CLAUDIUS, MARCUS AURELIUS, surnamed GOTHICUS, was born in Illyricum A.D. 274, served in the army as tribune under Decius, was afterwards governor of his native province under Valerianus, and after the death of Gallienus in 268, near Milan, was proclaimed emperor by the army. The choice was immediately approved by the Senate. Claudius began his reign by defeating the thumper Aureolus, who had revolted against Gallienua, and had taken possession of Aureolus was killed in the battle. Claudius afterwards marched against the Germans, who had entered Italy, and defeated them on the banks of the Benacua (Lake of Garda). On arriving at Borne, he was received with great honours, and applied himself to reform many of the abuses which existed in the administration of the empire. In the following year he marched against the Gotha, or Scythians, who had invaded the province of licesia, defeated them with great slaughter, and made a vast number of prisoners, whom he distributed over various provinces as labourers. In consequence of this victory, he assumed the name of Gothicus. In the year after (A.D. 270) he died at Sirmium, in Pannonia, of a contagious disease which had spread in his army, after a short reign of little more than two years, during which he exhibited virtues and abilities that entitle him to be numbered among the best emperors of Rome. The Senate named his brother Quintilius hie succesaor, but the army proclaimed Aurelianus, upon which Quintilius was killed, or killed himself according to others. (Trebelliva Pollio in Malaria Augusta.)
her deadly revenge. She carried her effrontery at last so fir as publicly to marry Caius Silius, one of the handsomest men of Rome, while Claudius was absent at Ostia. The emperor, who was roused from his torpor by the report of this scandal, gave orders that Measalina should be put to death. Soon afterwards he married (50) his own niece, Agrippina the younger, the widow of Domitius Aenobarbua, and mother of L. Domitiva. Agrippina easily prevailed on the weak Claudius to adopt her son Domitius, who assumed his stepfather's name of Nero, by which he was afterwards known as emperor, and to give him in marriage his daughter Octavia. Agrippina baying thus paved the way for the succession of her own son to the throne, to the prejudice of 13ritannicus, the son of Claudius by Messaliva, completed her object by poisoniug her husband at Sinuessa, where he had gone for the benefit of Ilia health. Claudius died in 54, in his sixty-fourth year, after being in possession of the sovereign power for thirteen years and nine months. His funeral was celebrated with great pomp, and he was numbered among the gods, but his will was not read in public in order to avoid exciting disturbances among the people on account of the preference given to Nero over Britannicus.
(Tacitus, Ann. xii. 69; Suetonius, Claudius ; Dion.)