Claudius was the fourth Roman emperor, who reigned between 41- 54 CE
Although he reigned for over a decade, Claudius is often perceived as one of the unpopular emperors- not because he was ‘evil’ or ‘mad’ like Caligula or Nero, but because he did not possess the qualities recognisable in an emperor. He had a limp and a speech impediment which made his family believe him not to be a good future emperor, and the Senate originally held out against him for two days before accepting him. Although he did not have a great military reputation, as emperors were expected to, it was under Claudius that Britain was conquered- even Caesar had failed to conquer Britain! He also added Mauretania, Thrace, and Lycia to the Roman Empire. He died in 54 AD, supposedly poisoned by his wife Agrippina the Younger, so that her son could become the next emperor, instead of Britannicus. Her son was Nero.