Already, while alive, he received the widespread private worship of a living princeps [93] and was worshipped in Britannia in his own temple in Camulodunum. Under Claudius, the empire expanded for the first time since the reign of Augustus. The provinces of Thrace, Judea and three other provinces were annexed during his term. The annexation of Mauretania, begun under Caligula, was completed after the defeat of rebel forces, and divided into two provinces. [4] The most important new expansion was the conquest of Great Britain ( Latin: Britannia). [5] In 43 CE, Claudius sent four legions to Britain. The island was an attractive target for Rome because of its wealth – particularly mines and slaves. It was also a haven for Gallic rebels and the like, and so could not be left alone much longer. Claudius himself traveled to the island after the completion of initial offensives, bringing with him reinforcements and elephants.

Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina - Goodreads

David Chase, creator and showrunner of the acclaimed 1999 HBO series The Sopranos has spoken highly of the book, calling it one of his favorite works of fiction. [28] While Chase has stopped short of drawing a direct connection, many have compared the Machiavellian Livia Soprano to Claudius' grandmother, Livia Drusilla. [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] These suspicious tend to find confirmation in the maiden name Chase selected for Livia—Pollio, one shared by Gaius Asinius Pollio, who makes a decisive appearance in I, Claudius. [35] Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (1914) [ c. AD 121]. "Life of Claudius". The Twelve Caesars. Translated by John Carew Rolfe. Loeb Classical Library.

He was similarly appreciative of them and gave them due credit for policies where he had used their advice. However, if they showed treasonous inclinations, the Emperor punished them with just force, as in the case of Polybius and Pallas's brother, Felix. There is no evidence that the character of Claudius's policies and edicts changed with the rise and fall of the various freedmen, suggesting that he was firmly in control throughout.

Claudius - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Claudius - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some historians have cast doubt on whether Claudius was murdered or merely died from illness or old age. [c] Evidence against his murder include his serious illnesses in his last years, his unhealthy lifestyle and the fact that his taster Halotus continued to serve in the same position under Nero. Claudius had been so ill the year before that Nero vowed games for his recovery and the year of 54 seems to have been such an unhealthy year that one sitting member of each magistracy died within the span of a few months. He may even have died by eating a naturally poisonous mushroom, possibly Amanita muscaria. [91] On the other hand, some modern scholars claim the near universality of the accusations in ancient texts lends credence to the crime. [92] Claudius's ashes were interred in the Mausoleum of Augustus on 24 October 54, after a funeral similar to that of his great-uncle Augustus 40 years earlier. a b David Bianculi (25 April 2012). "I, David Bianculi, Highly Recommend 'I, Claudius' ". npr.org . Retrieved 18 October 2017. In 1937, abortive attempts were made to adapt the first book into a film by the film director Josef von Sternberg. The producer was Alexander Korda, who was then married to Merle Oberon, who was cast as Claudius' wife Messalina. Emlyn Williams was cast as Caligula, Charles Laughton was cast as Claudius, and Flora Robson was cast as Livia. Filming was abandoned after Oberon was injured in a serious motor car accident. Abraham, Chris (12 September 2004), I, Claudia, Kristen Thomson, Sienna Films, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) , retrieved 29 August 2023 In the series Britannia (2018), Claudius visits Britannia, played by Steve Pemberton as a fool who is drugged by Aulus Plautius.Soon after, (possibly in 28) Claudius married Aelia Paetina, a relative of Sejanus, if not Sejanus's adoptive sister. During their marriage, Claudius and Paetina had a daughter, Claudia Antonia. He later divorced her after the marriage became a political liability. One version suggests that it may have been due to emotional and mental abuse by Paetina. [54] Valeria Messalina [ edit ] Messalina holding her son Britannicus, Louvre

Claudius Series by Robert Graves - Goodreads

Two drastically different oil paintings by Lawrence Alma-Tadema of Claudius being proclaimed emperor by Gratus. In the 1979 motion picture Caligula, where the role was performed by Giancarlo Badessi, Claudius is depicted as an idiot, in contrast to Robert Graves' portrait of Claudius as a cunning and deeply intelligent man, who is perceived by others to be an idiot. Knight, Damon (March 1967) [First Edition 1956]. "Cosmic Jerrybuilder: A. E. Van Vogt". In Search of Wonder (2nded.). Advent. p.62. ISBN 0-911682-15-5. LCCN 67-4260. OCLC 489853415. No serious effort has been made to efface the evidence – most of the names of principal characters are transparent disguises.... Van Vogt's Linn is Augustan Rome in almost every detail. (Even the coinage is in sesterces.) Nero was married to Claudius's daughter Octavia, made joint heir with the underage Britannicus, and promoted; Augustus had similarly named his grandson Postumus Agrippa and his stepson Tiberius as joint heirs, [63] and Tiberius had named Caligula as his joint heir with his grandson Tiberius Gemellus. Adoption of adults or near adults was an old tradition in Rome when a suitable natural adult heir was unavailable, as was the case during Britannicus's minority. Claudius may have previously looked to adopt one of his sons-in-law to protect his own reign. [64] Vessey, D. W. T. C. (1971). "Thoughts on Tacitus' Portrayal of Claudius". The American Journal of Philology. 92 (3): 385–409. doi: 10.2307/292801. ISSN 0002-9475. JSTOR 292801.George R. R. Martin, the author of The Song of Ice and Fire series (1996—present), has spoken of the inspiration he took from I, Claudius. He especially noted the resemblance Stannis Baratheon bore to Tiberius Caesar, particularly as portrayed by George Baker in the 1976 BBC television adaptation. [26] [27] Home media [ edit ] Cover of the US release of the first I, Claudius DVD. There has since been a remastered edition with a different cover.

Claudius Novels of Robert Graves : Brother Elias : Free The Claudius Novels of Robert Graves : Brother Elias : Free

Wilfred Josephs wrote the title music. David Wulstan and the Clerkes of Oxenford ensemble provided the ( diegetic) music for most episodes. Postumus is eventually framed for raping Claudius' sister Livilla and beating his own niece Aemilia; Augustus has him banished to an island off the coast of Italy, but not before Postumus reveals the truth to Claudius. Claudius then passes this on to Germanicus, who convinces Augustus of Postumus' innocence. Augustus exchanges the exiled Postumus with a double named Clemens and secretly writes a will restoring Postumus as his heir, but Livia manages to discover this and poisons Augustus. In 1937, director Josef von Sternberg attempted a film version of I, Claudius, with Charles Laughton as Claudius. However, the lead actress, Merle Oberon, had a near-fatal car accident and the movie was never finished. The surviving reels were featured in the BBC documentary The Epic That Never Was (1965). The motion picture rights for a new film eventually passed to producer Scott Rudin. [103]

Tacitus wrote a narrative for his fellow senators and fitted each of the emperors into a simple mold of his choosing. [100] He wrote of Claudius as a passive pawn and an idiot in affairs relating to the palace and public life. During his Censorship of 47–48 Tacitus allows the reader a glimpse of a Claudius who is more statesmanlike (XI.23–25), but it is a mere glimpse. Tacitus is usually held to have 'hidden' his use of Claudius's writings and to have omitted Claudius's character from his works. [d] Even his version of Claudius's Lyons tablet speech is edited to be devoid of the emperor's personality. Dio was less biased, but seems to have used Suetonius and Tacitus as sources. Thus, the conception of Claudius as a weak fool, controlled by those he supposedly ruled, was preserved for the ages. Aveline, John (2004). "The Death of Claudius". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte. 53 (4): 453–475. ISSN 0018-2311. JSTOR 4436743.