Claudius

Reign: 41 – 54
Life: 9 BCE–54

The fourth ruler of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus the Elder, the brother of Emperor Tiberius, and Antonia Minor at Lugdunum in Roman Gaul, where his father was stationed as a military legate. As he had a limp, a stammer, and a tremor due to an illness he suffered when young, Claudius was ostracized by his family and was excluded from public office until his consulship (which was shared with his nephew, Caligula, in AD 37). His 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. He expanded the imperial bureaucracy to include freedmen, and helped restore the empire's finances after the excesses of Caligula reign. He was also an ambitious builder, constructing new roads, aqueducts, and canals across the Empire. During his reign, the Empire started its successful conquest of Britain.

During Claudius' reign, Saint Peter ruled Papacy, Emperor Guangwu of Han ruled China, and Emperor Suinin ruled Japan.

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Claudius by Barbara Levick

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Claudius

Barbara Levick

Levick's life of the scholarly emperor, Britain, bureaucracy, and the politics of the palace.

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Claudius

The World During Their Reign

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Go deeper on Claudius

Claudius

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