15,000 sesterces bribe to Praetorian Guard
Claudius bribed the Praetorian Guard with 15,000 sesterces each to be declared emperor, implying he was complicit in Caligula's assassination.
Where this was said
Enter Brave Salmon
At 5:09 · chapter starts 4:23
With his route to power still looking precarious, Claudius does what any insecure Roman emperor would do: he invades Britain. Fin explains that Claudius's lineage was politically weak and his physical disabilities made him look like a joke — so conquering an exotic, terrifying island at the edge of the known world was the ultimate power move. Horatio adds the extraordinary detail that Claudius's imperial imagery depicted him as raping Britannia, shown as a woman fleeing him, and that this was considered brilliant PR by Roman standards. [1] — Fin Taylor "He paints himself as a rapist and Britain as his victim, and Romans like this. Yeah, it's a different time." 08:01 The hosts marvel at how completely opposite ancient Roman values were to modern ones, noting that any hint of rape would now end a political career instantly.
Claudius Conquered Britain With War Elephants
In 43 AD, Claudius sent 40,000 soldiers across the Channel to conquer Britain, then personally showed up at the Thames with a herd of war elephants for the final march on Colchester. Eleven tribes surrendered. Colchester — Camulodunum — became Rome's first British capital.
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