CLAUDIUS

CLAUDIUS AND THE SENATE

Claudius followed a policy of efficient and effective government. His approach was to repair the damage done by Gaius and to ensure that the government could properly manage the extent of Romes control. In the beginning Claudius was reluctant to accept his elevation, as he knew that many of the senate opposed him. At the beginning of his reign, Claudius stayed away from the Senate for thirty days. When he did appear, he brought a troop detachment with him. This displayed Claudius authority. The senate had no other alternative to Claudius, in the end the senates opinion of Claudius was irrelevant and it was the army that decided the issue. From the senates point of view any man who had the support of the army and therefore the person who could take Rome by force seemed suddenly to become a good choice. Claudius wanted to rule well and in many respects he achieved this desire. His rule is contemptuous when it is not hostile, and depicts him as the victim of unscrupulous exploitation. Even though the Senate had been isolated from any decision making process, he showed them respect and dropped the trials in the Senate and enhanced his popularity by giving gladiatorial shows and abolished Gaius new taxes. He asserted his authority in other ways; senatorial was one of them. Claudius reformed the senatorial roll and he extended the membership of the senatorial class to prominent Gallic noblemen, this speaks to the idea of Romanisation. He was firm with the provincial governors, prosecuting the corrupt and ensuring those that were retiring from office would have a period before their next posting where they could be open to prosecution. Claudius also returned the aerarium (treasury) to the quaestors, but in order to ensure proper financial management extended their office to three years. He also prevented soldiers from taking part in the daily salutatio at the houses of senators, which was a measure designed to prevent soldiers from becoming clients of senators. Claudius also increased the authority of the equestrian procurators. Claudius reign saw a thorough reform of the Roman aristocracy in the context of enchantments in the career of equestrians and the further development of freedmen. Gaius suggests that the treasury was bankrupt by the young emperors mismanagement and decadent lifestyle. However, there is little indication in the source that at the beginning of Claudius reign that this is the case. Throughout Claudius reign the financial stability of the Roman Treasury is worth its weight in gold. He promised the Praetorian Guard lavish donatives (gifts), but every year they became smaller. This was to remind them and the senate of the crucial role that they played in elevating him to power. During his reign he commenced two large building projects the Harbour Ostia and the draining of the Fucine Lake. He was fond of games and put on spectacular shows for special occasions, which infuriated the senate as it was not socially acceptable for the emperor to be associating so closely with his people. Claudius funded military campaigns in Britain and Germany and all this was done while withdrawing the taxes that had been imposed by Gaius.

SUPPORTING QUOTES
As soon as his power was firmly established, he considered it of foremost importance to obliterate the memory of the two days when men had thought of changing the form of government (Suetonius Life of Claudius 11.1). Much has been written about Claudius government and his supposed reliance on his wives and freedom. All the ancient sources comment on this reliance (R. Alston Aspects of Roman History: AD14- 117). Claudius like Gaius and Tiberius before him, found co-operation with the senate difficult and he too sought a new method of government, but Claudius solution appears much more conservative than those adopted by his predecessors (R. Alston Aspects of Roman History: AD14- 117). Victim of unscrupulous exploitation by his ambitious freedmen and scheming wives, particularly his third wife Messalina, who was put to death in 48 AD, and her successor Agrippina the younger (H.H Scullard From the Gracchi to Nero).

CHANGING ROLE OF PRINCEPS CLAUDIUS VIEW

The role of Princeps was very much the leader of government who could, largely, act without reference to the senate. He was emperor: commander-in-chief. Thus in relying on the imperial court, the Senate was isolated from any decision making process. However it was said that Claudius always treated the Senate courteously. Claudius saw his position and role as someone who was promoting a stable and efficient government. This manifested itself in the development of the imperial court. While this had always been influential, during the reign of Claudius, imperial woman and imperial freedmen wielded considerable influence.

DEVELOPMENT OF IMPERIAL CULT

Claudius sought to maintain a balance, almost an Augustan approach to ruler-worship; he did not approach ruler-worship in the same way as Gaius. He did not actively portray himself as a god on earth. Claudius saw imperial cult as a means of mediating control and change. The temple at Camulodunum in Roman Britain is an example of this. In regards to religious matters, his attitude was close to that of Tiberius; conservative, tolerant and explicitly partial to Roman ideals. The existence of the imperial cult in the provinces was permissible as it enforced the supremacy of Roman power but he was cautious about it lest he offend his contemporaries. For example the capture of the British town of Camulodunum in AD43 by Claudius forces and the construction of the temple of Claudius six years into Roman conquest, saw Roman authority established at a significant site for the Britons.

CHANGING IMAGE OF PRINCEPS

To ensure legitimacy was an important part of the image of the Princeps. Claudius came to power through an assassination, and what is certain is that the Praetorian Guard had pushed him to power without senatorial consent. This meant that he needed to appear legitimate to Roman society. Imperial image was therefore an important part of this policy. Claudius had made a declaration as to what the basis of the Princeps authority actually was as he came into power via the military. Tacitus: o o He depicts Claudius as a passive pawn or idiot. Unaware of machinations of his wives and freedmen and consequently descended into tyranny and despotism.

Suetonius: o Follows a similar approach to Tacitus: His depiction of Claudius is of a ridiculous figure who has little or no understanding of what is going on.

NERO
NERO AND THE SENATE
At first Neros relationship with the senate was substantial, this was because of the influence Seneca and Burrus had over Nero. Nero insured that there were no factorial disturbances which had marred the reigns of his predecessors and which might cause instability between the imperial court and the senate. With Seneca to advise him, Nero appeared to have tried to win over the senate within his first years of reign. He allowed them considerable freedom and they responded with a bout of legislation, mainly regarding administrative matters. He promised to reverse the unpopular measures that Claudius had introduced and that the senate would exercise its traditional functions that there would be no treason trials; the freedmen would be controlled; that he would not conduct all the judicial business as Claudius had done and that he would model his leadership on that of Augustus. He allowed the senate to intervene in a dispute between a tribune and a praetor in addition to a quarrel between various members of the senate and the administrator of the treasury, Helvidius Priscus. Initially, Nero rejected offers of statues and titles, and declined the honour of a perpetual consulship. After the murder of Agrippina in AD 59, the death of Burrus in AD62 and Senecas retirement, Neros relations with the senate deteriorated. However, Nero was still in power even though he committed one of the most unforgiveable crimes, Matricide. Nero became a focus of opposition when he walked out of the senate when it accepted Agrippinas murder. Some senators, such as Thrasea Paetus attempted to resist Nero. In AD62, Nero killed several people in exile; these actions no doubt put the senate off-side to a even greater degree. In AD65, the Pisonian conspiracy was uncovered. A number of senators had conspired to assassinate Nero. After the plot was uncovered, the treason trials were conducted in secret. Many senators, both innocent and guilty, were murdered including Seneca, Lucan and Thrasea Paetus. In AD68, the senate decreed Nero a Public Enemy. During these Harmonious years a good many useful administrative reforms were pushed through. For example, provincial governors and their functions were prevented from extorting large sums from the local populations for gladiatorial shows (M. Grant The Twelve Caesars). The threat posed by the Roman aristocracy was twofold. They could assassinate the emperor. They also commanded the armies and could use that military force to start a civil war (R. Alston Aspects of Roman History).