Emperor Claudius Essay - 2578 Words

Introduction Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (b. 10 BC, d. 54 A.D.; emperor, 41-54 A.D.) was the third emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. His reign represents a turning point in the history of the Principate for a number of reasons, not the least for the manner of his accession and the implications it carried for the nature of the office. During his reign he promoted administrators who did not belong to the senatorial or equestrian classes, and was later vilified by authors who did. He followed Caesar in carrying Roman arms across the English Channel into Britain but, unlike his predecessor, he initiated the full-scale annexation of Britain as a province, which remains today the most closely studied corner of the Roman Empire. His†¦show more content†¦Nevertheless, Claudius spent his entire childhood and youth in almost complete seclusion. The normal tasks of an imperial prince came and went without official notice, and Claudius received no summons to public office or orders to com mand troops on the frontiers How he spent the voluminous free time of his youth is revealed by his later character: he read voraciously. He became a scholar of considerable ability and composed works on all subjects in the liberal arts, especially history; he was the last person known of who could read Etruscan. These skills, and the knowledge of governmental institutions he acquired from studying history, were to stand him in good stead when he came to power. His father died on campaign when Claudius was only one year old, and his brother, Germanicus, succumbed under suspicious circumstances in AD 19. His only other sibling to reach adulthood, Livilla, became involved with Sejanus and fell from grace in AD 31. Through all this turmoil Claudius survived, primarily through being ignored as an embarrassment and an idiot. Claudiuss fortunes changed somewhat when his unstable nephew, Gaius (Caligula), came to power in the spring of 37 A.D. Gaius, it seems, liked to use his bookish, frail uncle as the butt of cruel jokes and, in keeping with this pattern of behavior, promoted him to a consulship on 1 July 37 A.D. At 46 years of age, it was Claudiuss first public office. Despite this sortie into public life, he seemedShow MoreRelatedClaudius : The Surprise Emperor1097 Words   |  5 PagesNiko Akaras Mr Bozzi. AMW February 21, 2017 Claudius: The Surprise Emperor Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born in 10 AD in Gaul, modern day France. Due to an illness as a child he developed a limp and partial deafness. Because of this he was ostracized from his family, believing he was mentally challenged. Coming from a family of such high stature, Claudius was hidden until his teens, seen as an embarrassment to the family name. He gained the attention of his family when,Read MoreEssay Exploring the Leadership of Roman Emperor Claudius2471 Words   |  10 PagesIn this essay we are going to discuss whether Claudius was an effective ruler. In order to achieve an answer to this, we will also discuss how he governed his empire and how he went about administrating laws and provinces. To start with, however, it is best to briefly introduce Claudius before he became emperor. This will help us to understnad his situation and how past events effected his ruling. Claudius was the great nephew of Augustus, and so was part of the most important family in romeRead MoreClaudius : The Second Roman Emperor Of The Julio Claudian Dynasty1288 Words   |  6 PagesTiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus, more commonly referred to as Claudius, was appointed as the fourth Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, following the assassination of his nephew and preceding Emperor, Caligula, in 41 A.D. 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