Similarities Between Suetonius And Claudius

Suetonius and Tactius write the histories of the Roman Emperors with a negative perception and jaded lenses, often overdramatizing the cruelties and ignorance of these rulers to fit their timely biases. Furthermore this means that modern day historians need to decipher through these biases in order to attain the full story. This leads us to the Princeps Claudius who ruled over Rome during the first century CE. Suetonius and Tactius attack the character of Claudius and his rule of the principate during the first century CE through the women and freedmen that surrounded him in his bureaucracy, often highlighting how Claudius falls under the control of the women and freedmen he chooses to surround himself with, making him appear to have a weak

Claudius is presented to have mainly fallen under the control of his third and fourth wives, namely Messalina and Agrippina. Messalina is presented in both Suetonius and Tactius’ writings as a loose woman who controlled her husband Claudius for her own political and social gains. She also is presented with her desire for infamia or the great desire to put one's body on display for the pleasure of others, oftentimes this was attributed to prostitutes, actors and other members of Roman society who were seen as less than because of their use of their own body. Tactius argues, “But she craved the name of wife, for the sake of the monstrous infamy, that last source of delight to the reckless.” Messalina’s desire for infamy and earthly pleasures made her out to be a disgrace for a woman, especially while being in the imperial household and continuing this licentious behavior. Many attacked her character and saw her control over Claudius as a debauchery of the state, but Claudius remained faithful to his wife and did as she pleased. Tactius states, “his devotion to his wife and of the many murders perpetrated at Messalina's bidding.” (Tactius. Annals. 11). Messalina would often use her power over Claudius to enact political murders which would work in her favor; Claudius, who had great devotion to his wife, used his power as Princeps to fulfill these biddings. Messalina had control over the empire through Claudius. This all suddenly changed when Claudius discovered that she was committing adultery with Gaius Silius, a Roman senator, and even went as far as to marry him with witnesses. Scorned by his wife Claudius had her lover executed and she committed suicide shortly thereafter. His fourth wife was Agrippina, she was also his niece. This was considered incest to the Romans and his marriage with her was frowned upon because of their