Claudius, the emperor of Rome, is seated at a feast surrounded by his family, his trusted servants, and an assortment of delicacies. but something about this night is different. It happens fast—. One minute, he’s gorging himself on his favorite foods, the next, he collapses, and vomits blood across the mosaic floor, his body convulsing. Within hours, he’s dead. As Claudius lay gasping for breath on the cold marble floor, his body wracked with convulsions, the evidence of his murder was already slipping away. What killed him? Poison in the mulsum wine. The stuffed dormice, the oysters? Or his favorite, a tiny hidden killer – slipped onto his place of Mushrooms! And who put it there?
Join us for this episode of Roman intrigue as we peel back the mystery and determine if it was Plant Murder!
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Written and narrated by Aaron J Reardon
Voice Talents
Quotes - Tali Hamilton
Tacitus - John Kennard
*A note on ableism and Claudius: While history often mocks Claudius as a fool, it’s important to remember that these slights were due to his perceived indecisiveness and political naivety, not his physical afflictions. His stammer, limp, and other challenges were frequently weaponized against him by a ruthless elite, but his struggles did not define his intellect or accomplishments. In fact it showed great strength of character to weather those slights and persist. Claudius’ weakness lay in his trusting nature, not in his disabilities. It is my hope that this episode reflects that understanding.
Sources for this episode:
The many fantastic lectures of historian Mary Beard (youtube)
Swindle, Jenifer M. A Rhetorical Use of Women in Tacitus' Annales (2003
Aveline, John. The Death of Claudius (2004)
Carney, T.F. The Changing Picture of Claudius (1960)
Green, C.M.C. Claudius, Kingship, and Incest (1998) -
Griffin, Miriam. Claudius in Tacitus (1990)
Grimm-Samuel, Veronika. On the Mushroom That Deified the Emperor Claudius (1991)
Paschalis, Michael. The Afterlife of Emperor Claudius in Seneca's Apocolocyntosis (2009)
Vessey, D.W.T.C. Thoughts on Tacitus' Portrayal of Claudius (1971)
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