Future Emperor Claudius enters the world August 1, 10 BCE
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, or if you prefer less of a mouthful Emperor Claudius, was born August 1, 10 BCE in Lugdunum, which is modern day Lyon, France.
Emperor Claudius left a lasting legacy that allowed significant expansions of the Roman Empire, infrastructure developments, legal reforms, administrative improvements, cultural patronage, and the extension of citizenship. Despite facing criticism from some historians, his reign contributed to the stability, prosperity, and integration of diverse populations within the empire. His achievements continue to be recognized as integral to the historical evolution of the Roman Empire and its lasting influence on subsequent civilizations.
https://roman-empire.net/people/emperor-claudius
Emperor Claudius
Issued by Jersey as part of their 2014
Jersey’s Roman Connections set
Designer: Victor Ambrus
This stamp features Emperor Claudius’ portrait, but it was the kick ass war elephant that made up my mind about which stamp to use. By 1 BCE, Rome no longer used elephants in battle, but kept them for ceremonial purposes, and to put the fear of the gods into opponents.
Using elephants in Britain would have been used for a psychological purpose, since they would have remained out of combat and displayed as a sign of overwhelming Roman authority. The Britons, who had never seen such animals, may have interpreted their presence as a sign of divine power or unnatural strength. Did the Roman emperor Claudius really use elephants during the invasion of Britain?
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Suffering from ill health and an alarming lack of social skills, for which most believed him mentally handicapped, he received no public office from Augustus except once being invested as an augur (an official Roman soothsayer). Under Tiberius, he held no office at all. Generally, he was considered an embarrassment at court. Under Caligula’s reign, he was granted a consulship as a colleague to the emperor himself (AD 37), but otherwise, he was treated very badly by Caligula (who was his nephew), suffering public disrespect and scorn from him at court.
‘Puppet’ Emperor
At the assassination of Caligula in January AD 41, Claudius fled to one of the apartments of the palace and hid behind one of the curtains. He was discovered by the praetorians and taken to their camp, where the two praetorian prefects proposed him to the troops, who hailed him emperor.
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More heads of government who have appeared on stamps: