personal life Flashcards
Claudius
Section 2; Claudius’ childhood was “so troubled with various diseases that he grew dull witted and had little physical strengths”. “Even after coming of age, he remained under the supervision of a tutor”. This shows that Claudius’ family did not think much of him, and did not think that he would be of any use.
Section 3; Claudius “applied himself seriously to literature” and had published several works, “yet even this did not advance him to public office or inspire the family with brighter hopes for his future.”
Section 30; Claudius had “a horrible habit under the stress of anger of slobbering at the mouth and running at the nose, a stammer, and a persistent nervous tic.”
Section 33; “It was seldom that Claudius left a dining hall except gorged and sodden” and would have a feather put down his throat to make him sick so that he could eat more. “His feelings for women were extremely passionate but the male sex left him cold”.
Section 34; “His bloodthirstiness At gladiatorial shows. he ruled that all combatants who fell accidentally should have their throats cut” He even “forced one of his attendants to enter the arena and fight in his toga”.
Section 35; he was so suspicious that he never attended a banquet unless with an escort of javelin bearing bodyguards…
Section 36; “Rumors of conspiracies caused Claudius such alarm that he tried to step down”.
Section 39; “Claudius’ scatter-braindness and shortsightedness was truly remarkable. After executing Messalina, he went in to dinner, and presently asked “why is her ladyship not here?”.
Section 42; “Claudius studied Greek and took every opportunity to profess his love for the language”. “Often in the senate, he would answer Greek envoys with a carefully composed oration in their own tongue”.
Section 43; “In his last years Claudius made it pretty plain that he repented of having married Agrippina and adopted Nero”. “When he came across Britannicus he embraced him repeatedly with deep affection”.
Tiberius
Suetonius
Section 7; Tiberius was married to Vipsania “who had already borne him a son, Drusus, and was pregnant again when he was required to divorce her and hurriedly marry Augustus’ daughter Julia.”
Section 10; Tiberius retired from Rome to Capri either to get away from Julia or to leave “the political field open” for the new successors to the Empire (Gaius and Lucius), however at the time he just said that he wanted a rest, Augustus complained about this in the Senate and called it desertion.
Section 13; Tiberius had become to be known as “the Exile” (as he had been away from Rome for 7 years!) and realising he was in danger, asked for “a recall to Rome” which was granted “on condition that he take no part and renounce all interest in public affairs”…… this is maybe why at the beginning of his reign, he let the senate make most decisions for him.
