6 Handout Caligula and Claudius

CALIGULA AND CLAUDIUS *
GAIUS CAESAR (CALIGULA) AD 37-41
AD 37 Tiberius dies. Problem of succession. Successor arranged by Augustus had
been Germanicus, son of Tiberius' brother Drusus. Other sons of Germanicus
were dead. Described by Tacitus. Gaius was the only son of Germanicus left
for reasons outlined in Suetonius and Tacitus but discounted by modern
historians. Main advisors Macro (praet. pref. 31-38) and his grandmother
Antonia. Early govt. Suetonius 15-16: donations to guards and plebs.
Rehabilitation of mother and brothers who died under Tiberius.
38 Four important suicides: Gaius' adopted brother Gemellus, father-in-law
Junius Silanus, Macro, wife Annia.
Favorite sister Drusilla dies. deified worshipped as Aphrodite in provinces.
Trouble in Alexandria between Greeks and Jews. Caesar and Augustus had
supported the Jews against the Greeks (because Jews had been loyal to
Rome). When the Greeks win over the governor, the Greeks put statues in
synagogues, restrict Jews to the ghetto, and instigate a pogrom. The governor
Flaccus is recalled, put on trial, and banished.
39 Maiestas trials return. German expedition. Treason trials, suicides of
important people. Julia and Agrippina exiled.
40 British expedition proves abortive. Unrest in Judaea. Governors irritate
Jewish sensibilities. An altar to Gaius is destroyed in Jamnia, so Gaius orders
his statue placed in the temple at Jerusalem. The reaction is so strong that the
governor Petronius intercedes for them with the emperor who rescinds the
order. Back in Rome, the pace of conspiracies picks up.
41 A successful conspiracy by praetorians. Gaius is murdered after attending the
theater one morning.
ADMINISTRATION: Gaius more autocratic than Tiberius. Consul every year
except 38. Did he make his horse a consul? There were precedents.
Alexander gave divine honors to his horse Bucephalus, as did Hadrian later
to his: Borysthenes. Tiberius left 2-3 billion sesterces in the treasury. Gaius is
said to have been bankrupt. Bad relations with senate, good relations with
equites. As to personal divinity, he had had a special relationship with Jupiter
Optimus Maximus and liked to dress up as various gods and goddesses...
Only Claudius saves him from damnatio memoriae (Suetonius).
* Sources for this handout: C. Wells, The Roman Empire, 2nd ed., Cambridge, Mass.,
2000; M. Cary & H. H. Scullard, A History of Rome, 3rd ed., New York, 1975; R. T.
Ridley, History of Rome: A Documented Analysis, Rome, 1987.

CLAUDIUS AD 41-54
Nephew of Tiberius and uncle of Gaius. Very slow political career. Physical
problems. He was a threat to the line of Germanicus. He was an augur and
cos. in 37. A scholar who wrote Etruscan history and Roman history. Always
on excellent terms with equites.
AD 41 The praetorians find him hiding in the palace and bring him to their camp
where they declare him emperor.
He abolishes maiestas trials.
43 Invasion of Britain by Claudius in person.
44 Emperor takes over control of aerarium, treasury formerly under control of
the senate, by appointing the quaestors who are to oversee it (previously
superintended by praetors elected either by assemblies or senate).
Soldiers granted rights of married men, though they could not marry.
47 Secular Games held in Rome (a bit early; Tac. 11.11).
48 Admits Aeduan Gauls to the senate. We know this from a speech of Claudius'
that has survived on a bronze table that commemorated the occasion.
Messalina put to death.
49 Claudius marries niece Agrippina. Roman law must be changed to
accommodate this. Very few uncles marry their nieces as a result, but the law
remains on the books for centuries.
Rome's sacred boundary (pomerium) extended for first time since Sulla.
50 Nero adopted by Claudius, who passes over his own son Britannicus.
Command of praetorians put under Afranius Burrus.
Trouble with Parthia over Armenia.
53 Emperor takes control of money going into fiscus from senatorial provinces.
Emperor now has total control of finances.
54 Claudius dies.
ADMINISTRATION: Power rested on the praetorian guards & armies (with which
he obtained successes in Britain and Africa). The most striking feature of
reign was organization of civil service. The less kind might call it
bureaucracy, Tacitus called it rule by ex-slaves. We call them freedmen. E.g.,
Narcissus, private secretary, ab epistulis (Tacitus); Pallas, accountant, a
rationibus (Tacitus); Callistus, justice minister, a libellis (Tacitus); Polybius,
cultural secretary, a studiis (Seneca). Claudius' relations with the senate were
complicated. He was deferential, yet 35 senators were executed (mainly
between 42-47) for treason. The senate blames Claudius, but the senate heard
the cases! The senate passed much legislation, e.g., against building
speculation; forbidding women to act as sureties for men; allowing marriage
between man and niece; degradation of women who married slaves;
extension of power of fiscus. The equites were particularly restricted by new
bureaucracy. Most conspiracies were instigated by them. Two to three
hundred equites were executed. Claudius held consulship only four times.
This shows his "republican" sensibilities. He abolished agnate guardianship
over women. Loans to young men against a father's death were prohibited.
He opposed naming of emperor in wills to disadvantage of legitimate heirs.
He required masters to look after sick slaves. Lawyers' fees were reduced.
Claudius was very interested in traditional religion, especially omens. He
revived ancient punishment for incest, persecuted Druids, suppressed

Christians, and forbade divine honors for himself. Maintenance of the food
supply was transferred from senate to fiscus and the ministry of an ex-slave.
He oversaw great public works projects: aqueducts, etc. In the provinces,
Romanization encouraged through military colonies, extension of citizenship,
etc. cf. Tacitus on Frisians.