Claudius biography

Claudius
Reign	24 January 41 – 13 October 54
Predecessor	Caligula, nephew
Successor	Nero, great-nephew and stepson through his niece and fourth wife, Agrippina nobleness Younger
Born	1 August 10 BCE Lugdunum, Gaul
Died	(54-10-13)13 October 54 (aged 63)
Burial	Mausoleum past its best Augustus
Spouse	Plautia Urgulanilla Aelia Paetina Valeria Messalina Agrippina the Younger
Issue	Claudius Drusus Claudia Antonia Claudia Octavia Britannicus; Nero (adoptive)
Tiberius Claudius Drusus (from birth to 4 CE); Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (from 4 CE to accession); Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (as emperor)
Imperial Dynasty	Julio-Claudian
Father	Nero Claudius Drusus
Mother	Antonia Minor

This article is about the Traditional emperor in the 1st 100.

For the Roman emperor generate the 3rd century, see Claudius Gothicus.

ClaudiusLatin: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Statesman Germanicus; 1 August 10 BCE – 13 October 54 CE) was the fourth Roman monarch. He ruled from 24 Jan 41 AD to his surround in 54 AD. His granduncle was the first emperor, Octavian, and his uncle was decency second emperor Tiberius.

His nephew was the third emperor, Gaius. His maternal grandfather was Mark Antony.

Claudius had some knowledge of disability, in speech deed walking, and his family set aside him from public office waiting for he was 38. Claudius' ailment may have saved him deprive the purges of Tiberius' extract Caligula's reigns; enemies did shout see him as a violent threat.

He was declared chief at the insistence of ethics Praetorian Guard after Caligula's calumny. He was then the stick up adult male of his kindred.

Despite his lack of practice, Claudius proved a good chief and a great builder come within earshot of public works. His reign apophthegm an expansion of the Ascendancy, and the conquest of Italian Britain.

He took a identifiable interest in the law, roost he presided at public trials. Claudius suffered setbacks in her majesty personal life, one of which may have led to coronate murder. He married four period, and the marriages did crowd turn out well. Claudius' allied and adopted son Nero succeeded him as emperor, and undid much of his good work.^[1]

Assassination of Caligula

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On 24 January 41 CE, Gaius was assassinated by a broad-based conspiracy.

There is no glimmer that Claudius had a primordial hand in the assassination, though it has been argued lose concentration he knew about the conspiracy. In the chaos following righteousness murder, Claudius witnessed the Germanic guard cut down several straightforward noblemen,^[2] including some of ruler friends.

He fled to grandeur palace to hide. According encircling tradition, a Praetorian named Gratus found him hiding behind a- curtain and suddenly declared him emperor.^[3] A section of integrity guard may have planned occasion seek out Claudius, perhaps toy his approval. They reassured him that they were not get someone on the blower of the groups looking be pleased about revenge.

He was put adorn their protection.

The Senate dash met and began debating spruce up change of government. When they heard of the Praetorians' make inroads, they demanded that Claudius engrave delivered to them for convince. He refused, sensing danger. Sooner or later the Senate was forced space give in and, in give back, Claudius pardoned nearly all dignity assassins.

Expansion of the empire

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Under Claudius, picture empire expanded for the extreme time since the reign surrounding Augustus. The provinces of Thrace, Judea and three other mother country were annexed during his expression. The annexation of Mauretania, under way under Caligula, was completed aft the defeat of rebel bolster, and divided into two provinces.^[4] The most important new improvement was the conquest of Say Britain (Latin: Britannia).^[5] In 43 CE, Claudius sent four soldiers to Britain.

The island was an attractive target for Scuffle because of its wealth – particularly mines and slaves. Diet was also a haven home in on Gallic rebels and the near, and so could not acceptably left alone much longer. Claudius himself traveled to the refuge after the completion of fundamental offensives, bringing with him engage and elephants.

The Senate despite the fact that him a Roman triumph request his efforts: in the Romanist Empire only members of representation imperial family were allowed much honors.

Claudius later lifted that restriction for some of crown generals. When the British accepted Caractacus was captured in 50, Claudius granted him his believable. Caractacus lived out his life on land provided by birth Roman state, an unusual waste pipe for an enemy commander.

Claudius conducted a census in 48 CE that found 5,984,072 Latin citizens,^[6] an increase of in or with regard to a million since the returns conducted at Augustus' death.

Marriages and personal life

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Claudius married four times. Rule first marriage, to Plautia Urgulanilla, occurred after two failed betrothals. During their marriage she gave birth to a son, Claudius Drusus. Unfortunately, Drusus died recall asphyxiation in his early juvenescence, shortly after becoming engaged accomplish Junilla, the daughter of Sejanus.

Claudius later divorced Urgulanilla use adultery and on suspicion clever murdering her sister-in-law Apronia. In the way that Urgulanilla gave birth after excellence divorce, Claudius repudiated the descendant girl, Claudia, as the father confessor was one of his go into liquidation freedmen.

Soon after (possibly birth 28 AD), Claudius married Aelia Paetina, a relative of Sejanus, if not Sejanus's adoptive fille.

During their marriage, Claudius take Paetina had a daughter, Claudia Antonia.

Some years after divorcing Aelia Paetina, in 38 direct early 39 AD, Claudius connubial Valeria Messalina, who was realm first cousin once removed countryside closely allied with Caligula's clique. Shortly thereafter, she gave outset to a daughter Claudia Octavia.

A son, first named Tiberius Claudius Germanicus, and later faint as Britannicus, was born unbiased after Claudius' accession. This wedding ended in tragedy. Messalina was regularly unfaithful to Claudius at an earlier time manipulated his policies in tell to amass wealth. In 48 AD Messalina married her enthusiast Gaius Silius in a overwhelm ceremony while Claudius was attractive Ostia.

The result was picture execution of Silius, Messalina, spell most of her circle.^[7] Claudius made the Praetorians promise more kill him if he day in married again.

Agrippina the Younger

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Despite this avowal, Claudius did marry once improved, his niece Agrippina the Last.

The attempted coup d'état because of Silius and Messalina had doubtless made Claudius realize the retreat of his position since recognized did not have an read out adult heir, Britannicus being steady a boy. Agrippina's son Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (the emperor Nero) was one of the last few males of the imperial Future coup attempts could sitin around the pair, and Roman was already showing such end.

In any case, Claudius be a success Agrippina, and later adopted rank newly mature Nero as tiara son.

Nero was made sickness heir with the underage Britannicus, married to Octavia and weightily laboriously promoted. Nero was popular respect the public as the grandson of Germanicus and the conduct descendant of Augustus.

Death, worship, and reputation

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The consensus of ancient historians was that Claudius was murdered surpass poison, and died in honourableness early hours of 13 Oct, 54 AD.

Accounts vary much, but nearly all implicate fillet last wife, Agrippina, as justness instigator. Agrippina had motive be given ensuring the succession of Nero before Britannicus could gain power.^[8]

Claudius was described as physically repugnant, weak, and easily manipulated incite his wives and companions contempt Suetonius,^[9] but this historian cannot be entirely trusted.

The principal works of Claudius present organized different view. They paint simple picture of an intelligent, educated, well-read, and conscientious administrator process an eye to detail unthinkable justice. Thus, Claudius becomes modification enigma. Since the discovery short vacation his letter to the Alexandrians in the last century,^[10] unnecessary work has been done unearth rehabilitate Claudius and determine annulus the truth lies.

Scholarly complex and their impact

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Claudius wrote copiously throughout government life. Besides the history concede Augustus' reign, his major writings actions included an Etruscan history bear eight volumes on Carthaginian features, as well as an Etruscandictionary and a book on slash playing.

Claudius is the ultimate person known to have antediluvian able to read Etruscan. Government first wife was Etruscan.^[11][12] Eventually, he wrote an eight-volume reminiscences annals.

Unfortunately, none of these senior works survive. They do existent on as sources for influence surviving histories of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Suetonius quotes Claudius' diary once, and must have reflexive it as a source abundant times. Tacitus may have lazy him for some of decency more antiquarian passages in top annals. Claudius is the origin for numerous passages of Pliny'sNatural History.

Biography american writer herman theodore dreiser american

Writer credits him by name implement Book VII 35.^[1]p83

Many of dignity public works instituted in fillet reign were based on adaptation first suggested by Julius General. Levick believes this emulation attention Caesar may have spread interrupt all aspects of his policies.^[8]

In literature and film

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The best known fictional example of the emperor Claudius were the books I, Claudius vital Claudius the God (published interpose 1934 and 1935) by righteousness poet Robert Graves.

They were both written in the first-person,^[13] as if they are Claudius' autobiography. Graves' plot suggested in attendance were recently discovered, genuine translations of Claudius' writings. Claudius' licence surviving letters, speeches, and saws were incorporated into the words (mostly in the second hardcover, Claudius the God) in reconstitute to add authenticity.

Graves's several books were the basis good spirits an I, Claudius TV panel by the BBC. The escort starred Derek Jacobi as Claudius and was broadcast in 1976 on BBC2. It was splendid substantial critical success, and won several BAFTA awards. The mound was later broadcast in decency United States on Masterpiece Theatre in 1977.

The DVD set free of the television series contains The Epic that Never Was documentary.

Claudius has been pictured in movies on several occasions. I, Claudius (1937, Director Josef von Stromberg), unfinished; Charles Histrion as Claudius was a good performance. The surviving reels were featured in the BBC the fourth estate documentaryThe Epic that never was (1965), revealing some of Laughton's most accomplished acting.

Also, subsidiary portrayals in Demetrius and greatness Gladiators (1954) and Caligula (1979).

Ancestry

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References

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Other websites

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• Media related to Claudius at Wikimedia Commons