# Claudius — The Lives of the Caesars character guide

> Claudius in The Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Tiberius Claudius Drusus, Claudius, Drusus, Claudius Caesar

**First appearance:** 0004-book-v-the-deified-claudius

## Who they are

Dismissed as a harmless scholar and mocked as a muleteer, Claudius survived every purge by seeming too dull to fear.

## Relationships

### [Augustus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/augustus)

_family_

Augustus was Claudius's great-uncle and step-grandfather, and he largely kept Claudius out of public life due to his perceived disabilities.

### [Tiberius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/tiberius)

_family_

Claudius was Tiberius's nephew, and Tiberius treated him with contempt, denying him any significant public honors.

### [Caligula](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/caligula)

_family_

Caligula was Claudius's nephew, and he often humiliated Claudius publicly, though Claudius survived Caligula's reign.

### [Otho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/otho)

_professional_

Otho was a friend and courtier of Claudius, but their relationship was superficial, and Otho later betrayed Claudius's family.

### [Augustus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/augustus)

_family_

Augustus was Claudius's great-uncle and step-grandfather, and he largely kept Claudius out of public life due to his perceived disabilities.

### [Augustus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/augustus)

_family_

Augustus was Claudius's great-uncle and step-grandfather, and he largely kept Claudius out of public life due to his perceived disabilities.

## In the story

### [Book V: The Deified Claudius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-v-the-deified-claudius)

The subject of the chapter; his birth, childhood, censorship, British campaign, and personal foibles are detailed.

### [Book VI: Nero](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-vi-nero)

Uncle of Gaius Caesar, later emperor, who adopted Nero; initially a laughingstock at court.

### [Otho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/otho)

Emperor who praised Otho's father for his loyalty and enrolled him among the patricians.

### [Vitellius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/vitellius)

Vitellius won his intimacy through a passion for dice; Lucius Vitellius served as censor and bore charge of the empire during Claudius's British expedition.

### [Book VIII: The Deified Vespasian—The Deified Titus—Domitian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/book-viii-the-deified-vespasian-the-deified-titus-domitian)

Emperor who sent Vespasian to Germany and Britain, and under whom Vespasian served.

### [The Deified Vespasian](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/the-deified-vespasian)

Emperor under whom Vespasian served in Germany and Britain; appointed Vespasian to command a legion through Narcissus.

### [Endnotes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/chapters/endnotes)

Mentioned in notes about his policies, building projects, and reign.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters/claudius
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_lives_of_the_caesars_se/characters