History of the Emperor Claudius

     Drusus and Antonia's son, Tiberius' grandson, Germanicus' brother and Caligula's uncle, he was born in Lyon in 10 B.C. When Caligula, emperor since 37 A.D., became prey of the Caesars' madness and in 41 A.D. was killed, all the adult male members of the Gens Julia were dead, the only one who was alive was only four years old, and it was Nero.

     Claudius was kept away from all the important public offices, maybe because of his physical deformity and his consequent shyness, which hampered him and made him look ridiculous.

     Pretending to be harmless and devoid of cleverness, dedicated  only to studies, Claudius, with astuteness and intelligence managed to escape Caligula's bloody attentions towards his family. Probably incited by Titus Livy, Claudius who was really shy devoted himself to the historical studies and wrote many books (in Greek) about the Etruscan and Carthaginian antiquities.

     After the death of Caligula, who had turned the empire into an absolute monarchy, Claudius, acclaimed emperor of the praetorians, proved to be a great reformer and conservator, restored the trusty relationships with the senate and the army, and called again to order and cooperation all the apparatus of the State.

     His government was of a quite and clever administration, essentially aimed at avoiding disequilibria. This way of managing power and his will of collaborating with the senate, made Claudius similar to Octavian Augustus, from whom he drew his inspiration.

     Claudius got married for the third time with Messalina and with her he had two sons who were born respectively in 39/40 and in41 A.D.: Octavia Claudia and Britannico. Dissolute and immoral woman, Messalina was repudiated and killed in 49 A.D.

     After some years, thanks to a decree issued by the senate which allowed the marriage between uncle and nephew, Claudius got married with Agrippina, Caligula's sister. When Agrippina got married with her uncle, she had already a son whose name was Lucius Domitian Enobardo. Shrewd and energetic woman, she participated actively in the politic life of her husband, straining to appear different from Messalina.

     Meanwhile, according to tradition, she was plotting in favour of her son. The first thing that she did was to eliminate any possible competitors for the throne of Rome, so she poisoned Britannico and smoothed the way for her son. Agrippina's criminal plan became clear when she got Claudius to adopt her son.

     As he became a member of the Gens Claudia, Lucius Domitio assumed both his grandfather's name Nero, and the one of the adoptive family Claudius. She also managed to join in marriage her son Nero and her husband's daughter, Octavia.

     Claudius, who loved talent, shrewdness and intelligence, to such a point that he identified himself with Ulysses in his Nymphaeum in Baia, fell in the trap. The shrewd woman poisoned him with a dish of mushrooms: it was 54 A.D.

     So the cunning Claudius died, but the astute empress didn't have a better destiny. By a freak of chance, her son Nero had her barbarously killed by some officials of the Classis Praetoria Misenensis (Aniceto, Obarito and Erculeio) just in the locality of Baia, where Claudius so sumptuously had his stibadium decorated to affirm his majesty.