An unusual emperor with physical and mental disorders: Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Claudius)

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Claudius), the fourth emperor of Rome, was born on August 1, 10 BC in Galia Lugdunum (modern-day France/Lyon). His father, Drusus, was injured by the fall of his horse during the Germania Campaign and died shortly thereafter (September 14, 9 BC). Claudius, who was only a year old at the time of his father's death, was raised by his grandmother, Livia. His mother, Antonia, described her son Claudius as "a freak-monster", "a person that nature started and could not complete". Claudius' sister Livilla was particularly vindictive and cruel as a child, mocking her younger brother Claudius' handicaps. Augustus left Claudius' education in the care of a semi-literate teacher who was once a stable manager-mule herder. Her grandmother, on the other hand, always treated her in the most humiliating way. When she needed to warn him, she seldom spoke to him, often in short, stern letters or through messengers. The court jesters would throw olives and date seeds on Claudius when he was dozing, poke him with a stick and a whip, and put on his slippers while snoring so that he could rub his face when he woke up. However, Claudius was not "stupid" as ancient sources say. He devoted himself to his education from childhood, adding three new letters (Ⅎ- digamma inversum, Ↄ- antisigma, Ⱶsigma) to the Latin alphabet, in addition to his ability to write and speak Latin, Hellenic. Completely despairing of public honor and having nothing to do for himself in life because of the loneliness he suffered, he abandoned himself to an unemployed life of seclusion, toiling with the most despicable people, drinking and gambling. Fearing that Caligula would be killed on January 24, 41 AD, by a group led by the praetor praefectus Cassius Chaerea, Claudius hid behind curtains. The palace was found by the praetor guards and hailed as emperor. The first thing Claudius did after he became emperor was to suppress the rebellions. Mauretania was made a province and the rebellions in Germania were suppressed. Claudius wanted to show that he could not only match the successes of his father Drusus and his brother Germanicus, but also surpass them, win victorious titles from the Senate and strengthen his ties with the army. He had surpassed Caligula, Augustus and Caesar, as the person whom no one considered fit to rule Rome, in just 16 days of the Britannian Expedition he set out for this purpose. He found a solution to the famine problem experienced in his period with the construction of a port in Ostia. He took care of the draining and drying of Lake Fucinus in order to prevent the constant floods in the region, as well as having many water channels built. He aimed to provide peace and order in society with his law studies, military service and innovations in the army. Toward the end of his life, Claudius became dissatisfied and resentful of Agrippina's actions, his marriage to her, and his adoption of Nero. Thereupon, Agrippina killed Claudius with poisonous mushrooms during a dinner (October 13, 54 AD). Despite his shy nature, Claudius was extremely fond of women and was betrothed twice and married four times. Drusus and Claudia from his first wife Urgulanilla, Claudia Antonia from his second wife Aelia Paetina, a daughter named Claudia Octavia (AD 40) and son Tiberius Claudius Caesar Germanicus (Britannicus) were born to his third wife Valeria Messalina. They had five children in total. Claudius has suffered from a number of illnesses since his birth. These ailments have been investigated by different branches of science in the light of ancient sources and possible diseases have been determined. The reflection of possible illnesses and events on Claudius' psychology is discussed in detail in this study. Claudius, who has left deep traces in history, has been handled with his personal characteristics, apart from the dimension of being an emperor, and his period has been viewed from a different perspective. Keywords: Claudius, Messalina, Agrippina, Diseases, Intoxication.