Leadership Influence Of Claudius

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus, more commonly referred to as Claudius, was appointed as the fourth Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, following the assassination of his nephew and preceding Emperor, Caligula, in 41 A.D. (Wasson, 2011) Despite the initial pessimistic perspective held by prominent Roman figures regarding his performance as Emperor, Claudius proved to be an efficient leader whom increased the autocratic nature of Rome through his Empire expansion campaigns and policies that strengthened his position within Roman society. Under his reign, the annexation of Britain, as well as other provinces occurred, which was considered to be one of the most ambitious military campaigns of the 1st century. Claudius implemented numerous

Although Augustus had requested upon his death that future Emperors avoided engaging in foreign expansive wars, Claudius was a leader that launched military campaigns in the early years of his reigns with the intentions of expanding the Empire, and to prove his worth as Emperor. In 43 A.D., Claudius launched the conquest of Britain, where he dispatched four legions, commanded by Roman general, Aulus Plautius, across the English Channel whom eventually founded a strong presence within the territory, establishing control over the tribes of south-eastern Britain. After a two-day battle near present-day Rochester, the British forces were pushed back as far as present-day Essex. Claudius’ arrival in Britain brought along reinforcements, including war elephants, supposedly to secure the Roman victory, but most likely to guarantee the victory was accredited to Claudius himself. (Wake, 2006) Great Roman leaders needed to showcase their military prowess as well as their political skills, and Claudius needed to demonstrate to the

(Dio, 200 A.D.) Although, the Senate determined that Claudius was to receive a triumph celebration and honour in his name, not all agreed with the treatment he obtained. Suetonius disparaged his triumph by claiming Claudius’ role in the campaign was “of little importance”. Suetonius’ opinion on Claudius’ role derives from his set of biographies, The Twelve Caesars, which was written in AD 121, long after the reign of Claudius, rendering him a secondary source. It is also worth noting that bias towards the Senate was evident throughout his writings, with many references suggesting he held the same perspective on each Emperor, as the Senate did. (Suetonius, 121 A.D.) Nevertheless, Romano-Jewish historian, Josephus recorded a similar judgment on Claudius’ role in the campaigns and claims that a “triumph [was] bestowed on him without any sweat or labour of his own.” (Josephus, 75 A.D.) It is evident through his writings