I, Claudius (1976)
Director: Herbert Wise
Cast: Derek Jacobi (Claudius), Siān Phillips (Livia), Brian Blessed (Augustus), George Baker (Tiberius), John Hurt (Caligula), Margaret Tyzack (Antonia), Ian Ogilvy (Drusus), Frances White (Julia), John Paul (Marcus Agrippa), Christopher Guard (Marcellus), Kevin McNally (Castor), Patricia Quinn (Livilla), David Robb (Germanicus), Fiona Walker (Agrippina), John Castle (Postumus), and James Faulkner (Herod Agrippa).
Roman emperor (AD 41-54) who extended Roman rule in North Africa and made Britain a province.
10 B.C. -- born Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Lugdunum [Lyon], Gaul, the son of Nero Claudius Drusus, a popular and successful Roman general, and the younger Antonia, and the nephew of the emperor Tiberius and a grandson of Livia Drusilla, the wife of the emperor Augustus.
Poor Claudius suffers from multiple ills: ill health, unattractive appearance, clumsiness of manner, and coarseness of taste; so much so that the imperial family considers him something of an embarrassment. He is left to his own private studies and amusements.
The historian Livy encourages his inclination for historical studies. Becomes a member of various religious colleges. Claudius writes a pamphlet defending the republican politician and orator Cicero, executed by the triumvirs; a history of Rome beginning with the principate of Augustus; some 20 books of Etruscan and 8 books of Carthaginian history; an autobiography; and a historical treatise on the Roman alphabet with suggestions for orthographical reform. All his works are lost.
His first wife, Plautia Urgulanilla, had Etruscan blood. Later divorces Urgulanilla and marries Aelia Paetina; then marries Valeria Messalina, who is his wife at his accession.
37 -- becomes consul only under the reign of his older brother's son Gaius (Caligula) with little cordiality between the two.
41, Jan. 24 -- Caligula murdered.
41, Jan. 25 -- The Praetorian Guards, the imperial household troops, make Claudius the emperor.
41-42 -- annexes Mauretania (41-42) in North Africa, of which he makes two provinces (Caesariensis in the east and Tingitana in the west).
42 -- many senators support the ill-fated rebellion of the Governor of Dalmatia. Later, several attempts on Claudius' life involve senators and knights, individuals to which he had been very cruel.
43 -- decides to invade Britain; his forces cross the Thames and captures Camulodunum (Colchester).
43 -- annexes Lycia in Asia Minor.
44 -- Though he enlarges the kingdom of Herod Agrippa I, he makes Judaea a province on Agrippa's death.
46 -- annexes Thrace.
47 -- makes himself a censor.
48 -- his marriage with Messalina ends; she had conspired against him and even conducted a public marriage ceremony with her lover, Gaius Silius. Messalina and Silius killed.
Claudius marries his niece Agrippina, an act contrary to Roman law, which he therefore changes. To satisfy his new wife's lust for power, Claudius adopts her son Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (later the emperor Nero), to the disadvantage of his own son Britannicus. In addition, Agrippina protects the new commander of the guards, Afranius Burrus.
49 -- Claudius annexes Iturea (northeastern Palestine) to the province of Syria.
52 -- although Claudius supports Roman control of Armenia, he prefers the collapse of the pro-Roman government to a war with Parthia, leaving a difficult situation to his successor.
54, Oct. 13 -- Agrippina poisons her husband Claudius with mushrooms. Nero becomes Roman emperor.
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