WAC: Claudius

     I was considered the least likely to ever be a great ruler. They all described me as awkward, clumsy, even disfigured, but that didn't stop me, Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, from becoming a great Roman Emperor. I started my reign in 41 A.D. and ended it in 54 A.D., but I'll save that for later. I had a hard life growing up. However, my time as emperor proved quite successful to say so myself. My end was just as eventful, before that dreaded Nero betrayed me.
      I was the black sheep in my family. Born in 10 B.C. I was left disfigured by a serious illness. Being the clutz I was didn't help either. My own uncle Tiberius was ashamed and never thought I could be ruler, for my speech impediment and limp were pretty bad. I was made fun of all the time. I even got thrown food at me during dinner. The absolute worse was when I'd stretch and rub my eyes only to find slippers on my hands, burning my eyes.
     Everything changed when my uncle's successor Caligula was assasinated. I was terrified of being thought of as emperor.  I decided to hide, for that's what I have done my entire life. The palace soldiers did indeed find me, however, and placed me as ruler. Reluctant, I accepted the position. But hey, I had good reason: like my predecessors, I could be killed anytime. Supported mainly by soldiers and courtiers, I had a rocky relationship with the Senate. Many senators supported many of the plots against my life.
     I had many highlights during my reign. For example, conquering Britain was a great achievements of mine. Not even Caesar could accomplish that! I also captured Mauretania, Thrace, and Lycia, expanded the Empire a little more. I worked hard to improve the judicial system in Rome and improved slave and women's rights and privileges. It all paid off, for I was well respected and quite popular.
      Now that I think about it, my downfall was my, well, nicely put, simply awful taste in women. I absolutely adored my first wife, Messalina. She was unfaithful though, but I tried to ignore her affairs with servants. It became too much in 48 A.D. when she was tied to Gaius Silius. That was the last straw. Silius was killed, but all I could do when I heard of my wife's "sudden" death was to sip more wine. A year later I made the grave mistake of marrying my niece Agrippina. She was a sly, evil women who used me to make her son Nero emperor. I was even convinced by her to disown my own son Britannicus.With Nero as the next heir it was only time until she attacked me.
    Her first attempt to my demise was poisoned mushrooms delivered by an unfaithful servant of mine in 54 A.D. But Ha! I slowly recovered from the attempted murder. Only then did my doctor come in to help me vomit up the rest of the mushrooms. I allowed him to use a feather down my throat, unaware of its poison tip. I was dead. Nero became emperor. Doesn't seem very fair, does it?