As these passages indicate, Claudius is, in fact, de- 
picted as a fool, showing both mental and physical symp- 
toms of idiotism. Naturally, such a monster cannot be a 
Roman: 
‘‘Luguduni natum est, Planci municipem vides. quod tibi narro, 
ad sextum decimum lapidem natus est a Vienna, Gallus germanus. 
itaque quod Gallum facere oportebat, Romam cepit.’’ (VI, 1) 
oe y 
... he was born at Lugudunum; you behold one of Marcus’ 
citizens. As I’m telling you, he was born sixteen miles from Vienna, 
a genuine Gaul. And so as a Gaul ought to do, he captured Rome.”’ 
(A.P. Ball ed., p. 139, 6) 
Now all the crimes of monstrous Claudius are listed: 
he is held responsible for the murder of 35 senators, 221 
nobles and ‘‘ceteros 6ca Wapabos re Kris Te.” (XIV, 1) 
Seneca writes: 
**. . . tam facile homines occidebat, quam canis adsidit.’’ (X, 3) 
‘This fellow, ... , used to kill people as easily as a dog stops to 
rest.”’ (A.P. Ball ed., p. 145, 10) 
He disregarded the law: 
ee ° * . anges. . 
deflete virum, quo non alius potuit citius discere causas, una tan- 
tum parte audita, saepe et neutra.’’ (XII, 3) 
**Mourn for the man than whom no one more quickly 
Was able to see the right in a lawsuit, 
Only at hearing one side of the quarrel, — 
Often not either.’’ (A.P. Ball ed., p. 149, 12) 
Finally, he wasted Roman citizenship on everybody: 
“‘sed Clotho ‘ego mehercules’ inquit ‘pusillum temporis adicere 
illi volebam, dum hos pauculos, qui supersunt, civitate donaret’— 
constituerat enim omnes Graecos, Gallos, Hispanos, Britannos toga- 
tos videre—‘sed quoniam placet aliquos peregrinos in semen relinqui 
et tu ita iubes fieri, fiat’.’’ (III, 3) 
**But Clotho remarked, “I swear I intended to give him a trifle 
more time, till he should make citizens out of the few that are left 
outside—for he had made up his mind to see everybody, Greeks, 
Gauls, Spaniards, Britons, wearing togas. However, since it is per- 
haps a good thing to have a few foreigners left as a nucleus, and since 
you wish it, it shall be attended to’.’’ (A. P. Ball ed., p. 134f., 3) 
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