- BC10/08/01 Claudius born; Tiberius Claudius Drusus, at Lugdunum in Gallia Narbonensis. [Suet. Clau. II.1] His parents being Drusus Nero Claudius and Antonia Minor (younger daughter of Marcus Antonius and Octavia sister of Augustus).
- AD4 Claudius changes his name on adoption of his elder brother by Tiberius to Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus.
- c.AD4 Clad in a cloak because of his ill-health, Claudius presides at the gladiatorial games in honour of his father Drusus, alongside his popular brother Germanicus. [Suet. Clau. II.2]
- c.AD5 To register his coming of age, Claudius is taken to the Capitol at midnight without the usual escort of relatives and friends. [Suet. Clau. II.2]
- c.AD5 Claudius betrothed to Aemilia Lepida, later broken off when her parents fell into disfavour. [Suet. Clau. XXVI.1]
- AD8 Claudius is enrolled as priest in the college of augurs by Augustus - the only office bestowed on him by his great uncle. [Suet. Clau. IV.7] [ref. CotAW]
- c.AD10 Claudius is betrothed to Livia Medullina [Camilla], who fell ill and died on the day of their planned marriage. [Suet. Clau. XXVI.1]
- AD12 Claudius hosts the banquet for the priests of Mars, aided by the younger Silvanus, during the Ludi Martialis given by Augustus. [Suet. Clau. IV.3]
- c.AD13 Claudius is rebuked in a letter of Augustus to Livia for dining alone with his friends Sulpicius and Athenodorus (whom Augustus possibly saw having an adverse influence on Claudius). [Suet. Clau. IV.5]
- AD14 Claudius heads deputation of the equestrian order to ask of the consuls the privilege of carrying the body of Augustus from Nola to Rome. [Suet. Clau. VI.1]
- c.AD15 Claudius marries wife1, Plautia Urgulanilla
- c.AD16 Claudius' son Claudius Drusus born
- AD20 Claudius divorces Urgulanilla for "scandalous behaviour and the suspicion of murder"
- AD20 Claudia, illegitimate, daughter of Claudius' freedman Boter, born within 5 months of the divorce. At first recognised by Claudius, but shortly afterwards disowned and cast naked upon her mother's doorstep. [Suet. Clau. XXVII.1]
- AD25 (Dec. prob.) When Claudius asked his uncle Tiberius for office, he was given only the consular regalia, and when he pressed for the actual position was given the reply in a curt note: "I have sent you forty gold-pieces for the Saturnalia and the Sigillaria." (implying that, as in the Sigillaria, when tokens of various kinds were given as presents, so he should be satisfied with the tokens of consular office). [Suet. Clau. V.1]
- AD26 (poss.) Abandoning hope of ever entering the senate, Claudius withdraws from public life and retires to his house and gardens in the suburbs and to his villa in Campania, spending his time in idle drunkenness and gambling. [Suet. Clau. V.1]
- AD28 (by) Claudius married to wife2, Aelia Paetina
- AD29 "Livia passed away aged 86." [Dio LVII 2,1]
- c.AD30 Claudius' son Claudius Drusus died, just before his coming-of-age, and only a few days after being betrothed to the daughter of Sejanus, by choking on a pear he threw in the air and caught in his mouth. [Suet. Clau. XVII.1]
- c.AD30 Claudius' daughter Claudia Antonia born
- AD31 Claudius heads a deputation of the Knights to congratulate the consuls and senate on the downfall of Sejanus. [Suet. Clau. VI.1]
- c.AD31? The senate votes that Claudius be made a special member of the Sodales Augustali (priests of Augustus) who were usually chosen by lot. [Suet. Clau. VI.2]
- c.AD35? The senate votes that Claudius' house, recently destroyed by fire, should be rebuilt at public expense, and that he should have the honour of giving his opinion among the consulars. The decree is however rescinded by Tiberius. [Suet. Clau. VI.2]
- AD37 Upon the death of his uncle Tiberius, Claudius is named heir only in the third degree to a third of his estate, left a legacy of almost two million sesterces, and is commended, with the rest of his kin to the armies and SPQR. [Suet. Clau. VI.2]
- AD37 Claudius consul I (suffectus) for two months, with nephew Caligula, also slated for a second consulship in AD41. [Suet. Clau. VII.1] When Claudius entered the Forum for the first time carrying the fasces, an eagle appeared and lit upon his shoulder. [Suet. Clau. VII.1] Claudius is threatened with deposition (by Caligula) for being tardy in setting-up statues of Drusus and Nero, the brothers of Caligula murdered through Sejanus. [Suet. Clau. IX.1]
- AD38 Claudius divorces Aelia Paetina for "slight offences", and marries wife3, Valeria Messalina, daughter of Messala Barbatus.
- AD40 Claudius is sent by the Senate as an envoy to Germany to congratulate Gaius on the foiled conspiracy of Lepidus and Gaetulicus. Gaius takes offense at his presence and has him thrown into the Rhine. Following this, Claudius was asked his opinion in the Senate after all the rest of the consulars, by way of humiliation. [Suet. Clau. IX.1/2]
- AD40 (late) Claudius is forced to pay eight million sesterces to enter a new priesthood, he borrows the money from the public treasury, using his estates as security. When he was unable to repay this obligation, the prefects of the treasury offered his property for sale, probably by order of Caligula, who stipulated that the sale should be advertised "in vacuum", that is, the advertisement was made in form, not in order to sell the property, but merely to humiliate Claudius. [Suet. Clau. IX.2]
- AD41/01/24 Claudius on the assassination of Gaius Caligula, is hailed imperator (I) by the praetorians.
- AD41/01/25 Claudius has his position ratified by a decree of the senate who also grant him Tribunicia Potestas (I, thereafter yearly) and takes the name Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.
- AD41 (Feb.) Claudius' son Tiberius Claudius Germanicus is born.
- AD41 (early) Claudius' niece Julia Livilla recalled from exile, but is sent back again and killed later that year through machinations of Messalina
- AD41 'The philosopher and rhetorician Seneca, now in his forties and already famous in the law courts, is banished to Corsica, for alleged misconduct with one of the emperor's nieces. He remains there 8 years, writing tragedies.' [CotAW]
- AD41 Claudius imperator II-III
- AD42 Claudius consul II
- AD42 (Jan.) title 'Pater Patriae' conferred on Claudius by the senate
- AD42 The revolt of Furius Camillus Scribonianus, governor of Dalmatia, put down after five days when, following the order for the legions to march [on Rome?] when the standards could not be removed from the ground, the soldiers, though superstition and fear turned from rebellion [Suet. Clau. XIII.2] and, repenting of their defection, killed the officers, whom they said were responsible for inciting them to revolt. For this, some were promoted to higher positions by their grateful emperor. [Suet. Otho I.2]
- AD43 Octavia born
- AD43 Claudius consul III
- AD43 (May) Conquest of Britain begun
- c.AD43 Claudius' son renamed Tiberius Claudius Britannicus
- AD43-AD45 Claudius imperator IV-VIII
- AD45-AD47 Claudius imperator IX-XIV
- AD47 Claudius consul IV; 800th anniversary of Rome; Secular Games held
- AD47-AD50 Claudius imperator XV-XVIII
- AD48 Claudius assumes the censorship (the first time since Plancus and Paulus in 22BC). [Suet. Clau. XVI.1]
- AD48 (Oct.) Messalina bigamously marries G. Silius, and is executed for bigamy
- AD49 Claudius marries wife#4, Agrippina, his niece, daughter of his brother Germanicus
- AD49 'Seneca is pardoned, through Agrippina's influence, and returns to Rome, to become the tutor of the young Nero.' [CotAW]
- AD50 Claudius adopts L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, Agrippina's son, who takes the name Nero
- AD50 Colonia Claudia Agrippinensis is founded on the Rhine, named after Agrippina who was born there in AD13. [CotAW]
- AD50-AD52 Claudius hailed imperator XIX-XXVII
- AD51 Claudius consul V; Nero styled as Princeps Iuventis.
- AD53 Nero marries Octavia
- AD54/10/13 Claudius dies on the Palatine in Rome, poisoned by a dish of mushrooms given him by Agrippina.
|