Claudius's Father? How did he die?

[Octavia]

Hello all. There is a mystery that I've been wondering about. What killed Drusus? Was it a woundin battle? Or was it poison? There is a lot to try to figure out with fiction books and what actually happened.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Hello all. There is a mystery that I've been wondering about. What killed Drusus? Was it a woundin battle? Or was it poison? There is a lot to try to figure out with fiction books and what actually happened.

 

I was under the impression that Drusus' death was caused by a fall from his horse whilst campaigning in Germania.

[Octavia]

Hello Gaius. You don't think his death was something of the empress Livia's doing. Do you? She did poison and banish many of the imperial family.

[Primus Pilus]

Hello Gaius. You don't think his death was something of the empress Livia's doing. Do you? She did poison and banish many of the imperial family.

 

But in this case, it was her own son.

[caldrail]

Hello Gaius. You don't think his death was something of the empress Livia's doing. Do you? She did poison and banish many of the imperial family.

 

Its unlikely to say the least. He was severly injured by his horse in an accident and there's no account of any improvement. It happened a long way from Rome with roman medical staff in the legion trying to put him back together. Livia may not have been quite the villainess she's been portrayed as either. The romans themselves, usually so quick to point a finger, were merely suspicious in her case, though one wonders if being the wife of augustus and therefore beyond reproach may have had something to do with it.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Hello Gaius. You don't think his death was something of the empress Livia's doing. Do you? She did poison and banish many of the imperial family.

 

Why on earth would Livia want to poison her own son?

 

Drusus along with his older brother Tiberius were extremely popular Generals, they had everything going for them, they were crushing the Barbarians in Germania and were all set to take over from Augustas when (or if) the time eventually came. It was in her best interest that they stay alive. It's well known or should I say suspected (wouldn't want to offend The Augusta ) that she maybe used some underhand tactics to keep Tiberius in the running for the top job but that's another story.

[Octavia]

Thanks all for your views and helping me out with this. It's hard to tell what is true and not true with movies and books and such. That's why I would ask. Although in I claudius, Livia did say to him, "Your father died of his wound."

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Thanks all for your views and helping me out with this. It's hard to tell what is true and not true with movies and books and such. That's why I would ask. Although in I claudius, Livia did say to him, "Your father died of his wound."

 

Hi Claudia,

 

I think you will find that the majority of the time in historical novels, T.V. and the movies will be loosely based on fact and the truth will probably be manipulated in order to make the story either more entertaining or more scandalous than it really was.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Gaius Paulinus Maximus

[Octavia]

Thanks Gaius. Sometimes movies do exagerate. That is true. I'm working on maybe changing my screen name as something to do with Octavia, as I chose my name from the empress Octavia.