Claudius

Related civilization: Imperial Rome

Major role/position: Roman emperor

Life

Claudius was the son of Drusus (brother of the emperor Tiberius) and Antonia (daughter of Octavia and Marc Antony). Claudius suffered from a disability that caused him to walk with a limp, twitch his head, and stammer when he spoke, possibly cerebral palsy. During his life, he wrote histories of the Etruscans and the Carthaginians, and his own autobiography. No examples of his work have been found.

96411155-90730.jpg96411155-19683.jpg

Claudius became emperor of Rome on January 24, 41 c.e., following the assassination of his nephew Caligula. During Claudius’s reign, he expanded the borders of Rome to include regions of Britain and the Mediterranean. In Rome, he built the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus aqueducts, and the ill-fated harbor Portus. He gradually eliminated powers held by the Roman senate in order to secure his position.

Claudius was married four times; he divorced his first two wives. The young Valeria Messallina was his third wife; in 48 c.e., she was charged with treason and executed. His fourth wife was his niece Agrippina the Younger; she is rumored to have caused his death by feeding him poisoned mushrooms.

Influence

Through expansion of territory and reduction of senate powers, Claudius shaped a future that would see the emperors of Rome flourish for another four hundred years.

Bibliography

Graves, Robert. I, Claudius. New York: Random House, 1934.

Scarre, Chris. Chronicle of the Roman Emperors. London: Thames and Hudson, 1995.