1) Claudius was an unlikely emperor, disfigured and clumsy, but became emperor after Caligula's murder in 41 AD. 2) As emperor, Claudius surprisingly proved popular and successful, improving Rome's legal system, extending citizenship, and conquering Britain. 3) However, Claudius' poor choice in wives, namely the unfaithful Messalina and ambitious Agrippina, would lead to his downfall, with Agrippina poisoning Claudius so that her son Nero could become emperor.

1. Educación Básica Superior
Segundo Quimestre - Segundo Parcial
STUDENT(S):
TEACHER: Mauricio Torres
DATE:
26/11/13
SOURCE MATERIAL
GRADE
SUBJECT: Social Studies
TIME:
35 min.
No. 1
10 Points
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Read the instructions below before starting the activity.
 Read the instructions carefully.
 Use this source material to answer the questions on the other worksheet
Curso
Paralelo
No. Lista
9
CLAUDIUS BIO
Disfigured, awkward and clumsy, Claudius (10 BC – 54 AD / Reigned
41 – 54 AD) was the black sheep of his family and an unlikely emperor.
Once in place, he was fairly successful, but his poor taste in women
would prove his undoing.
Nobody expected Claudius to become emperor. Although he was the only
surviving heir of Augustus and was the brother of the war hero,
Germanicus, Claudius was a figure of fun.
The black sheep
Left disfigured by a serious illness when he
was very young, Claudius was also clumsy and
coarse , and was the butt of his family’s jokes.
When he dozed after dinner, guests pelted him
with food and put slippers on his hands so that
he’d rub his eyes with his shoes when he woke
up.
Caligula’s murder in 41 AD changed everything
for Claudius. Unexpectedly, the family fool had
become emperor. Discovered trembling in the
palace by one of his own soldiers, he was
clearly reluctant and afraid.
He had good reason: like his predecessors,
Claudius could never be too sure of his
position. Supported mainly by soldiers and
courtiers, he had a rocky relationship with the
Senate. Many senators supported the abortive
rebellion in the Balkans in 42 AD and they
featured in many of the plots against his life.
Surprisingly popular
Despite these dangers, Claudius worked hard
at his job, starting work just after midnight
every day. It began to pay off: he made major
improvements to Rome’s judicial system,
passed laws protecting sick slaves, extended
citizenship and increased women's privileges.
He also treated his people with unusual
respect, apologizing to visiting pensioners
when there were not enough chairs. Hardly
surprising, then, that Suetonius wrote how this
sort of behavior endeared him to the people.
Conquering the Brits
Claudius had some real successes. Britain had
resisted Roman rule for over a century, but
was conquered by Claudius, who created client
kingdoms to protect the frontier. He had
succeeded where Caesar had failed. This was
the most important addition to the empire
since the time of Augustus.
Trouble and strife
Even this success, however, was not enough to
protect him from political danger. Here, his
worst enemies would turn out to be his own
wives.
Claudius had simply awful taste in women.
Although he adored his wife, Messalina, she
was extravagant and unfaithful, with a
particular weakness for the servants.
Claudius tried to turn a blind eye to her many
affairs, but in 48 AD Messalina took a new
lover, Gaius Silius, a nobleman. Their
relationship was widely thought to be cover
for a plot and Claudius was urged to take

2. action: “Act fast or her new man controls
Rome!"
son, Nero, the boy she planned to make an
emperor.
Permanent separation
Speeding things up
Silius was killed and Messalina fled to a
friend's villa to decide how to get herself out of
trouble. It was too late. The emperor was
hosting a dinner party when he heard that his
wife had died. Without asking how, he called
for more wine.
Gradually Agrippina removed all her rivals and
convinced Claudius to disinherit his own son,
Britannicus. With Nero now heir, the only
remaining obstacle was Claudius himself.
Agrippina took drastic action: as Tacitus
reports, her weapon of choice was poisoned
mushrooms, delivered by a faithful servant.
The next year, Claudius decided to marry
again, surprising Rome by choosing his own
niece, Agrippina.
Oh dear! This was a bad mistake. Determined
to make the most of her luck and happy to use
any means necessary, Agrippina was about the
only woman who could make Messalina seem a
good catch.
Agrippina began her quest for power by
persuading Claudius to bring back Seneca from
exile so that he could become tutor to her own
Claudius appeared on the brink of death, but
began to recover. Horrified, Agrippina signed
up the emperor's own doctor to her cause.
While pretending to help Claudius vomit his
food, the doctor put a feather dipped in poison
down his throat. As Tacitus said, "Dangerous
crimes bring ample reward."
Claudius was dead. Nero was Emperor. This
would prove interesting.