Dec 19, 2022 · Claudius, in full Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, original name (until 41 CE) Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, (born August 1, 10 bce, Lugdunum [Lyon], Gaul—died October 13, 54 ce), Roman emperor (41–54 ce), who extended Roman rule in North Africa and made Britain a province. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus, a popular and successful Roman general, and the younger Antonia ...
- What was Claudius’s childhood like?Son of the Roman general Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia, Claudius was related to the emperors Tiberius and Augustus. The imperial family looked d...
- How did Claudius come to power?Claudius’s appointment to consul under the reign of his elder brother’s son Gaius (Caligula) occurred in 37. After Gaius’s murder on January 24, 41...
- What were Claudius’s achievements?Claudius invaded Britain in 43. He also expanded the empire by annexing Mauretania, Lycia in Asia Minor, and Thrace and enlarging and reorganizing...
- How did Claudius die?After marrying his niece Agrippina, Claudius adopted her son Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (later the emperor Nero) to satisfy Agrippina’s lust for p...
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( / ˈklɔːdiəs /; Latin: [tɪˈbɛriʊs ˈklau̯diʊs ˈkae̯sar au̯ˈɡʊstʊs gɛrˈmaːnɪkʊs]; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor at Lugdunum in ...
- 24 January 41 – 13 October 54
- Antonia the Younger
Claudius, in full Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus orig. Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, (born Aug. 1, 10 bc, Lugdunum [Lyon], Gaul—died Oct. 13, ad 54), Roman emperor ( ad 41–54). Nephew of Tiberius, Claudius became emperor unexpectedly after Caligula was murdered. Sickly, clumsy, unattractive, and scholarly, he wrote ...
- His own family ridiculed his physical disabilities. Claudius struggled with various physical ailments and illnesses including tremors of the head and hands, a limp, a runny nose and foaming at the mouth.
- He entered politics relatively late in life. Claudius’ handicaps saw him repeatedly passed over for a chance at important public office. He was kept out of sight for most of his youth, and his royal relatives went out their way to place him far down the line of succession.
- Claudius was an accomplished historian. When he wasn’t distracting himself with drink and games of chance, Claudius spent long hours immersed in books and academic study.
- The Praetorian Guard installed him as emperor. In A.D. 41, a cabal of Praetorian Guards—the sworn protectors of the Roman emperor—assassinated Caligula and brutally murdered his wife and child at the imperial palace.
- Early Life
- Claudius as Emperor
- Claudius & Marriage
- Death & Successor
Claudius, or Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus (10 BCE - 54 CE), was Caligula's uncle (brother to Germanicus) and had always been thought of as being dimwitted (even his own mother agreed with this assessment) which is the reason why some believe he remained alive as long as he did. He drooled, stammered, and limped - an easy target for cruel jokes...
Although not the preferred choice of the Roman Senate, Claudius proved to be an efficient emperor. His first act was to execute Cassius Chaerea and his co-conspirators, the assassins of Caligula. He brought relative peace to Rome with the restoration of the rule of law. He built a new harbor at Ostia, established an imperial civil service, and brou...
Married four times, Claudius had very poor luck with women. In reference to these marriages and his relationship to his freedmen associates (Narcissusand Pallas), Dio wrote: “It was not these infirmities, however, that caused the deterioration of Claudius so much as it was the freedmen and the women with whom he associated” (60.2). He married twice...
His marriage to Agrippina (urged to do so by Pallas) was something he regretted shortly after exchanging vows, for it was also disastrous. The manipulative Agrippina (who was also his niece) was intent on having her son Neronamed the next emperor. Initially, she had planned to have Nero marry Claudius's daughter, Claudia Octavia, but changed her mi...
- Donald L. Wasson
Claudius Latin: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October 54 AD) was the fourth Roman emperor. He ruled from 24 January 41 AD to his death in 54 AD. His great-uncle was the first emperor, Augustus, and his uncle was the second emperor Tiberius. His nephew was the third emperor, Caligula.