Editing Claudius (section)

===Assassination of Caligula and Declaration of Claudius as Emperor (AD&nbsp;41)===
[[File:Coin of Herod of Chalcis (obverse).jpg|thumb|left|upright|A coin of [[Herod of Chalcis]], showing him with his brother [[Herod Agrippa I|Agrippa of Judaea]] crowning Claudius, AD 43.]]

On 24 January 41, Caligula was assassinated in a [[conspiracy (political)|conspiracy]] involving [[Cassius Chaerea]] – a [[military tribune]] in the [[Praetorian Guard]] – and several [[Roman Senate|senators]]. There is no evidence that Claudius had a direct hand in the assassination, although it has been argued that he knew about the plot – particularly since he left the scene of the crime shortly before his nephew was murdered.{{sfn|Major|1992}} However, after the deaths of [[Milonia Caesonia|Caligula's wife]] and [[Julia Drusilla (daughter of Caligula)|daughter]], it became apparent that Cassius intended to go beyond the terms of the conspiracy and wipe out the Imperial family.<ref name="Josephus">{{harvnb|Josephus|loc=''Antiquitates Iudiacae'' XIX}}. {{harvnb|Cassius Dio|loc=''Historia Romana'', [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/60*.html#1 60 1.3]}}</ref>

{{multiple image
 | total_width = 400

 | image1 = Proclaiming claudius emperor.png
 | caption1 = ''Proclaiming Claudius Emperor'', 1867.

 | image2 = A Roman Emperor AD41 detail.jpg
 | caption2 = Detail from ''A Roman Emperor 41 AD'', {{Circa|1871}}.

 | footer = Two drastically different oil paintings by [[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]] of Claudius being proclaimed emperor by [[Gratus]].
}}
In the chaos following the murder, Claudius witnessed the [[Numerus Batavorum|German guard]] cut down several uninvolved noblemen, including many of his friends. He fled to the palace to hide. According to tradition, a Praetorian named [[Gratus]] found him hiding behind a curtain and suddenly proclaimed him ''[[princeps]]''.<ref name="Josephus"/> Claudius was spirited away to the [[Castra Praetoria|Praetorian camp]] and put under their protection.

The Senate met and debated a change of government, but this devolved into an argument over which of them would be the new ''princeps''. When they heard of the Praetorians' claim, they demanded that Claudius be delivered to them for approval, but he refused, sensing the danger that would come with complying. Some historians, particularly [[Josephus]],{{sfn|Josephus|loc=''Ant. Iud.'' XIX}} claim that Claudius was directed in his actions by the [[Iudaea Province|Judaean]] King [[Herod Agrippa]]. However, an earlier version of events by the same ancient author downplays Agrippa's role<ref>[[Josephus]] ''[[Bellum Judaicum]]'' [[s:The War of the Jews/Book II|II]], 204–233.</ref> so it remains uncertain. Eventually the Senate was forced to give in. In return, Claudius granted a general amnesty, although he executed a few junior officers involved in the conspiracy.{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=Claudius 11}} The actual assassins, including Cassius Chaerea and Julius Lupus, the murderer of Caligula's wife and daughter, were put to death to ensure Claudius's own safety and as a future deterrent.{{sfn|Josephus|loc=''Ant. Iud.'' XIX, 268–269}}{{sfn|Cassius Dio|loc=50 3, 4}}

Since Claudius was the first emperor proclaimed on the initiative of the Praetorian Guard instead of the Senate, his repute suffered at the hands of commentators (such as [[Seneca the Younger|Seneca]]). Moreover, they accused him of being the first emperor to resort to bribery as a means to secure army loyalty and rewarded the soldiers of the Praetorian Guard that had elevated him with 15,000 sesterces,{{sfn|Suetonius|loc=Claudius 10}} although Tiberius and Augustus had both left gifts to the army and guard in their [[will (law)|wills]] and upon Caligula's death the same would have been expected, even if no will existed. Claudius remained grateful to the guard, issuing coins with tributes to the Praetorians in the early part of his reign.<ref>{{cite web|title=Coin, Museum No. R1874,0715.4|url=http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1216117&partId=1|website=British Museum Online Collection|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref>