Claudius 41-55 A.D.
Background Information on Claudius

Claudius I (Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus) was the fourth Roman emperor, in succession to Gaius ('Caligula'). He is most famous as the emperor who added Britain to the Roman empire. Claudius was the grandson of Livia (second wife of Augustus), grandson of Mark Antony and Octavia (sister of Augustus), and the brother of the popular Germanicus. Tiberius, the second emperor of Rome, was his uncle, and Gaius, the third emperor, was his nephew. But in spite of these connections he was never seen as a possible future emperor, because he suffered from severe physical disabilities, including a limp and a speech impediment (he may have suffered from cerebral palsy). Augustus and Tiberius hid him from public view, and Gaius mocked him - he spent his time studying history.

But it was this apparent unsuitability for the principate that ensured his survival. When the Praetorian Guard assassinated Gaius, they found Claudius in the palace and acclaimed him as emperor - the first emperor of many to be chosen by the Guard (whose loyalty was quickly confirmed by a payment of money). The senate held out against Claudius for two days, but then accepted the inevitable. Claudius and the senate never trusted each other after this, and the new emperor entrusted much of his administration to influential Greek freedmen of low social standing. This was at the expense of distinguished senators, and was a move that disgusted the senate. He also heard trials himself, in private, rather than allowing senators to be judged by their peers -

leading to 35 senators being executed. Consequently he was as hated and feared by the senate as Tiberius had been. Lacking a military reputation, the essential attribute of an emperor, Claudius in AD 43 undertook the conquest of Britain, a task contemplated by Gaius three years earlier. But the actual generalship was performed by Aulus Plautius. Claudius visited the island for 16 days, to preside over the capture of Colchester, the capital of the new province. He took many senators to Britain with him, to prevent their plotting against him in his absence, and once the required victory had been secured, he returned to Rome for his triumph.

Besides Britain, Claudius added Mauretania, Thrace and Lycia to the empire - and as well as being expansionist, he was also forward-looking in his building of the harbour at Ostia, and in his admission of Gauls to the senate (AD 48). This latter innovation, however, appeared to cheapen senatorial status. Claudius had two children by his wife Messallina -

Britannicus and Octavia. In AD 48 Messallina went through a marriage ceremony with the consul Silius, in what was presumably a conspiracy against Claudius, and on the prompting of the emperor's freedmen, both were put to death. The next year Claudius, again on the prompting of his freedmen, married Agrippina the Younger (sister of Gaius, and also niece of Claudius - the law on incest had to be changed). Agrippina was the only surviving direct descendant of Augustus, apart from her son, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. Agrippina quickly appointed her own supporters to important positions, in order to arrange the succession of her own son in preference to Britannicus, who was three years younger.

In 50 she persuaded Claudius to adopt Domitius - who now took the name Nero - as his son, and in 53 she arranged Nero's marriage to Octavia. When Claudius finally began to talk of promoting Britannicus, she poisoned the emperor with a dish of mushrooms, and the 16-year-old Nero became emperor in his place. The senate welcomed the change. The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca, a leading senator and Nero's tutor, lists the crimes that Claudius committed, and mocks his (purely cynical) posthumous deification by Nero. Claudius is well known in English-speaking countries from Robert Graves' books I, Claudius and Claudius the God (both 1934) and from their successful TV adaptations (1976). Both the books and the TV productions, however, give a greatly over-sympathetic portrayal of the hated emperor Caesonia and his daughter. He was 29. Only the common people, who benefited from his extravagant spending, lamented his death.

ROMAN IMPERIAL DYNASTIES:
Julio-Claudian

The words above have been edited from various sources and have a few of my own interpretations!

 

The period of my collection

• The Twelve Caesars That's the main men to you and I

The Julio Claudian Dynasty Augustus I Claudius I Nero I Agrippa

The Flavian Dynasty Vespasian I Titus I Domitian

• The Adoptive Emperors or so we're told!
• The Civil War some serious falling out between 193-197 A.D.
• The Severan Period Only five emperors in this family including the nasty Caracalla
• The Collapse of Order almost 50 years of trouble up ahead
• The Secessionist Empire it was that Postumus who set things going
• The British Secessionist Empire Carausius goes it alone
• The Tetrarchy time for the great reform
• The Constantinian Dynasty a military dictatorship and the tale of three sons
• The Waning of the Empire the last century and the end of an era
• The Western Puppet Emperors oh dear! more trouble
• The Eastern Emperors slightly more peace

I might include othe pages as I progress. Plus if you would like to share a reciprical link, please email me at info@dadscoins.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
But it was this apparent unsuitability for the principate that ensured his survival. When the Praetorian Guard assassinated Gaius, they found Claudius in the palace and acclaimed him as emperor - the first emperor of many to be chosen by the Guard (whose loyalty was quickly confirmed by a payment of money). The senate held out against Claudius for two days, but then accepted the inevitable. Claudius and the senate never trusted each other after this, and the new emperor entrusted much of his administration to influential Greek freedmen of low social standing. This was at the expense of distinguished senators, and was a move that disgusted the senate. He also heard trials himself, in private, rather than allowing senators to be judged by their peers - leading to 35 senators being executed. Consequently he was as hated and feared by the senate as Tiberius had been. Lacking a military reputation, the essential attribute of an emperor, Claudius in AD 43 undertook the conquest of Britain, a task contemplated by Gaius three years earlier. But the actual generalship was performed by Aulus Plautius. Claudius visited the island for 16 days, to preside over the capture of Colchester, the capital of the new province. He took many senators to Britain with him, to prevent their plotting against him in his absence, and once the required victory had been secured, he returned to Rome for his triumph. Besides Britain, Claudius added Mauretania, Thrace and Lycia to the empire - and as well as being expansionist, he was also forward-looking in his building of the harbour at Ostia, and in his admission of Gauls to the senate (AD 48). This latter innovation, however, appeared to cheapen senatorial status. Claudius had two children by his wife Messallina - Britannicus and Octavia. In AD 48 Messallina went through a marriage ceremony with the consul Silius, in what was presumably a conspiracy against Claudius, and on the prompting of the emperor's freedmen, both were put to death. The next year Claudius, again on the prompting of his freedmen, married Agrippina the Younger (sister of Gaius, and also niece of Claudius - the law on incest had to be changed). Agrippina was the only surviving direct descendant of Augustus, apart from her son, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. Agrippina quickly appointed her own supporters to important positions, in order to arrange the succession of her own son in preference to Britannicus, who was three years younger. In 50 she persuaded Claudius to adopt Domitius - who now took the name Nero - as his son, and in 53 she arranged Nero's marriage to Octavia. When Claudius finally began to talk of promoting Britannicus, she poisoned the emperor with a dish of mushrooms, and the 16-year-old Nero became emperor in his place. The senate welcomed the change. The Apocolocyntosis of Seneca, a leading senator and Nero's tutor, lists the crimes that Claudius committed, and mocks his (purely cynical) posthumous deification by Nero. Claudius is well known in English-speaking countries from Robert Graves' books I, Claudius and Claudius the God (both 1934) and from their successful TV adaptations (1976). Both the books and the TV productions, however, give a greatly over-sympathetic portrayal of the hated emperor