Claudius By: Grace Alcaraz, Tenzin Chimi, and Holly Taylor

Introduction  Born on August 1, 10 B.C in Gaul  Ruled from January 24, 41 to October 13, 54 AD  Family Clan- Julio- Claudian  4 th Roman emperor

Early and Family Life  His parents were Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia Minor  Suffered from a serious disease at birth which left him deformed and with a speech problem  Was the family “black sheep”  His uncle was the emperor Tiberius

Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths o Showed unusual respect o Encouraged people to express their opinions o Hard work led to many accomplishments o Surprised many since he was the black sheep of his family Weaknesses o Disfigured, awkward, and clumsy o Awful taste in women o Rocky relationship with the Senate o Handled judicial matters poorly

Effects on Roman Empire  Made major improvements to Rome’s judicial system.  Passed laws protecting sick slaves  Extended citizenship and gave women more liberties and privileges  Preserved Roman culture  Extended Rome’s control to North Africa, the Balkan peninsula, and Asia Minor

Political Life Rose to power after the assassination of the previous emperor, Caligula, his nephew As emperor, he undid many of Caligula’s injustices He led many successful military campaigns and conquered many lands into the Roman Empire Achievements gained him respect and soon made Rome the most powerful empire of all time

Achievements  Civil administration saw detailed improvements in the judiciary  Creation of a cabinet of freedom  Extended the rights of Roman citizenship to many Galic leaders  Enlarged the Senate  Port was built at Ostia  Grain supply was stream lined

Achievements Continued Games and public ceremonies were staged. Old religious traditions revived Improved Rome’s water supply Added Mauretania and Thrace to the Roman Empire Introduced internal reforms, reorganized trade, and extended civic rights to communities outside of Italy

Ruling Etiquette Claudius ruled the empire well and repaired most of Caligula’s damage He believed that the best way to rule was to treat the people as equals Abolished all ridiculous laws that Caligula created such as outrageous taxes and exiles Showed no favoritism amongst the people and tried to keep peace in the empire

Love Life  After Silius was killed and after the scandal of Messalina, Claudius decided to marry again in the next year  Last wife was Agrippina, his own niece  Agrippina persuaded Claudius to disown his own son, Britannicus, so that her son, Nero, would be the next emperor  Agrippina poisoned Claudius with mushrooms, although another dose of poison was taken to finally kill him  Claudius died in Rome in 54 A.D (October A.D

Fun Facts o Claudius’ full name was Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus Cesar o He was married 4 times o He hired a prostitute, Calpurnia, to be his companion for most of his days o The word claudication originated with Claudius due to his paralysis and diseases he dealt with through his life. Claudication- to limp; limping o He reigned in the time of Christ, though that did not stop his persecution of the earliest Christians