As regards Claudius, his negative representation in roman histories demonstrates two points: 1) The continuing penchant of Roman elites to privilege material and cosmetic concerns in social evaluation. To a great extent, Claudius' physical infirmities hobbled him from the start in his relations with senators; 2) Though pursuing the same policies of Augustus and developing continuations of his predecessor rather than innovations, his lesser glamour combined with his decreased care for the appearance of collegiality with the Senate mean that from Claudius, the term Imperator—Emperor—becomes truly appropriate to describe the status of Rome's ruler. Three further matters mark the Claudian era of rule: a) the Roman conquest of Britain, a relatively major territorial/political gain; b) his liberal granting of citizen rights and advocacy for Gaulic socio-political inclusion in Roman society, and c) his poor choice of marriage partners in Agrippina the Younger. In sum then, Claudius expanded the Empire and improved its administrative and fiscal effectiveness, just as he opened the door to its ethnic evolution. Also, he undermined the Senate, though not by intent, and he altered the nature of the Princeps.

Popular pages: The Roman Empire (60 BCE-160 CE)