During his reign, Claudius revived the rumor that his father Nero Claudius Drusus was actually the illegitimate son of Augustus, to give the appearance that Augustus was Claudius's paternal grandfather. His paternal grandparents were Livia, Augustus's third wife, and Tiberius Claudius Nero. Claudius's maternal grandparents were Mark Antony and Octavia Minor, Augustus's sister, and he was therefore the great-great-grandnephew of Gaius Julius Caesar. His mother, Antonia Minor, may have had two other children who died young. He had two older siblings, Germanicus and Livilla. After his death at the age of 63, his grand-nephew and legally adopted step-son, Nero, succeeded him as emperor.įamily and youth Early life Ĭlaudius was born on 1 August 10 BC at Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France). Many authors contend that he was murdered by his own wife, Agrippina the Younger. Those events damaged his reputation among the ancient writers, though more recent historians have revised that opinion. Claudius was constantly forced to shore up his position, which resulted in the deaths of many senators. He was seen as vulnerable throughout his reign, particularly by elements of the nobility. Having a personal interest in law, he presided at public trials, and issued edicts daily. During his reign the Empire started its successful conquest of Britain. He was also an ambitious builder, constructing new roads, aqueducts, and canals across the Empire. He expanded the imperial bureaucracy to include freedmen, and helped restore the empire's finances after the excesses of Caligula's reign. His survival led to him being declared emperor by the Praetorian Guard after Caligula's assassination, at which point he was the last adult male of his family.ĭespite his lack of experience, Claudius was an able and efficient administrator. Claudius's infirmity probably saved him from the fate of many other nobles during the purges throughout the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula, as potential enemies did not see him as a serious threat. Īs he had a limp and slight deafness due to sickness at a young age, he was ostracized by his family and was excluded from public office until his consulship (which was shared with his nephew, Caligula, in 37). Nonetheless, Claudius was an Italian of Sabine origins. He was the first Roman emperor to be born outside Italy. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor at Lugdunum in Roman Gaul, where his father was stationed as a military legate. The year 29 AD saw Agrippina and her son Nero exiled, and she starved to death in 33 AD on the island of Pandateria.Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( / ˈ k l ɔː d i ə s/ Latin: 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. Sejanus charged her supporters of treason and sexual transgressions after 26 AD, thereby purging her faction. After Germanicus' death, she promoted the succession claims of her own sons, Nero Julius Caesar and Drusus Caesar. Agrippina believed that Tiberius murdered Germanicus in order to prop up his son, Drusus Julius Caesar, as the heir to the throne. Agrippina took the cause of dissident Roman Senators who opposed Tiberius, Livia, as well as the Preatorian Guard prefect Sejanus, who was gaining power as a grey eminence. Both Tiberius and the empress dowager Livia did not attend the funeral of Germanicus, pointing to their likely role in his death. That resulted in Agrippina stoking the fire against her husband Tiberius, who became emperor in 14 AD. The year 19 AD saw her beloved cousin Germanicus poisoned while serving as a general in Roman Syria. This led to his pet name "Caligula"-"little soldier's boots." She enjoyed dressing her son Gaius in a soldier's uniform, with small boots. Traveling with him while on campaign, she always brought her children along. Thereafter Augustus required that her cousin Germanicus be made the adoptive son of his new heir, Tiberius. Until their untimely deaths, her brothers Lucius and Gaius Caesar were Augustus' adopted heirs. (R) Bust of Agrippina the Elder in Istanbul Archaeology Museum.Īgrippina, the mother of Caligula, born in 14 BC, was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. (L) Bust of Emperor Caligula, date unknown.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |