The life of Claudius II
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Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius
Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius Augustus (as emperor) 10 May, 210 AD - Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior January 270 AD - Sirmium, Pannonia Inferior (aged 60) Natural causes September 268 AD – January 270 AD (1 year, 4 months) None Gallienus Quintillus |
Early Life (210-268)
Claudius II was born on the May 10, 210 in Sirium, Pannonia Inferior, located in modern day Serbia. He joined Rome's military at a young age and spent his life proving himself until finally under the reign of Emperor Gallienus he was appointed as chief commander of Rome's elite cavalry force. Claudius would be charged with ending a rebellion by the usurper Aureolus during the last years of Gallienus' reign.
Emperor Gallienus' popularity in the Roman Empire had been declining for some years now. The Empire had been fractured by the Crisis of the Third Century, 50 years of economic depression, civil war and invasions from foreign nations and barbarian hordes. Another usurper, Postumus, still controlled Britannia and Gaul - now known as the Gallic Empire, a separate entity from the Roman Empire. In the East the Palmyrene Empire had broken away from Rome resulting in the loss of many important cities such as Antioch, Edessa and Alexandria. These factors combined with unrest from within lead to Gallienus eventually being usurped. Sources on how exactly Gallienus was killed differ, with some claiming it was Claudius behind the plot, and others claim it was the Praetorian Prefect Aurelius Heraclianus. Regardless, in September 268 it was Claudius who was proclaimed Emperor by his own troops who were still sieging Aureolus in Mediolanum, present day Milan.
Emperor Gallienus' popularity in the Roman Empire had been declining for some years now. The Empire had been fractured by the Crisis of the Third Century, 50 years of economic depression, civil war and invasions from foreign nations and barbarian hordes. Another usurper, Postumus, still controlled Britannia and Gaul - now known as the Gallic Empire, a separate entity from the Roman Empire. In the East the Palmyrene Empire had broken away from Rome resulting in the loss of many important cities such as Antioch, Edessa and Alexandria. These factors combined with unrest from within lead to Gallienus eventually being usurped. Sources on how exactly Gallienus was killed differ, with some claiming it was Claudius behind the plot, and others claim it was the Praetorian Prefect Aurelius Heraclianus. Regardless, in September 268 it was Claudius who was proclaimed Emperor by his own troops who were still sieging Aureolus in Mediolanum, present day Milan.
Reign (268-270)
Upon ascension to the imperial throne Claudius immediately commanded the Senate in Rome not to harm any of Gallienus' family or supporters. This may indicate he had nothing to do with Gallienus' death, or that he was simply covering his tracks.
Claudius' main aim was to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory and to do this he would have to repel the enemies of Rome from its borders. The immediate threat came from a Gothic invasion of Illyricum and Pannonia who Gallienus had been warring with prior to his death. Claudius met the Goths at the Battle of Naissus in late 268 where he managed to utterly destroy their forces and take thousands of prisoners and loot. For this great victory Claudius was given the title of Gothicus. Claudius' cavalry commander chased what remained of the Goths across the Danube, inflicting further losses and ensuring that they would not threaten the Roman Empire for almost a century.
Claudius still had many enemies of Rome to deal with. Once again, the Alamanni had entered Roman territory, attacking villages and towns as they moved deeper in. Claudius turned his army around and begun his march towards them almost immediately. In late 268 Claudius engaged the Alamanni in the Battle of Lake Benacus, routing yet another enemy from Roman lands and earning himself the title of Germanicus Maximus. With the victories over the invading Goths and Alamanni, Claudius could now set his eyes on the enemies outside of Rome's borders.
Claudius' main aim was to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory and to do this he would have to repel the enemies of Rome from its borders. The immediate threat came from a Gothic invasion of Illyricum and Pannonia who Gallienus had been warring with prior to his death. Claudius met the Goths at the Battle of Naissus in late 268 where he managed to utterly destroy their forces and take thousands of prisoners and loot. For this great victory Claudius was given the title of Gothicus. Claudius' cavalry commander chased what remained of the Goths across the Danube, inflicting further losses and ensuring that they would not threaten the Roman Empire for almost a century.
Claudius still had many enemies of Rome to deal with. Once again, the Alamanni had entered Roman territory, attacking villages and towns as they moved deeper in. Claudius turned his army around and begun his march towards them almost immediately. In late 268 Claudius engaged the Alamanni in the Battle of Lake Benacus, routing yet another enemy from Roman lands and earning himself the title of Germanicus Maximus. With the victories over the invading Goths and Alamanni, Claudius could now set his eyes on the enemies outside of Rome's borders.
Death & Legacy (270)
The Gallic Empire was the next target of Claudius. For eight years it had plagued the northern territories of the Roman Empire and Claudius sought to bring it back into the fold. After a number of battles Hispania and parts of Gaul had been conquered and absorbed back into the Empire. Fortunately for Claudius there were also usurpers within the Gallic Empire vying for control which ultimately destabilised it, allowing the Emperor to take advantage of the chaos. Before Claudius could complete his campaign he died of Cyprian plague in January 270. It is said he named Aurelian as heir to the imperial throne, as he had accompanied Claudius faithfully on his various campaigns. Despite this, it was his brother Quintillus who was proclaimed the next Roman Emperor.
Trivia
- Claudius was a wrestler in the 250s.
- Claudius was known to be very strong. A story tells of him once knocking a horse's teeth out with a single punch.
- With all his titles, Claudius' full name was Caesar Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius Pius Felix Invictus Augustus Pontifex Maximus Germanicus Maximus Gothicus Maximus.
- Constantine the Great would claim Claudius as his ancestor as he admired him for his victories against the Goths at Naissus.