Julio Claudian Claudius
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of Claudius’ reign. Claudius was the third emperor of the Julio Claudian dynasty whose reign was a mixture of successes and failures that led to the last phase of the Julio-Claudian line. Claudius was born with birth defects and is described by Suetonius “he limped, he drooled, he stuttered and was constantly ill”, this being a possible reason for his shelter from public life. Claudius had a great interest in history, and it is thought that the knowledge he gained from this stood him in good stead when he came to power. ... Strengths of Claudius’ reign include his relationship with the army, his public works program and the majority of his Imperial policies. ... One of Claudius’ main strengths lay in his treatment and subsequent support of the increasingly powerful Praetorian Guard. The Praetorians were responsible for Claudius’ elevation to power in their overruling of the senate’s discussions over the restoration of the republic. ... Claudius never forgot his debt to the Praetorian Guard, giving them each generous donations of 15 000 sesterces upon his accession- in effect, buying the Praetorian Guards support. ... Claudius did however, execute Chaerea and Sabinus- the killers of Gaius for treason. The Praetorian guard remained an important backing for Claudius, especially in the early times of his reign against the opposition from the senators. Claudius displayed an immediate understanding of the centrality of the military to his position and sought to create a military image for himself that his sheltered past had denied him. Because Claudius did not have the support of the senate, he consequently needed the support of a powerful group. Claudius cultivated the soldiers throughout his reign and quickly established a relationship with the army through his annexation of Britain in AD43 according to Dio. Seneca poetically describes this great conquest, displaying very pro-Claudius propaganda. Coinage from this period also shows Claudius as ‘imperator’ and it is believed that he was saluted as ‘imperator’ twenty seven times throughout his reign. Claudius, effectively, bought the support of the army through bonuses, grants of citizenship, and payoffs for their loyalty. Scramuzza claims that “Claudius was the first Emperor to buy the support of the army” and through “maintaining excellent relations with (the army) for the rest of his life” by cultivating Rome’s military image on coins, statues, buildings and on every possible public occasion he wittingly strengthened his role by securing the strong support of the army.