On the nineteenth of August, 14 CE, the founder of the Roman principate Octavian Augustus, died of natural causes after holding the position of princeps for forty-one years. Despite significant effort in the decade preceding his death to secure a smooth dynastic succession by the sharing of offices and titles with his adopted son Tiberius, a distinguished military general in his own right, substantial unrest followed Augustus’ passing. It quickly became necessary for more popular family members, including Tiberius’ nephew Germanicus and son Druses, to become actively involved in the suppression of multiple revolts.
Skipping forward twenty-seven years the young emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus lay dead, the casualty of a large conspiracy …show more content…
While Augustus’ formation of the Roman principate and his subsequent model for dynastic succession secured the highest office in the hands of the Julio-Claudians through the reign of Nero; Claudius’ advancement was a result of multiple factors that did not require his advanced knowledge of the attack. Gaius’ public relations campaign undertaken at the onset of his reign to buttress his family’s image, Claudius’ close association with the popular memory of his deceased brother Germanicus, and the bribery of the Roman army immediately following his acclamation, assured the support necessary for Claudius to smoothly assume the princeps.
Gaius was assassinated on the twenty-fourth of January, 41 CE, on the last day of the Palatine games which were held in Rome in honor of the deified Augustus. Conspiracies against the emperor’s life were a consistency in Roman government going back to the early years following the establishment of the principate in 27 CE. Both Augustus and Tiberius discovered multiple conspiracies during their long reigns, and Gaius seems to have uncovered a major one in 39 CE, and then lived through a nearly constant threat of assassination upon his return to Rome from the North in the autumn of 40 …show more content…
Josephus claims when the Senate discovered the strength of Claudius’ position, they sent two tribunes as ambassadors to demand his immediate withdraw from the Praetorian camp. When the tribunes saw Claudius’ obvious military superiority they decided they had no choice but to support his ascension; however, they informed him it would be best to let the Senate give him the power. For his part, Claudius promised the ambassadors moderate government and more “equitable times.” Once back in the royal house on the Palatine Hill, Claudius acted swiftly in executing several people involved in the conspiracy, including the mastermind Cherea Cassius. The chaos of the interregnum ended as quickly and surprisingly as it began. Accepted by the people and the military, the Senate was left with no option except to fully support Claudius as their new
Skipping forward twenty-seven years the young emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus lay dead, the casualty of a large conspiracy …show more content…
While Augustus’ formation of the Roman principate and his subsequent model for dynastic succession secured the highest office in the hands of the Julio-Claudians through the reign of Nero; Claudius’ advancement was a result of multiple factors that did not require his advanced knowledge of the attack. Gaius’ public relations campaign undertaken at the onset of his reign to buttress his family’s image, Claudius’ close association with the popular memory of his deceased brother Germanicus, and the bribery of the Roman army immediately following his acclamation, assured the support necessary for Claudius to smoothly assume the princeps.
Gaius was assassinated on the twenty-fourth of January, 41 CE, on the last day of the Palatine games which were held in Rome in honor of the deified Augustus. Conspiracies against the emperor’s life were a consistency in Roman government going back to the early years following the establishment of the principate in 27 CE. Both Augustus and Tiberius discovered multiple conspiracies during their long reigns, and Gaius seems to have uncovered a major one in 39 CE, and then lived through a nearly constant threat of assassination upon his return to Rome from the North in the autumn of 40 …show more content…
Josephus claims when the Senate discovered the strength of Claudius’ position, they sent two tribunes as ambassadors to demand his immediate withdraw from the Praetorian camp. When the tribunes saw Claudius’ obvious military superiority they decided they had no choice but to support his ascension; however, they informed him it would be best to let the Senate give him the power. For his part, Claudius promised the ambassadors moderate government and more “equitable times.” Once back in the royal house on the Palatine Hill, Claudius acted swiftly in executing several people involved in the conspiracy, including the mastermind Cherea Cassius. The chaos of the interregnum ended as quickly and surprisingly as it began. Accepted by the people and the military, the Senate was left with no option except to fully support Claudius as their new