Imperial household Flashcards
His wives
Twice betrothed while still a boy to:
- Aemilia Lepida (Augustus’s great granddaughter), her parents offended Augustus(adultery and the father for allegedly conspiring against Augustus) so the engagement was broken off
- Livia Medullina Camilla(descendant of the dictator Camillus) died of illness on her wedding day
Wives:
-Plautia Urgulanilla (father had won triumph) divorced for scandalous behaviour and suspicion of murder
-Aelia Paetina (daughter of a former consul) divorced for slighter offences
-Valeria Messalina (daughter of his cousin Messala Barbatus) disgraceful crimes, committed biga-my with Gaius Silius signing a formal marriage contract before witnesses..
Claudius had her executed, told the praetorians he would live a celibate life in the future said they could kill him if he did not keep his word.
- Agrippina
Agrippina
-Agrippina, daughter of his brother Germanicus. Nieces privilege of kissing and caressing him, ex-ercised it with noticeable effect.
How did he marry Agrippina in spite of it’s incestuous nature
He persuaded a group of senators to propose that a union between him and her should be com-pulsorily arranged in the public interest. Uncles should be free to marry their nieces.
his children
Children:
- urgalania: Drusus(choked by pear, died before coming of age, had been betrothed to Se-januss daughter, so Sejanuss most likely didn’t plot to murder him) and Claudia (real father was one of C’s freedmen, born 5 months after the divorce he had her lain out naked outside Urgula-nia’s door)
- Aelia Paetina: Antonia
- Messalina: Octavia (married to claudius’ step son Nero) and Germanicus/Britannicus (20th day of his father’s reign)
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Love for Britannicus
Claudius would pick up Britannicus and show him to the troops or to the audience at the games. “Good luck to you my boy”
- Embraced Britannicus repeatedly with deep affection “grow up quickly my boy”“and I will then explain what my policy has been”
- Declared his intention of letting hi come of age because he was tall enough to wear a toga
- “Will at last provide the Roman people with a true-born Caesar”
His son’s in law
Sons in law: adopted Nero and not only rejected but put to death the other two (Pompeius and Silanus)
freedman Posides
- Posides the eunuch. Awarded an honorary spear at his British triumph along with soldiers that had fought in the field
Freedman Felix
- Felix. Gave him command of infantry cohorts and cavalry squadrons and the governorship Judaea(AD52-60), he married three princesses
Freedman Harpocras
- Harpocras. Riding through Rome in a litter, staging public entertainments as though he were an eques.
Freedman Polybius
- Polybius. His cultural adviser, often walked between the two consuls
Freedman Narcissus
- Narcissus. His secretary,
He encouraged the senate to honour with large gifts of money insignia of quaestor and praetor
Freedman Pallas
- Pallas, his bookkeeper,
He encouraged the senate to honour with large gifts of money insignia of quaestor and praetor
What does Suetonius say about his wives and Freedmen
25) “One might say everything that Claudius did throughout his reign- were dictated by his wives and freedmen: he practically always obeyed their whims rather than his own judgement”
29) “he seemed to be their servant rather than their emperor”
What did he do on the wishes of his freedmen and wife
- distributed public offices, army commands, pardons and punishments according to their wishes
Some surprising stories about his freedmen
Centurion reported that a former consul had been dispatched. Claudius denied having given the order. The freedmen satisfied him that the soldiers had done right to take vengeance without waiting for a Claudius’s instructions.
- “it is very difficult, however, to believe that that they tricked Claudius into signing the marriage contract between Messalina and her lover Silanus by an assurance that the marriage was a mere a fiction”
