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Claudius became emperor after the assassination of Caligula, and was deified by his successor Nero in AD 54. Opinions of him have varied greatly over succeeding centuries, but he has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling.
Barbara Levick's authoritative study reassesses the reign of Claudius, examining his political objectives and activities within the constitutional, political, social and economic development of Rome. Out of Levick's critical scrutiny of the literary, archaeological and epigraphic sources emerges a different Claudius - an intelligent politician, ruthlessly determined to secure his position as ruler.
Now updated to take account of recent scholarship, Claudius remains essential reading for students and historians of the early Roman Empire.
List of contents
Preface
1. Principate and Dynasty
2. Education
3. Unfit for a public career?
4. Accession
5. Princeps and Imperator
6. Establishment of the Court: Messalina
7. The Dominance of Agrippina
8. Imperial Policies?
9. Senate and Knights: Claudius and the Aristocracy
10.The People of Rome and Italy
11. Legislation, Justice, and Society
12. Finance and the Economy
13. Claudius' Invasion of Britain
14. Warfare on Three Continents
15. Claudius and his Provincial Subjects
16. Aftermath: Claudius in Literature and History
References and Notes
Concordance
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Barbara Levick is Fellow and Tutor Emeritus, St. Hilda’s College, Oxford. She has published extensively on Roman history, with titles including Tiberius the Politician (Routledge, 1999), Vespasian (Routledge, 1999), The Government of the Roman Empire, second edition (Routledge, 2001), Julia Domna: Syrian Empress (Routledge, 2007), Augustus: Image and Substance (2010) and Imperial Women of the Golden Age: Faustina I and II (2014).
Summary
Opinions have varied over the centuries, but Claudius has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling. Barbara Levick's authoritative study reassesses the reign of Claudius, examining his political objectives and activities within the constitutional, political, social and econo
Report
"Levick's work on Claudius continues to make a valuable contribution to the field and offers not just a strong foundation of information for those interested in Claudius, but also worthwhile material for anyone studying the Julio-Claudians or the Roman world of the first century CE." - Bryn Mawr Classical Review
