Claudius had two older siblings: a sister named Claudia Livilla Julia, and a brother named Germanicus Julius Caesar (three guesses as to which famous relative he was named after). Explore eight surprising facts about the life of Rome’s fourth emperor. Kyle Climans has been a published writer since 2011. She also allegedly bore witness to the poisoning of her brother, Britannicus, by Nero. However, he also got his revenge by proving his ability in another way (more on that later). Messalina also used her marriage to Claudius to build her own power, and she even went after other members of the imperial family. Despite his lack of experience, Claudius proved to be an able and efficient administrator. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history. Ever the egotist, Nero had Antonia executed for trumped-up treason charges. As the emperor, Claudius gained much fame and respect for vastly expanding the Roman Empire. One of the many subjects of Claudius’s historical writing was a defense of Cicero. Still, some modern historians have since argued that Claudius’ death could have been an accident caused by him unknowingly eating an Amanita phalloides—a highly toxic strain of mushroom also known as “Death Cap.”. This marriage too ended in divorce. Seeing that the whale was trapped, he ordered nets to trap it further while he entertained a large crowd by “fighting” it with the help of his soldiers. The legendary Roman historian Tacitus even used Claudius’ work as a source for his own writings. 19. Historians treat this as a falsity, as no Roman accounts mention the marriage, or even Venissa’s identity. He became the emperor in 41 until 54. Several ancient authors have accused Claudius of being a womanizer and being easily manipulated by women. Despite that, his natural-born son was a threat to Nero, so he had the 13-year-old boy poisoned. While Claudius was shunted into the shadows by his family, his siblings were seemingly destined for great things. 8. Discover facts about Emperor Claudius I who added Britain to the Roman Empire, and was succeeded by Nero. He was a descendant of the Octavii Rufi, Julii Caesareas, and the Claudii Nerones; he was a great-nephew of Augustus through his full sister Octavia Minor. Every single historical source we have names Nero as the man behind the killing. 7. Several provinces were added to the empire, including Lycia, Thrace, Noricum, and Judea. He was an ambitious builder, constructing many new roads, aqueducts, and canals across the Empire. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. 21. He was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside of Italy Claudius was born … More All Rights Reserved. These events damaged his reputation among the ancient writers, though more recent historians have revised this opinion. His major literary works include an Etruscan history, eight volumes on Carthaginian history, an Etruscan dictionary and a book on dice playing. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Despite his attempts to pursue politics just like everyone else in his family, Tiberius ensured that Claudius was only ever given low positions. 22. Claudius had one daughter from his second marriage and two children from his third marriage. 2. I, Claudius was wildly popular during its original UK run, drawing an average of 2.5 million viewers per episode. In case you’re not aware of who this man is, Claudius was probably the most unlikely man to ever rule the Roman Empire. In 1976, the BBC adapted I, Claudius into a miniseries. 6. 3. To be fair, given how Caligula treated Claudius all those years, we can’t be too surprised if he really did get involved. Only men of Roman citizenship were counted, however, excluding everyone else. Under the Roman emperor Nero, she was granted a wide estate and even an academy to teach other people the art of poisoning. His parents were Drusus and Antonia Minor. When his house accidentally burned down, the Senate once again went to bat for him and urged for funds from the government to be spent building him a new home. Ancient sources describe Claudius’ third wife, Messalina, as scheming and sex obsessed. One of the first positive role models and most important figures in Claudius’s life was the man whom his family hired to teach him in the subject of history. Then, in the aftermath of a tragic and bloody event, he found himself in the position which nobody ever predicted he’d have: Emperor of Rome. 28. 3. History was his primary subject, and he wrote dozens of books covering the histories of the Etruscans, Carthage, and the republic of Rome. Claudius, being the emperor, changed those laws purely so he could go ahead with the marriage. We’re always looking for your input! Upon his death, he was deified by his successor Nero and the Senate almost immediately. The campaign was successful and Britain became a province of the Roman Empire. However, it’s worth pointing out that there was another level to that aspect of Claudius. Claudius’s nephew, Caligula, was assassinated in 41 AD by his own bodyguards, who also proceeded to kill several other men and women linked to the dead emperor. His 13 year reign wouldn’t be surpassed by any successors until that of Domitian, who reigned for 15 years. All of the future emperor’s works have since been lost, but they appear to have been reasonably respected in their time. Because he was afflicted with a limp and slight deafness due to sickness at a young age, his family ostracized him and excluded him from public office until his consulship, shared wit… It was alleged that Claudius’s own mother said that he was “a monstrosity of a human being, one that nature began and never finished.” Ouch…, If there was one person who particularly enjoyed ridiculing Claudius, it was his own nephew, best known as Emperor Caligula. Her motivation has traditionally been listed as an ambition to have her son become the next emperor. We have a decent idea of the Roman Empire’s population in 48 AD thanks to the actions of Claudius. Historians have since speculated that he may have suffered from cerebral palsy or Tourette’s syndrome, but his family considered his condition a sign of weakness and a source of great public embarrassment. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Having a personal interest in law, he presided at public trials, and issued up to 20 edicts per day. After his death in 54 AD, his grand-nephew, step-son, and adopted son Nero succeeded him as Emperor. Claudius Facts 1. 4. The conquest took nearly 40 years to complete, and even then, not all of Britain was conquered, but areas of Britain became a Roman province for many years. Small wonder that he developed a passion for history! He was notoriously unlucky in love. Roads and canals were built all across the empire, as well as at least two major aqueducts. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Claudius had at least five children during his lifetime. According to the Romans who wrote about Claudius, his third wife was constantly cheating on him. During his reign, the Roman Empire began the conquest of Britain. In A.D. 43, he dispatched a force of 40,000 troops and several war elephants across the English Channel. Of all Claudius’s children, it’s arguable that Claudia Octavia had the saddest story. Thanks for your help! 15. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. He eventually gave up hitting his head against a metaphorical brick wall and turned to bad habits out of boredom. He famously possessed a very keen intelligence, which he turned to academia when his political aspirations were frustrated. Claudius struggled with various physical ailments including tremors of the head and hands, a limp, a runny nose and foaming at the mouth. Take a look below for 30 more fun and interesting facts about Claudius. He was the youngest child of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia Minor. According to the ancient historian Suetonius, Caligula delighted in mocking his uncle for his infirmities, and if Claudius dozed off during dinner gatherings, guests were encouraged to pelt him “with the stones of olives and dates.”. The historian Cassius Dio claims Agrippina procured the deadly fungus from a poisoner named Locusta and served it to Claudius during a dinner at the palace. 24. Even Caligula, though he despised Claudius, saw the value of his 46-year-old uncle and appointed him as co-consul of Rome. After Claudius died, Octavia became the Empress of Rome, but she was constantly locked in a power struggle between Nero and Agrippina. Agrippina proved even more treacherous than Messalina, and is said to have manipulated Claudius into naming her son Nero as his successor before engineering his assassination. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. Claudius Drusus was the eldest son of Claudius, born in 16 AD, long before his father ever became emperor. Additionally, the supply system which provided grains to the city of Rome was reorganized. In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth made a rather remarkable claim about Claudius in his “historical” work, Historia Regum Britanniae. 29. He completed the Roman annexation of Britain. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. One of the most bizarre moments of Claudius’s life was when he fought a killer whale! Claudius’s father, Nero Claudius Drusus (best known as Drusus the Elder), was one of Emperor Augustus’s original heirs. He was married four times, and had been betrothed twice before. Claudius and Aelia Paetina had a daughter together named Claudia Antonia. Starring Derek Jacobi as Claudius, the miniseries also includes George Baker as Tiberius, John Hurt as Caligula, and Brian Blessed as Augustus. Allegedly, when Claudius was informed of her death, his only reaction was a request for his wine goblet to be refilled. His fourth and last marriage was to Agrippina the Younger. Sadly, Claudius Drusus died tragically young in 20 AD when he reportedly choked to death while eating a pear.
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