Top 10 Facts about Roman Emperor Claudius

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Top 10 Facts about Roman Emperor Claudius

The Emperor of Rome used to be the most powerful man on Earth. The empire itself was vast and had one of the greatest armies.

Roman Emperors were feared, admired, and respected in equal measure. One of the greatest emperors was Claudius from the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Emperor Claudius was related to Julius Caesar. Born in Gaul, Claudius was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside of Italy.

His childhood was marred with an illness that made his family believe he would not make a great leader. To their surprise, Claudius became the leader of the great empire.

Part of his legacy is he led the famous conquest of Britain. By the time he died, emperor Claudius had extended his empire to Britain and northern Africa.

I have put together more impressive facts about emperor Claudius below.

1. Emperor Claudius family hid him when he was a child

The young emperor was sickly growing up something that made his family keep him away from the public eye. He had a deaf ear, tremors, epilepsy and a weak leg. 

His family thought this was embarrassing and unbefitting to an emperor in waiting. They attempted to do everything to stop him from becoming an emperor.

Both his mother and sister hated him. The mother called him a monster while the sister hoped Rome would never have to endure him as a leader.

Since he spent most of his time alone, Claudius became interested in reading books. He had private tutors who taught him philosophy, public speaking and history.

Claudius was so good at public speaking that he had a good impression on Augustus. 

2. Emperor Claudius rise to the throne was unexpected

Photo by Lawrence Alma-Tadema – Wikimedia

When his cousin emperor Caligula ruled, he constantly humiliated Claudius for his disabilities.

He would do this whenever he had guests during dinner. The Emperor would even encourage the guests to pelt Claudius with olives and dates.

His family was against him becoming an emperor so they pushed his name down the list of succession. They also discouraged him from getting interested or involved in politics.  

Luckily for him, the evil plans did not work. His cousin’s reign was cut short and he was next in line.

Many were taken by surprise with his leadership skills and the restoration of Rome. Emperor Claudius is remembered for his bravery in conquering Britain.   

3. Emperor Claudius loved to read

Because of his ailment, Claudius was not allowed to take a political career. He, therefore, took solace in books.

This worked to his advantage. He became more intelligent, impressing his tutor Livy who encouraged him to become a writer.

Claudius published a series of books on Roman history. He also wrote about the Roman alphabet. His knowledge and understanding of Roman history became leverage in his political career.

The long hours spent reading books proved to be beneficial to him. Unfortunately, all his work was lost. Roman historian Tacitus often referred to Claudius work.  

4. Emperor Claudius’ cousin made him get interested in politics

By Lawrence Alma-Tadema – Wikimedia

Despite the ill-treatment, Claudius was getting from his cousin Caligula, he became interested in politics.

Since Claudius was well educated and intelligent, his cousin thought he would be useful in the empire. Claudius was appointed as a co-consul.

When his cousin got assassinated, Claudius hid behind a curtain.  He was found by the Praetorian guard who announced him as the new emperor. Claudius was 50 years old at that time.  

5. Emperor Claudius was not easily intimidated

Although Claudius was disabled, he was not easily manipulated. When he was appointed as the new emperor, many thought he could be manipulated.

Emperor Claudius was smart and showed his prowess as the newest emperor. He avoided disputing with the Roman senate and bought the loyalty of the Praetorian guard.

As time passed, his health improved and he claimed that he had used the disability as a form of protection. Some historians believe he took part in the assassination of his cousin.

His most successful military campaign was against Britain.  

6. Emperor Claudius was the first Roman Emperor born out of Italy

Photo by Lawrence Alma-Tadema – Wikimedia

Claudius was born on August 1 10 B.C. in what the Romans referred to as Lugdunum. This was a settlement in Roman Gaul. It was a city in modern-day France. He was the first Roman emperor born outside of Italy.

7. Emperor Claudius reign was the longest

Emperor Claudius was constantly under threat. His health condition made him appear weak and unworthy of the empire.

Several of his senators were murdered while protecting him. Fortunately for him, the army remained loyal to him.

Despite the constant attacks, he ruled for 13 years, the longest any emperor had ruled.

Claudius expanded the Roman empire into Lycia, Thrace, Judea, Noricum, Pamphylia and Mauretania.

 By the end of his reign, the city of Rome alone had gained more than 1 million citizens since the time of Augustus.

8.  Emperor Claudius led the military invasion of Britain

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Claudius effectively led one of the most important military invasions of the 1st century: the conquest of Britain.

He had an army of more the 40,000 men as well as trained war elephants. They were sent to the English Channel where they overthrew the Catuvellauni tribal leader Caratacus.

His triumphant return was celebrated and a celebratory arch on Flaminia bridge was erected. It was called the Arch of Claudius.

The arch is no longer there but the inscriptions are preserved at the Capitoline Museums in Rome, Italy.

9. Emperor Claudius loved Roman games

Claudius loved to entertain himself and he organized chariot races and gladiatorial bouts. He would stay put on his seat for hours not letting a chance to miss any action. 

He would also celebrate the victors and participated in counting the gold coins they were awarded.

A bizarre event that the emperor organized was during a trip to the Roman seaport of Ostia. He had his army kill a whale stuck in the harbour.   

10. Emperor Claudius was not lucky with love

By Lawrence Alma-Tadema – Wikimedia

Claudius was married four times. He was accused of being a womanizer. This started when he was shunned from the empire and would spend his time drinking and sleeping in brothels.

His first marriage was annulled after the girl’s parents endured a political disgrace. The second wife fell ill and died on their wedding day.

Claudius third wife was accused of being unfaithful. She was executed.