrippa was tribune of the plebs in 43 and urban praetor in 40. He held the governorship of Gaul in 38 and put down a rebellion of the Aquitania. He was first elected consul in 37 and prepared the fleet for the impending battle with Sextus Pompeius.

In 36, he defeated Pompeius at the naval battles of Mylae and Naulochus. The main factor in the victory was the innovation of the harpax - a large grappling claw that was lauched aboard Agrippa's ships and dug into the hull of Pompeius' ships. The crew would then tow the other vessel into boarding range and fight the battle as they would on land.

In 33 after two years fighting in Illyria, he was elected aedile. It was during this time that he constructed the Julian aqueduct, the main supply of clean water into Rome. He also constructed the Pantheon, the first public baths in Rome as well as the horrea Agrippiana (a large granary behind the Forum). In 31, he commanded the fleet at the battle of Actium using smaller, faster vessels against the large ships of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra. The victory of Agrippa secured Augustus' position of supremacy in the Roman world.

Agrippa was elected consul again in 28 and also in 27. Augustus became ill in 23 and gave Agrippa his signet ring, signifying the emperor's choice of a successor should he die. He then journeyed to the eastern half of the empire with proconsular power. He was recalled to Rome in 21 and over the next few years he travelled around western Europe quelling revolts by various Galic tribes. In 18 and again in 13 he was given tribunician power by the Senate, making him the equal of the emperor. Near the end of March of the year 12 BCE, Agrippa fell ill and died. He was buried in the mausoleum of Augustus.

Agrippa was married three times to three different women, mostly for political reasons as was quite common in ancient Rome. In 37 he married Caecilia Attica, daughter of an eques or knight who was Cicero's literay advisor. He married Augustus' niece Marcella in 28 and divorced her in 21 to marry Augustus' daughter Julia.

Agrippa had two daughters from those previous marriages - Vipsania Agrippina (with Attica); who was the first wife of Emperor Tiberius, and Vipsania (with Marcella); who married Quinctilius Varus.

With Julia he had three sons- Gaius Julius Caesar and Drusus Julius Caesar who were adopted by Augustus in 17 BCE as well as Agrippa Postumous who was born shortly after his death in 12. The couple also had two daughters Julia and Agrippina the Elder; mother of the Emperor Gaius (Caligula).

In his travels to the east he became friends with Herod the Great of Judea. He was a benefactor of the Jews and allowed the rabbinical courts to have more widespread authority over secular (criminal) matters. In honour of Agrippa's friendship, Herod's grandson was named Julius Agrippa. He would come to be known as Agrippa I, king of Judea.