An Unlikely Success Story
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus has retroactively become one of Ancient Rome’s most admired emperors. Riddled with illness and disability as a child, however, no member of his imperial family expected much from him. But the underestimated upstart would prove himself to be a capable leader with a cunning political mind.
1. He Was Unique Among Emperors
Claudius was born on August 1, 10 BC. A member of the mighty Julio-Claudian dynasty, the infant had some big shoes to fill from the moment he was born. His father, Drusus, was a highly respected military legate. Stationed in Roman Gaul (present-day France) with his wife at the time of Claudius’ birth, this fact makes Claudius unique among Roman emperors: he was the first born outside Italy. But his silver spoon would not give him every advantage.
2. He Became Disabled
At a young age, Claudius came down with a mysterious illness that would have rippling consequences for the remainder of his life. While he eventually recovered, the young boy would never be the same again, left with a permanent limp and a case of minor deafness. The effects would compound, however, and things only got more difficult from here.
3. His Symptoms Worsened
Claudius’ permanent condition reportedly resulted in lifelong physical difficulties. A Roman historian’s account describes his illness manifesting in a number of ways, including weak knees that would buckle under his own weight, a shaky head, stammered and confused speech, and a runny nose whenever he got excited. Contemporary assessments have offered some possible explanations...
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4. He Got A Modern Diagnosis
Later historians, with the benefit of modern medical practices and diagnostics, have posited various causes of Claudius’ symptoms. Before WWII, polio was the leading theory, widely accepted to the point that fictitious accounts of the emperor have used this presumptive diagnosis.
However, polio does not explain every symptom, and more modern theories have posited cerebral palsy or Tourette’s as the source of Claudius’ physical woes. Regardless of what it was, he suffered socially too.
5. His Family Was Cruel
Claudius’ perceived weakness was a source of great shame for his family, and they completely ostracized him as a child. His mother was especially cruel, repeatedly referring to the young boy as a monster and holding him up as the standard for stupidity. The emperor-to-be was probably relieved when she finally figured out how to get rid of him.
I, Claudius trailer, AcornMediaUS
6. He Got Sent Away
After Claudius’ father perished in battle, his mother could not bear to take on the “burden” of her son alone. Records seem to suggest that she sent the young boy to live with his paternal grandmother, Livia, for a few years. His grandmother appears to have been kinder to him, though not by much. She seemed to share daughter-in-law’s low opinion of the boy.
7. They Tried To Set Him Straight
Claudius’ family erroneously saw his condition as the result of laziness. To beat some discipline into him, the young boy found himself under the care of a former mule-driver, who they assumed would work him punishingly hard. His condition affected his stature in the imperial family too.
8. They Hampered His Career
As a member of the imperial family, it was normally expected that someone like Claudius would hold some kind of public office. However, his condition came back to bite him once more, because it discouraged the more powerful members of his family from appointing him any significant official position. He would have to find his passion elsewhere.
9. He Forged His Own Path
Dejected from participating in matters of politics, Claudius instead turned his interests to the scholarly. By the time he reached his teenage years, his symptoms began to wane somewhat, and his family took interest in him once again. Noticing his affinity for intellectual pursuits, they decided to do what they had not thus far: encourage him. The results changed everything.
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10. He Showed His Skill
In AD 7, Claudius’ family hired a history tutor to nurture the young man’s talents. From then on, Claudius spent the majority of his time among academics and philosophers. One famous philosopher, Augustus, took note of Claudius’ excellent and clear skills as an orator. And to add to his new skills, he developed some bravery. In other words, the young man was not afraid to tell it like it was.
Unknown authorUnknown author, Wikimedia Commons
11. He Was Rebelliously Truthful
Claudius came into his own as a talented historian with a knack for honesty. In his work on the Civil Wars, he did not shy away from an honest and truthful critique of the reigning Caesar Augustus, a member of Claudius’ own dynasty. His integrity damaged him further, however; his refusal to toe the party line and varnish his dynasty’s history only further damaged his prospects of holding public office. He would have to take matters into his own hands.
Gautier Poupeau from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons
12. He Appealed Directly To Power
Emperor Augustus perished in AD 14, and was replaced with a new emperor, Tiberius–who just happened to be Claudius’ uncle. The young man saw his chance and appealed directly to his powerful relative to grant him office. Tiberius granted his nephew the ornaments issued to consulars but stopped short of actually appointing him to an official position. Snubbed once more, Claudius gave up and returned to his studies. His family may have missed a political opportunity.
13. He Was Popular
Though he was constantly held in disdain by his family, the general Roman public seemed to respect Claudius. Upon Augustus’ demise, a delegation of equites (the propertied class ranked below the senatorial class) elected Claudius to lead them.
When Claudius’ house burned down, the Senate requested it rebuilt with public money and further requested Claudius cleared to debate in the Senate, showing the positive sentiment that existed toward the young historian. While Tiberius denied both these proposals, his successor perhaps saw Claudius’ political value.
14. He Finally Got His Wish
In AD 37, Tiberius’ life and reign ended, and a new ruler named: Caligula, who was Claudius’ nephew. The young emperor saw some use in Claudius, likely due to his popularity, and finally gave him what he had waited so long for. Shortly after taking power, Caligula appointed Claudius as his co-consul, granting him significant power. But the association came with some serious downsides.
15. He Became A Target
As Caligula’s reign proceeded, the young emperor became increasingly cruel, sadistic, and, by some accounts, insane. Forever the unlucky soul, Claudius became the target of much of this cruelty: his nephew would persistently play practical jokes on him, extract enormous sums of money from his co-consul, and humiliate his uncle before the Senate. The poor treatment began to take a toll on Claudius.
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16. He Started To Wither
Claudius suffered greatly under his nephew’s cruel treatment. According to a historian of the era, by the end of Caligula’s reign, Claudius was very emaciated, likely due to the stress of his life at court. However, this may have ultimately served him…and could have even been an intentional ploy.
17. He Survived A Purge
Claudius’ infirmity, from both his childhood disability and his nephew’s torment, meant that he was not seen as a serious threat by any of the imperial family’s enemies. This perception ultimately saved his life.
On January 24, AD 41, a conspiracy against Caligula came to a head with the emperor’s assassination alongside many of his closest allies and advisors. Claudius’ ailments saved him from the purge, and he would later claim he exaggerated these for this very purpose. Considering what happened next, perhaps the claim had some truth.
MumblerJamie, Wikimedia Commons
18. His Position Greatly Improved
With the demise of Claudius’ nephew, he now found himself the last remaining adult male of the imperial family. In one day, he had gone from the butt of the emperor’s jokes to the most likely candidate for his replacement. If it sounds a little too convenient, it’s because it may have been by design.
19. He May Have Conspired
Though there is no evidence that Claudius had any involvement in the plot against his nephew, some historians have suggested he knew about the conspiracy. This is supported by the fact that he allegedly left the crime scene shortly before Caligula’s taking out. Regardless of his involvement, it soon became clear that the conspiracy intended to destroy the entire imperial family. Claudius had to make a move.
20. He Took Power
Shortly after his nephew’s demise, the Praetorian Guard located Claudius and whisked him off to a camp under their protection. There, they proclaimed him the new emperor of Rome.
After some arguing with the Senate over a guarantee of his safety, Claudius eventually returned to court where the Senate confirmed his position. He proceeded quickly to clean the court of conspirators, putting anyone involved to the sword. It was an extraordinary rise, but he still had hearts and minds to win.
Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Wikimedia Commons
21. He Was Diplomatic
Because he was the first emperor proclaimed by the Praetorian Guard rather than the Senate, Claudius had to convince the legislating body that he was a worthy ruler. He opted to sit among them during regular sessions, waiting his turn to speak and rarely asserting his dominance as emperor.
Roman custom saw newly proclaimed rulers adopting their predecessors’ titles, but Claudius refused these, insisting to the Senate that he would earn them himself over time. This political astuteness would characterize his reign.
Cesare Maccari, Wikimedia Commons
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22. He Was Good At His Job
After all those years kept from public office by his family, Claudius proved them wrong during his stint as emperor. Despite his comparative lack of experience, he proved an incredibly capable and efficient administrator, gaining popularity among the public. He shored up his own support too.
I, Claudius (1937) (Charles Laughton, Merle Oberon), GrumblingGrognard
23. He Empowered A Broader Layer Of Society
One progressive reform that Claudius implemented was the empowerment of freedmen. Previously, freed slaves lacked permission to hold political power. Claudius opted to expand the imperial bureaucracy by appointing freedmen to administrative positions. In turn, the freedmen remained fiercely loyal to him, solidifying his position. He had some housekeeping to do too.
24. He Was Fiscally Responsible
Claudius’ nephew and predecessor, Caligula, had become infamous for his excessive reign, and had spent astonishing amounts of public money. Claudius, further proving his capability as a ruler, helped to restore the empire’s finances over the course of his tenure. But that doesn’t mean he was afraid to spend money.
25. He Was An Ambitious Builder
Claudius undertook many construction projects during his reign, most of them with an eye towards economic growth. Over the course of his time in office, he improved the country with projects like new roads and canals across the entire Roman empire. Some of these arose from a progressive social policy.
Jean-Pierre Dalbera from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons
26. He Was Kind To The Disadvantaged
Claudius had a practical but compassionate approach to ruling, illustrated in several of his construction projects. For example, a new port he built north of the Roman town of Ostia intended to combat winter grain shortages.
On top of that, the emperor took back the previous emperor's missteps. He repealed taxes on food that his predecessor had instituted and even went so far as to further reduce taxes on communities that were suffering drought or famine. His sustenance expansion projects did not cease there.
By JASON URBANUS, Wikimedia Commons
27. His Ambitions Had Their Limitations
Claudius’ grand ambition was to eventually eliminate famine in Italy entirely. He hoped to achieve this by vastly increasing the amount of fertile land and set about on a project unprecedented in its ambition: Claudius intended to drain the Fucine lake in hopes that it would make the nearby river easier to access all year, thusly enabling resources to move around easier. But the project went horribly wrong.
ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment, Caption by M. Justin Wilkinson, NASA-JSC., Wikimedia Commons
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28. He Lost A Fight With Mother Nature
Claudius’ plan for Fucine involved digging a tunnel under the lake. But the project was more difficult than anticipated and the tunnel ended up quite crooked, too small to carry the water. Claudius proceeded with a grand opening ceremony, nonetheless, holding a large gladiatorial exhibition to commemorate the project.
But when the tunnel opened, its small size caused the water to back up, flooding the local area. The exhibition was washed out, causing Claudius and the other spectators to flee for their lives. His project had failed, but it was a rare blemish on an otherwise golden record.
Marica Massaro, Wikimedia Commons
29. He Grew His Empire
Claudius also had much success on the military front. Indeed, under his rule, the Roman Empire saw its first major territorial expansion since Augustus’ reign. The crafty emperor managed to annex the provinces of Judea, Lycia, Mauretania, Noricum, and Thrace during his tenure. He also set his sights beyond mainland Europe.
30. He Began To Conquer New Lands
Claudius’ territorial ambitions were far-reaching, and he turned his gaze toward an island in Western Europe. In AD 43, Claudius sent a general and some legions to the island of Britannia. It was the first move in the eventually successful conquest of Britain, and though it began under Claudius, it remained incomplete until after his reign. Still, he took enough of the island to reward himself with a little vacation.
European Space Agency, Wikimedia Commons
31. He Holidayed In New Lands
After the initial offensives on Brittania were successful, Claudius decided to travel to the island himself to survey his new land. He brought reinforcements with him, including a parade of war elephants. A large temple in modern-day Essex dedicated to Claudius’ honor opened upon his visit. It was a wonder he had time to vacation at all.
Henri-Paul Motte, Wikimedia Commons
32. He Was A Prolific Penman
Throughout his life, Claudius wrote a staggering amount. He was a talented and diligent historian, as well as a skilled linguist; he wrote an entire dictionary for the Etruscan language and even added three new letters to the Latin alphabet. As if that wasn’t enough, Claudius also published a book on dice-playing. But among his many passions, one rose above the rest.
33. He Loved The Rules
Claudius took a great personal interest in law throughout his life. He studied it vigorously, in books and legislative documents, as well as in practice, observing the Senate and the various trials that took place during his lifetime. With his stint as emperor, he brought his passion to the next level.
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34. He Got His Legal Hands Dirty
Upon taking leadership, Claudius leaned into his interest in law. He opted to preside over many public trials, a consistent presence in Roman courts. And he enjoyed creating laws just as much as enforcing them: during his tenure as emperor, Claudius issued daily edicts, ranging from moral judgments to medical advice. Most of these were wise and logical. But some silly ones slipped through too.
Bildagentur-online, Getty Images
35. He Issued A Ruling On Farts
As mentioned, many of Claudius’ edicts concerned public health. According to one account by Suetonius, the emperor even thought of an edict regarding that most amusing of bodily functions: he proposed allowing public farting for the sake of good health. One of his more ridiculous edicts, no doubt, but some of them had moral integrity too.
36. He Outlawed Takesies-Backsies
During Claudius’ reign, a disturbing practice among slaveowners was all too common: if a master’s slave fell ill, the slaveowner would abandon them rather than provide them with medical assistance and care. However, if the slave ended up living, many masters would simply reclaim them back into their service.
Claudius outlawed this practice, decreeing that abandoned-then-recovered slaves would gain recognition as freemen–in other words, no takebacks. He even made masters that took the lives of their sick slaves liable for charges. This was an enormously progressive attitude for the time, but Claudius stayed humble through it all.
James William Edmund Doyle / Edmund Evans, Wikimedia Commons
37. He Kept His Ego In Check
Claudius had strong views on the administration and practice of the Roman state religion and instituted many reforms that reflected these views. He practiced what he preached too: when the Alexandrian Greeks proposed the dedication of a temple to his divinity, Claudius refused, insisting that only gods can choose new gods. It was just one of many ways he was down-to-earth.
38. He Was A Man Of The People
Ancient historians have described Claudius’ demeanor as being quite kind and humble. As a ruler, he was popular among the masses, and he returned their affection. He reportedly sometimes lunched with the plebians (the general common Roman citizenry, where the term “plebs” comes from). But for all his joviality, there was another side to the emperor too…
39. He Had A Short Fuse
Claudius had a reputation for his temper just as much as his relatability. He was incredibly quick to anger and would often have fuming outbursts in public. To his credit, Claudius acknowledged this about himself and publicly apologized for his temper on at least one occasion. He would often channel this passionate anger into his favorite non-academic pastime.
Universal Images Group, Getty Images
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40. He Was A Big Sports Fan
Claudius had an irrepressible fondness for games and gladiators and was constantly seen watching fights in the coliseums of Rome. He would often publicly praise his favorite fighters, and he established and presided over many new and original events, holding annual games in honor of his ascension. Some of these games got ridiculous.
Jean-Léon Gérôme, Wikimedia Commons
41. He Fought An Orca Whale
Yes, you read that correctly. Not a fistfight, mind you (though, how awesome would that be?); Claudius would often stage naval battles in lakes as a form of entertainment.
In one particular instance, an orca whale found itself trapped in the Ostia harbor and Claudius seized his opportunity: gathering a crowd of spectators, Claudius and a praetorian cohort decided to hunt the whale for sport using lances thrown from a sea vessel. But despite all this fun, Claudius’ reign was not always a safe or secure one.
42. His Position Was Shaky
Though he enjoyed vast popularity among the masses, Claudius did not enjoy the same trust from his fellow nobility and other politicians. His position remained incredibly vulnerable throughout his reign, with many plots against his life and coup attempts against his regime. Claudius had to take some steps.
43. He Had To Clean House
The constant threats meant Claudius had no choice but to shore up his position. This involved striking back against his would-be assassins, which resulted in the demise of many senators. This only soured his reputation with the body further. They began to seize on what they saw as flaws in his character.
44. He Was Promiscuous
Many writers of Claudius’ time accused him of being a womanizer. This was a problem as they viewed the emperor at high risk of domination and manipulation by women. There may have been some truth to this as Claudius was married several times. Some of these wives presented more problems than others.
45. He Was Unlucky In Love
Claudius had a bumpy history with romance. After splitting with his first betrothed, a distant cousin, Aemilia Lepida, for political reasons, Claudius married Livia Medullina Camilla. His second marriage lasted mere hours: Medullina passed suddenly on the very same day they married.
The emperor would not fair much better in his third marriage to Plautia Urgulanilla, who was allegedly a prolific adulterer. This would be the case even more so for his fifth wife, Valeria Messalina, of whom there were graphic rumors of her unfaithful nymphomania. She ended up leaving Claudius to marry her lover. Perhaps the next time would be the charm…?
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46. His Sixth Wife Conspired
Unfortunately, Claudius’ luck would continue to plummet. His sixth marriage was a political one to Agrippina the Younger, his niece. But Agrippina felt no familial or spousal loyalty to her new husband: as soon as they wed, she began to gradually try and seize power from Claudius, conspiring to eliminate the rivals of her own son, Nero, to set him up to become the next emperor. It would prove to be Claudius’ downfall.
Anonymous (Rome)Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
47. He Bickered With His Wife
In the months leading up to his demise, Claudius and his wife were reportedly at each other’s throats constantly. Their relationship grew increasingly combative, and the emperor would openly complain about the marital situation he found himself in. He wasn’t wrong.
48. They Took Him Out…
In the early hours of October 13, AD 54, emperor Claudius passed on at the age of 63. All signs pointed to poison as the cause. Most historians agree that his wife was the instigator of his demise–responsible for the plot if not directly responsible for administering the poison. To add insult to injury, Agrippina got exactly what she wanted.
Historical Picture Archive, Getty Images
49. …And Destroyed His Legacy
Claudius’ successor was his grandnephew and legally adopted son, Nero. Agrippina’s plotting had paid off and her son now sat as the ruler of the Roman Empire. To make matters worse, Nero set to work quickly undoing his predecessor’s legacy, reversing many of his official edicts, reasoning that Claudius was too stupid and senile to have truly meant them. His attitude reflected a wider one at the time.
Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, Wikimedia Commons
50. His Reputation Improved
Partly due to Nero’s rewriting of history and partly due to the hostility of his political contemporaries, Claudius’ reputation among ancient writers was quite poor. Many criticized his reign and his prevailing attitudes. However, modern historians have sought to amend that reputation, and Claudius is seen today as one of the finest and most progressive Roman emperors to have ruled the ancient world.
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