Editing Claudius Gothicus (section)

== Early life and origin ==
The most significant source for Claudius II (and the only one regarding his early life) is the collection of imperial biographies called the ''[[Historia Augusta]]''. However, his story, like the rest of the ''Historia Augusta'', is riddled with fabrications and obsequious praises. In 4th century, Claudius was declared a relative of [[Constantine the Great]]'s father, [[Constantius Chlorus]], and, consequently, of the ruling dynasty. The ''Historia Augusta'' should be used with extreme caution and supplemented with information from other sources: the works of [[Aurelius Victor]], Pseudo-Aurelius Victor, [[Eutropius (historian)|Eutropius]], [[Orosius]], [[Joannes Zonaras]], and [[Zosimus (historian)|Zosimus]], as well as coins and inscriptions.<ref name="roman-emperors.org">{{cite web |last=Weigel |first=Richard D. |url=http://www.roman-emperors.org/claudgot.htm |title=Claudius II Gothicus (268—270) |publisher=An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors |date=2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830085225/http://www.roman-emperors.org/claudgot.htm |archive-date=30 August 2011}}</ref>

The future emperor Marcus Aurelius Claudius was born on 10 May 214.{{sfn|Damerau|1934|loc=s. 39}} Some researchers suggest a later date of 219 or 220.{{sfn|Henze|1896|loc=s. 2458}} Nevertheless, most historians adhere to the first version. Moreover, as the 6th century Byzantine historian [[John Malalas]] reports, at the time of his death Claudius was 56 years old.{{sfn|Kienast|2017|p=222}}<ref name="roman-emperors.org" /> The birthplace of Claudius is unknown.{{sfn|Damerau|1934|loc=s. 39}} He might have been born somewhere near the [[Danube]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Drinkwater |first=John Frederick |title=Claudius (II) Gothicus, Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor, 268–270 CE |date=2016-03-07 |work=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics |url=https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-1624 |access-date=2024-04-26 |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.1624 |isbn=978-0-19-938113-5}}</ref>

According to the fourth-century ''[[Epitome de Caesaribus]]'', he was thought to be a bastard son of [[Gordian II]],<ref>[https://www.roman-emperors.org/epitome.htm]
"Many think this man was fathered by Gordian, when, as a youth, he was being prepared by a grown woman for a wife."</ref> although this is doubted by some historians.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hekster |first=Olivier |date=2015 |title=Emperors and Ancestors: Roman Rulers and the Constraints of Tradition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jPgJCAAAQBAJ |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=225 |isbn=978-0-19-873682-0}}</ref>

The ''Historia Augusta'' refers to him as a member of the ''[[Flavia (gens)|gens Flavia]]'', likely an attempt to further connect him with the future emperor [[Flavius Valerius Constantius]].<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Claudius*.html]''Historia Augusta'', The Life of Claudius</ref>