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==The career of Claudius==

Claudius was born in 10 BC in Gaul, to Drusus and his wife Antonia, his grandfather was Mark Anthony and his grandmother was Augustus influential third wife. Therefore, he was a member of the Julian-Claudian dynasty. His father, the older brother of Tiberius, died in Germany. As Claudius grew it became clear that he had some form of disability, which angered his mother Antonia and she passed him to his grandmother Livia <ref>Lewick, Barbara Claudius (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990), p 11</ref>. It appears that he was slightly deaf, had a limp and had some developmental deficits. It has been speculated that he suffered from Cerebral Palsy or Tourette’s Syndrome. Claudius condition improved somewhat in his teenage years and he proved to be a capable scholar <ref> Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome, book vi, 34</ref>. The great Roman historian Livy was appointed his tutor and Claudius was to prove a capable historian, who later wrote many histories which are now sadly lost. His intellectual abilities did not lead him to become a public figure despite being a member of the Imperial family. However, his disabilities probably saved him execution and exile like so many other members of his family during Tiberius’ reign. However, the accession of Caligula meant that Claudius was thrust into public life as a consul. However, Caligula had contempt for Claudius and he openly mocked and ridiculed him. The brutality and erratic behavior of Caligula led to his assassination by the Praetorian Guard. After they had killed the Emperor they did not know how to proceed and in desperation, they appointed Claudius as the successor of Caligula, as he was one of the last living members of the Julian-Claudian dynasty. Suetonius called his assumption of the Imperial dignity ‘ a freak of fortune’ <ref> Suetonius, Life of Claudius, 17</ref>. Claudius pardoned all the killers of his predecessor and secured the grudging support of the Senate, who appeared to have been cowed by the Praetorian Guard. To the surprise of many, he proved to be an energetic ruler and was not the puppet of the Imperial guard. In 44 AD he ordered the invasion of Britain and he personally visited the battlefront. He was also very interested in the administration of the Empire and he made some important changes to the bureaucracy and even his detractors noted that his administration was efficient. Claudius was a great builder and he was especially concerned with the food supply of Rome and Italy. He rebuilt the port of Ostia, vital for food imports and began to drain the Fucine lake, to increase arable land in central Italy but it was only a partial success. Claudius was a complex man who despite his intellectual labors, loves gambling and the games and under his reign, the games became more lavish and spectacular. Claudius was the subject of several plots which led to the execution of several senators, despite his wish to be on good terms with the senatorial class. Claudius married his first cousin Valeria Messalina but she proved unfaithful, according to the ancient sources and even bigamously married one of her many lovers. The couple conspired against Claudius and he had them executed. He later married his niece Agrippina the Younger <ref> Tacitus, book vii, 45</ref>. It is widely believed that she had an enormous influence over Claudius and even persuaded him to appoint her son Nero, to the position of co-Emperor with his son, Britannicus. It is widely believed that Agrippina the Younger had Claudius poisoned. He was succeeded by his step-son Nero who later probably murdered his son Britannicus, according to Tacitus <ref> Tacitus, book vii, 15</ref>.

== Expansion of the Empire==

Despite his disabilities and his scholarly pursuits, Claudius was an aggressive Emperor. He did not heed Augustus advice not to expand the Empire and if possible to rule through client kings. Claudius clearly had a idea that the Empire should be highly centralised and that direct rule was the best option. This means that he launched a campaign to annex client kingdoms<ref>Levick, p119</ref>. In his reign her fully incorporated Mauretania, Judea, Noricum and Thrace into the Empire. This may have been motivated by the fact that these areas such as Thrace had become unstable and possibly could become a threat to stability. Claudius deposed many client-kings and imposed direct rule. This was sometimes achieved peacefully as in Judea but at other times military intervention was needed. This was the case in Thrace. In Mauretania, (northern Algeria and Morocco), the Romans had to fight a series of campaigns to conquer that kingdom <ref> Cassius Dio, History of Rome, LX, 18</ref>. The absorption of these areas ultimately led them to become Romanized and they greatly helped to strengthen the Empire’s frontiers. Claudius most ambitious campaign was the invasion of Britannia (modern England and Wales). It has been speculated that Claudius ordered the invasion in order to legitimize his rule. However, Britain was considered to be a wealthy land and it was believed that it was also providing safe refuge for Gallic rebels <ref>Suetonius, 38</ref>. Claudius was no doubt also motivated by the desire for personal glory which was very important in Ancient Rome. Perhaps the greatest achievement of Claudius was the annexation of Britannia, which became a Roman colony for almost 400 years. The British provinces, ultimately helped to strengthen the Empire, in the longer term, its mineral wealth greatly enriched Rome and it also provided many legionnaires for the Imperial army<ref>Levick, p 189</ref>. Unlike the later conquests of Trajan, the territories secured by Claudius made the Empire more cohesive and ultimately stronger.