The Roman Series: Roman Emperor Claudius

On 1 August 10 BC Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born at Lugdunum (nowadays Lyon in France).

own picture of Claudius Taken at the Vatican Museums in 2017

Family

Claudius was the son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia. His maternal grandparents were Mark Antony and Octavia Minor, Augustus' sister. Claudius was thus the great-great grand nephew

of Tiberius Claudius Nero.  Claudius had two older siblings Germanicus and Livia. His mother

had two other children who died young. 

Youth

In 9 BC , Claudius' father Drusus unexpectedly died on campaign in Germania, possibly from illness. He was then left to be raised by his mother, who never remarried. 

In 7 AD, Livy was hired as tutor of Claudius. He also took lessons   from the philosopher Athenodorus. 

The guards proclaimed Claudius Emperor

Source picture: Wikipedia

Raise to power

When Augustus died in AD 14,Claudius was 23 years old. He appealed to his uncle Tiberius, to allow him to begin the curus honorum. Tiberius, then the new Emperor, granted Claudius consular ornaments.

However Claudius gave up hope of public office and retired to a  scholary, private life. 

After the death of Tiberius' son Drusus, Claudius was pushed by some quarters as a potential heir. After the death of Tiberius, Caligula, the son of Claudius' brother Germanicus became Emperor. He appointed

Claudius his co-consul in 37. However this wasn't the easiest time for Claudius due to the character of Caligula. By the end of Caligula's reign, Claudius had become thin and sickly mostly due to stress. 

On 24 January 41, Caligula was assassinated in the Praetorian Guard. There was no evidence that Claudius had a direct hand in the assassination.

After the murder, Claudius witnessed the German guard cut down several uninvolved noblemen including many of his friends. He fled to the palace to hide. 

Claudius then took some steps to legitimize his rule against potential usurpers. He adopted the name Caesar, a name with great weight. 

Claudius was the grandson of Augustus' sister Octavia and he also adopted the name Augustus. 

Claudius was not appointed Emperor by the Senate but by the guard of Rome. He remained grateful to them. 

Circus Maximus - Rome - own picture taken in 2017

Duty

Under Claudius the Empire had major expansions. Several provinces  were annexed or put under direct rule. The most far-reaching conquest was that of Britannia.  Claudius judged many of the legal cases during his reign. Some of them were variable and sometimes he did not follow the law. Nevertheless

he paid attention to the operation of the judicial system. 

Claudius also embarked many public works during his reign, both in the capital as in the provinces. He built two aqueducts, the Aqua Claudia  (started under Caligula) and the Anio Novus. He paid attention to  transportation. He built roads and canals.

Claudius set about remodelling the Senate into a more efficient body. Nevertheless many in the Senate remained hostile to Claudius, and  many plots were made on his life. As a result Claudius reduced the
Senate's power for the sake of efficiency. 

Claudius was very fond of games. Annual games were held in honour of his accession. They took place at the Praetorian camp where Claudius was proclaimed Emperor. 

Claudius also restored many public venues in Rome. At the Circus Maximus, the turning pots and the starting stalls were replaced in marble, embellished, and an embankment was probably added to prevent  flooding of the track. 

Love and Marriage

Ancient authors accused Claudius of being dominated by women and wives. He also would have been a womanizer. After two failed betrothals, Claudius married four times. 

First Marriage

Claudius married to Plautia Urgulanilla. She was the granddaughter of Livia's confidant Urgulania. During their marriage she gave birth to a son, Claudius Drusus. In his early teens Drusus died. Later Claudius divorced Urgulanilla for adultery and on suspicion of murdering her sister-in-law,
Apronia. 

Second Marriage

Possibly in 28, Claudius married Aelia Paetina, a relative of Sejanus. This marriage produced a daughter Claudia Antonia. He later divorced.

Messalina - Source picture: Wikipedia

Third Marriage

In 38 or early 39, Claudius married Valeria Messalina, his cousin and closely allied with Caligula's circle. She gave birth to a daughter called Claudia Octavia. 

The marriage ended in a tragedy. Messalina would have been nymphomaniac and she was regularly unfaithful to Claudius. In 48 Messalina married her lover Gaius Silius. 

Fourth Marriage

Claudius married once more to Agrippina the Younger. She was one of the few remaining descendants of Augustus. Her son Lucius Domitius was one of the last males of the Imperial Family. They could attempt a coup.

Source picture: Wikipedia

Death

Claudius died in the early hours of 13 October 54. He was probably murdered by poison - perhaps in a mushroom or on a feather. All thought that Agrippina, his powerful wife, was the instigator. Other 

historians doubted about this. Claudius could have died due to illness or his
old age. Claudius was buried at the Mausoleum of Augustus on 24 October 54. He was

succeeded by Nero ....