Dis/ableism in the "Problem of Claudius": The Reception of Claudius's Disabilities in the Ancient Sources

Abstract:By utilizing methodological frameworks and techniques employed in Disability Studies and Disability History, this article aims to attenuate the historiographical "problem of Claudius." Scholarship is currently at an impasse in reconciling the 'Suetonian/Senatorial' depiction of Claudius "the fool" and Claudius the progressive legislator, builder, and administrator that modern revisionism has discerned. By analyzing the disability bias that exists in the ancient literary material, this discussion demonstrates that ancient representations of Claudius are significantly distorted by ableist assumptions and disablist prejudice. In recognizing this, we can understand Claudius on a more contextually appropriate level, unencumbered by mutually exclusive depictions.