Life of Emperor Claudius #4 - The Invalid Emperor, Roman History Documentary Series
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2019
- Emperor Claudius, he was probably the least likely male in the Julio-Claudian dynasty to become Emperor of Rome. However, due to the high mortality rate of males in the dynasty… he was proclaimed Emperor by the Praetorian Guard...
Born August the 1st in 10 BC, in Lugdunum in Gaul, He was the son of Drusus who was Emperor Tiberius' brother. His mother was Antonia, daughter of Mark Anthony and Octavia, Augustus' sister.
On this channel we focus on Roman History and right now we're doing a video on every Roman Emperor, if you're interested in that subscribe or watch the playlist here:
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Sources and Suggested reading:
Annals and Histories - (Tacitus)
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The Twelve Caesars - (Suetonius)
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Dio's Roman history - (Cassius Dio)
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From the Gracchi to Nero: A History of Rome from 133 BC to AD 68 (H. H. Scullard) amzn.to/2DYhNCQ
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome (Chris Scarre):
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Least likely but arguably most sane, seems to be the rule that the ones with physiological issues avoided psychological issues.
Claudius was also the last person known to have been able to read Etruscan apparently.
No, he wasn't.
@@Basauri48970 yes but he did write a history though I'd really like us to have that one
@@johnmiller8975Sure. How I'd have loved to read that token
None of his writings survive unfortunately.
He wrote a several volume history of the Etruscans, which has unfortunately been lost.
Of the many histories that have been lost to time, above them all I wish we had the histories of Claudius and Arrian.
Yeah man, that would be soo cool to have. I would love some more texts from the emperors themselves...
@@TheSPQRHistorian Quite, its very interesting having Augustus' Res Gestae altough, Suetonius tells us that quite a few of the emperors he mentions wrote things.
Would've loved Trajan's Dacica
Just watched I, Claudius. It was possibly true he was one of the last speakers of Etruscan. It’s sad his works don’t survive. I think he was a good emperor from everything I’ve read
@@Insectoid_ I Claudius is masterpiece.
"High male mortality rate"
Praetorian 's sweating intensifies*
If Claudius knew this plot in advance, I doubt he'd have been found hiding behind a curtain. They probably just waited for Claudius to leave before making the attack. How would it be seen if Claudius was in the same room while they assassinated Caligula right in front of him? Would that not be even more suspicious? The fact Claudius is just as scared as the next guy shows he probably had no idea, unless that whole story was made up.
Good point!
Good job on this series! You keep it short and simple, but provide a great amount of detail in a way that few other youtubers are able to pull off. It is so nice to have such easily accessible sources of information on the Emperors of Rome. I'm really looking forward to the future installments and just wish they could come sooner.
A small gripe I have with this video is that Boudica's revolt was around 60AD, after Claudius's reign, but his expansion into Britain definitely set up the stage for it.
Keep up the great work! Really excited to see the episode on Nero!
Thanks a lot for your kind words! I wish they could come sooner as well, but there's a lot of work that goes in to the videos ;)
The calm amidst the storm
Yeah pretty much! One thing we have to keep in mind about these crazy Emperors is that they mainly affected the imperial court and the senate. The people living in the Roman Empire would probably not be affected very much from one Emperor to another :)
All in all, a solid video as always. Although, I'm not sure why Boudicca's rebellion is mentioned here, as it happened roughly seven years after Claudius' death.
Probably just because it's relevant for Britain as a Roman province.
Excellent video .Have to catch up with the rest.
I enjoyed it. I also think he had good intentions from the information we have.
@@Endgame707 😂
It's disappointing for actual historians to see history channels still regurgitating conspiracy theories and diseminating misinformation when it's not even a fact that Claudius was poisoned at all. This applies to all the other family "poisonings" by the way.
The brilliant but fictionalised tv series 'I, Claudius' helped to fixate all sort of hoaxes and urban legends as established truths in the popular imagination, I suppose. Robert Graves, the author of the very entertaining *novel* (a term that implies fiction by definition) the show was based on, based his work on the unreliable sources that were Suetonius and Tacitus, both of whom were writing 100 years after the fact, and each having their own vested interests (in fact in Tacitus account it was Claudius' trusted doctor Xenophon who administered the poison by tickling the emperor's throat with the tip of a poisoned feather, no less!).
All this to say that 'I, Claudius' wasn't a rigurous account of history but, again, a *novel* (and later a tv show) set in a magical word where prophecies and omens actually work and sybils are not your usual clairvoyant grifters but they can actually see the future with incredible accuracy.
Imagine historians in the future basing their works on us on current conspiracy theories such as supposed pizza basements or Elisabeth II and Bush being secret lizards. That's why viewers should always these history-made-easy videos with a grain of salt and do their own research.
Anyway, going back to Claudius: he had been ill for sometime and had started to speak often of his imminent death. All serious evidence shows us that it was caused by cerebrovascular disease, which was already a common ailment in Ancient Rome too. Life expectancy back then was in the 50s, even among the ruling classes.
Another thing, Halotus, the eunuch servant whose job was to taste Claudius every meal before him, managed to survive that alleged poisoning. Had he been a witness (or an accomplice) to the supposed murder, you can be certain that he too would have been swiftly killed after his master. Instead he continued to serve Nero after Claudius death, doing exactly the same job he had been doing before. Who in the right mind can seriously believe that Nero would have kept him a his personal food taster if he knew that he had been disloyal enough to - directly or indirectly - have his previous "employer" murdered?
I suppose protesting historic untruths is hopeless. Reality is more often than not quite mundane and the imaginery of devious wives who manipulate their husbands and murder/get rid of anyone that gets in their way is more attractive to many than historical accuracy. In the UK this tradition never really went away, with Cherie Blair and Carrie Johnson being blamed by the media for their husband's actions. But in my opinion, a history channel should research its subjects more and strive for rigour.
All our source are unanimous in stating that Claudius was poisoned by Agrippina on October 13, 54 CE. Are they biased against her? Sure
But No one is using Robert Graves as a source.
You think its better to use guesswork medicine 2 000 years after the fact, without even a body to examine? But instead rely on the same sources you dont trust?
But I agree with you, history is a complex topic and a 10min video will never be exhaustive.
Hi, Good job. I like this video and look forward to others too. I wish they arrive soon.
I am from PAKISTAN and very fond of history. May I know where you from and how about if I would like to inbox?
fantastic video 👌👌😃😃
I'm watching I Claudius right now and this doc has been a great help in my studies, thanks! Surprisingly I Claudius (British TV series) is possibly about 90% factual and true (According to best agreed upon available histories). Cross referencing this particular era is hard to do.
Claudius Was Turkish 🇹🇷
It's based on Robert Graves' novel, I, Claudius, based on the info that has survived. Claudius's speech to the Senate has survived in fragments. Claudius' is a compelling story. A sick, handicapped child that almost everybody scorned and bullied becoming emperor. A film I, Claudius produced by Alexander Korda with the great Charles Laughton and Merle Oberon was started but never completed. This is a tragedy bc the fragments we have, esp. Laughton's speech to the Senate, shows that it could have been one of the greatest epics in film history. It was not completed as Merle Oberon suffered an auto accident. You can see it on the internet, The Epic That Never Was. It's worth seeing. Thank God, the BBC made one of its best series, I, Claudius with Derek Jacobi.
@@Retro77691He wasn't. He was Roman born in Lugdunum or Lyon in Gaul.
@@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633 I have seen "the epic that Never was" It is included as a bonus on my "I Claudius" DVD set. I enjoyed it, especially Laughton's portrayal of Claudius. My hope has been that a remake will be made. However, 'I don't think they'll find another Charles Laughton. He was one of a kind. I originally discovered him as a youngster in "Mutiny On The Bounty". He was outstanding as the lead bad guy and set the benchmark for all the movie bad guys that followed.
I really enjoyed your video as always. However, I was a little perplexed about the legions' positions in Britain, because the Legio II Augusta went further than the map on your animation showed. They were based in Isca Dumnoniorum (now Exeter in Devon), whereas you show them much further up, possibly at Caerlion. The legion's Princeps refused to aid the other legions with the Bouddican Revolt while the commander was away, and as traitors the legion was split up, half being sent to Isca Caerlion and the rest elsewhere (Glevum, I think).
Merci ! 🇫🇷
3:08 the name of that sister is wrong - it was Julia Agrippina the Younger. Missed the R out but a good, interesting video otherwise.
Ave Divus Claudius!
Not bad!
HI just to let you know it was the XX Valeria Victrix not the Xth that invaded Britain
Thanks! You are absolutely right, my bad
@@TheSPQRHistorian keep up the good work really enjoying the videos and very interesting looking forward to the other emperors 👍
If true, priceless! Especially if Claudius was consciously pre-instituting a similar gag (while possiblyunder the influence of mind-altering mushrooms, being poisoned by his ambitious and treacherous wife by said mushrooms), if, indeed, it WAS stated with the alleged irony as suggested here ...
Found this so helpful for my maths homework
For a wonderful novel about the era of Claudius and Nero, read The Roman by Finnish author Mika Waltari.
I read & enjoyed it. It's vividly written but also has a tragic ending...
Also I, Claudius by Robert Graves. The 1930's epic film, I, Claudius, never completed and the BBC I, Claudius were based on this novel.
05:07 and that arch was named India gate after it was shipped to India by the British 😂
What's about the history of the republic that was also named SQPR
Hey! Yeah for sure, I will be making videos on the republic as well - I'm just starting with some of the Emperors to get some traction ;) Do you have any specific topics you would find interesting?
Yes The removal of tarquin the proud and the fall of the kingdom and the beginning of the republic
Wrong Drusus :P
Good information need to speak slowly
I thought he died by a death cap mushroom
It's not even a fact that he was poisoned at all; that was just another of the conspiracy theories spread by the unreliable sources that were Suetonius and Tacitus, writing 100 years later after the fact and each with vested interests. Same for the other family "poisonings" featured in their works by the way.
Imagine historians in the future basing their works on us on current conspiracy theories such as supposed pizza basements or Elisabeth II and Bush being secret lizards. People should always these history-made-easy videos with a grain of salt.
One thing I feel you missed is the darker side of Claudius' reign. In camera trials, which caused the execution of 35 senators and 300 equestrians, the tyrannical influence of Messalina (death of Valerius Asiaticus), the exile and execution of his niece Livilla, his lust for blood, his cruel streak, his quickness to anger, all things that caused the delightness of the Senate upon the Emperor's death.
Wasn"t the trial that resulted in the deaths of 35 senators and 300 equestrians the result of Messalina's downfall? Regarding Claudius having a "lust for blood"? or a "cruel streak", there's little to nothing to suggest that (putting dying gladiators out of their misery doesn't count), and he's not described as quick to anger in the histories. Suetonius even asserts that people so presumed upon Claudius's good nature, that they would pin the hem of his garment to the floor with their toe to force him to hear their plea. As for the Senate being delighted upon his death, that's explained (in the video as well) by their hostility to his reliance on freedmen as civil servants he could trust to work with integrity and diligence for the public good.
@@NapoleonCalland the number of deaths caused under Claudius is referenced in many sources (it's between 221 and 300) and is not linked to Messalina's downfall, after whom a bloody kangaroo court took place in the praetorian castra. Claudius was quite the inconsistent fellow; he quickly went from mild disposition to anger outburst, and that made him umpredictable - our sources recount that clearly. He had a great passion for violent and bloody entertainments - even more than his fellow Romans - and loved venationes and gladiator games, to the point he went and killed with his bare hands a killer whale which got trapped in Ostia harbour. Senate hated him for several reasons: first he became emperor without its consent, second he started the tyrannical behaviour of trialing senators in his bed chamber - not even the worst Tiberius and Gaius ever did that. I'm not saying he was a bad emperor - a pretty good and competent one, I must say - I'm just saying he was far from the benign man portrated in I, Claudius.
In fact, Claudius had more killed than both Tiberius and Domitian, supposedly cruel tyrants.
This is the opposite of most information we have about his character.
@@elizabethcsicsery-ronay1633 whatever his character, this is what ancient sources relate
when did roman emperors started being called emperors by the people?
There was no real equivalent of the modern title of Emperor in ancient Rome, the title that came closest was Augustus and/or Princeps. Check this video for more info: czcams.com/video/OzS5X6eQ_3Q/video.html
@@TheSPQRHistorian thanks man. Are you planning to do the byzantine emperors as well? Also how will you manage the augusts and the caesars during the tetrarchy?
Yeah I plan to do the byzantine emperors as well. I havent decided how to handle the Tetrachy yet
It changed over time but the term Caesar was used in the to describe the role of all coming emporers after his death. In some cases the imparator was deified (equivalent of a god post life) and in some cases (Trajan) given the title of equivalent to Jupiter (Optimus Maximus).
Better without the animations/pictures to be honest
This is SPARTA!!!!!! Nope.
Boudicca would have been a far better Queen than Messalina and Agripinilla. Why didn’t Claudius marry Boudicca???
Because she was a barbarian
She was already married back then
She's a queen barbarian with duh, she hated the romans.
She committed suicide to avoid capture, I’d imagine Claudius being a merciful man may have spared her if she was captured and brought to Rome, and as nice as that idea is for Boudicca to be empress of Rome, it would not be possible, Boudicca had a deep hatred for the roman people due to them unlawfully stealing their lands and the rape of her daughters at the hands of Romans surely would have led to an undying hatred, also they were from two different worlds and it wouldn’t have helped with the emperors reputation to marry a barbarian, also I don’t think Claudius would have been so fond of her having sacked Chester and Londinium, slaughtering thousands of Roman citizens, he may not have held the same mercy to her as he did with Caratacus, especially as Boudiccas men had most likely raped innocent roman women but I guess we’ll never know
The Romans would never accept a foreigner
The narrator’s English is atrocious. He mumbles and mispronounces too many common English words.
What is it with you baby boomers. Go watch TV and fight with your wife.
There’s always Tik Tok if one finds this too intellectually demanding.
Found this so helpful for my maths homework
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