personal life Flashcards
his aura
Claudius had a certain dignity of presence
appearance
Tall, well built, handsome, fine head of white hair, firm neck,
mannerisms
Uncontrolled laugh
Under stress of anger he would slobber at the mouth, running at the nose, stammer, persistent nervous tic; under emotional stress his head would toss from side to side.
his health
“His health was wretched until he succeeded to the throne, when it suddenly became excellent” still had violent stomach aches the said made him think of suicide
banquets
Gave many splendid banquets, usually in large public venues, sometimes no fewer than 600 guests
Sons and daughters and those of leading citizens dined with him in old fashioned style at the ends of tables..
Delicious food story
- When judging a case he smelt delicious cooking so he “descended from the tribunal, adjourned the court, and went to the dinning room of the Salii”
would only leave a dinning hall if
- would seldom leave a dining hall unless “gorged and sodden” would then go to bed sleep supine with his mouth wide open allowing for a feather to be poked down which would bring up the superfluous ailments up as vomit.
in court
- Would nod in court, hard to rouse him however loud they shouted
dice
- Published a book on the subject of dice. Had a board fitted to his carriage to play driving
love for women
- Would nod in court, hard to rouse him however loud they shouted
personality
Timid and suspicious
examples of his paranoia
Never attended a banquet unless with an escort of bodyguards
Had a sickroom checked carefully if he were to enter it
Required all visitors to be thoroughly searched when they came to pay him a morning call
Women, boys, girls pawed down
Stylus case removed from every caller’s attendant/secretary
Camillus the rebel was sure he could be frightened into abdication through threats.
-Claudius asked his advisers if he should comply with Camillus’ demands.
-Rumours of conspiracies caused Claudius such alarm he tried to step down.
Arrest of the man with the dagger- called an immediate meeting of the senate, cried tearfully that no place was safe for him any longer, and for a long time he was not seen in public.
Reaction to Messalina and Silius
-he bore extravagant love for Messalina, when he heard of her marriage to Silius he fled ignominiously to the praetorian camp asking repeatedly “am I still emperor?”
Acts brashly and ridiculously due to his paranoia
At the slightest hint of danger he would take instant action against his supposed enemy.
Morning caller whispered that he had seen him murdered in his dreams, later pointed him out. He was hurried away to execution. The two men were at odds over a lawsuit.
Messalina and Narcissus decided to get rid of Appius Silanus. (Narcissus ran into bedroom, Messalina awoke and pretended to have had the same dream of him attacking Claudius) had already sent a summons for Appius to visit Claudius. Sentenced to death. “Thanking Narcissus for exercising such vigilance even while asleep”
his self acclaimed personality flaws
Confessed to the faults of anger and resentment
But that anger- would never last long
resentment- never unjustified
examples of his anger
- a letter reprimanding the citizens of Ostia for not sending ships to meet him when he sailed up the Tiber, suddenly forgave them. Warm remarks.
- Pestered in public by applicants: would push them away
Drew attention to his stupidity (is Suetonius being too harsh)
- drew attention to his stupidity by explaining it had been a mask assumed to survive Gaius’ reign
- Nobody believed him. Book published the fools rise to power.
Scatter brained
After executing Messalina, went to dinner and asked “why is her lady ship not here?”
-He sent for men, when they did not appear he followed this up with a reproachful message unaware he had just sentenced them to death.
– planning his marriage with Agrippina “my daughter and foster Child, born and bred in my lap so to speak”
absrent minded
Showed such absent mindedness in speech and action it seemed he did not care, to who, when, where he was speaking.
-Intervened in a senatorial debate about wine sellers, butchers “but I ask you, how can anyone live without an occasional snack?” Before rambling off into a speech about the abundance of taverns in his youth and how he went round them.
ridiculous decisions
- supported the candidature of a quaestor because his father brought him water long ago when he was sick and thirsty
Scathing comment by Suetonius
- Lacking eloquence and education. Devoted his whole life to liberal studies
Roman history
Had started work on a Roman history
Came to give his first public reading, fat man who broke bench. After silence he kept laughing
- history began with murder of a caesar, gap, end of civil war. Realised from his mother and grandmothers hectoring that a free and unvarnished report of that period would not be allowed.
an autobiography
- An autobiography, lack of taste, lack of style,
- A defence of Cicero against the Writings of Asinius Gallus
quite a learned work
inventions
- Three new letters he invented for the alphabet, had written a book about it before his accession, they were officially adopted
Greek
Studied Greek with great application
Wrote books in Greek; Etruscan and Carthaginian history
homer
Used to quote a homer from the tribunal
Alexandria
Alexandria added a wing to the museum called “the Claudian” reciting since a year of these two histories
