Claudius I

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Ti. Claudius Nero Germanicus Born August 1 st 10 BC, in Lugdunum Gaul Died 54 A.D, poisoned by Agrippina (his wife, niece) Emperorship A.D. Third emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Young Life Born with defeats such as limping, drooling, and constant illness, Claudius was born in the wrong era. He was hated for his debilities which weren’t understood at the time, leading his family to dislike him, and keeping him out of public eye. Sources say that Augustus had seen something in the family ‘idiot.’ Nevertheless, Claudius spent his entire childhood and youth in almost complete seclusion.

Young Man Claudius as a young man received no orders to lead, or to be apart of the government, as customary for a Roman regal. When he assumed the toga virilis, he was carried to the Capitol in a litter at night; the normal procedure was to be led into the Forum by one's father or guardian in full public view. Despite his physical malfunctions, Claudius read vividly. He became a scholar of considerable ability and composed works on all subjects in the liberal arts, especially history; he was the last person we know of who could read Etruscan.

Coming to Power! In the early afternoon of 24 January 41 A.D., the emperor Caligula was attending a show and was murdered by his guard. The regime tried to completely eradicate the imperial family, but failed to kill Claudius. Some of the Praetorian Guard had found Claudius hiding, and then instead of killing him the pronounced him as Emperor. For the purpose of a having a job, which they wouldn’t have with out an emperor.

“To do nothing evil is good; to wish nothing evil is better.”

Emperorship The invasion and annexation of Britain was by far the most important and significant event in Claudius's reign. Claudius's relationship with the Senate did not get off to a good start -- given the nature of his succession and the early Claudius was remembered (negatively) by tradition as being noticeably profligate in dispensing grants of Roman citizenship to provincials; he also admitted "long- haired" Gauls into the senatorial order, to the displeasure of the snobbish incumbents. Both of these practices demonstrate his concern for fair play and good government for the provinces. Claudius spent a lot of time in the court room, even leaving family celebrations, to go and be a part of the court. It is rumored that he made ‘silly’ calls when being the judge; he would disregard quite a bit of what actually happened and would listen to his advisors. Claudius buildings had built just like the costume of emperors to build great buildings. He had built a new Aqueduct for Rome, and a port at Portus by Ostia, and he had the Fucine Lake drained.

Wives n’ such His first wife was that one ugly girl, and she was tall. She had like a mustache? I don’t remember. You guys will see in the show, I Claudius, what I am talking about. Either way, he left her! In 38 A.D. Claudius had married Valeria Messalina. Who gave him the daughter Octavia, born in 39; and a son Britannicus, born in 41. We can say that either her love of parties or her scheming brought her down. While Claudius was away in Ostia in AD 48, Messalina had a party in the palace in the course of which a marriage ceremony was performed between herself and a consul-designate, C. Silius. The political ramifications of this folly were sufficiently grave to cause the execution of Messalina, Silius, and assorted people. Pallas convinced Claudius to marry Agrippina the Younger. The marriage took place within months of Messalina's execution. She was the daughter of Claudius's brother, Germanicus, and a sister of Gaius Caligula.

Work Cited Copyright 1998, Garrett G. Fagan. emperors.org/claudius.htm emperors.org/claudius.htm