Page "Claudius" Paragraph 72

The Flavians, who had risen to prominence under Claudius, took a different tack.

They were in a position where they needed to shore up their legitimacy, but also justify the fall of the Julio-Claudians.

They reached back to Claudius in contrast with Nero, to show that they were good associated with good.

Commemorative coins were issued of Claudius and his son Britannicus — who had been a friend of the Emperor Titus ( Titus was born in 39, Britannicus was born in 41 ).

When Nero's Golden House was burned, the Temple of Claudius was finally completed on the Caelian Hill.

However, as the Flavians became established, they needed to emphasize their own credentials more, and their references to Claudius ceased.

Instead, he was lumped with the other Emperors of the fallen dynasty.

His State cult in Rome probably continued until the abolition of all such cults of dead Emperors by Maximinus Thrax in 237 – 238.

The Feriale Duranum, probably identical to the festival calendars of every regular army unit, assigns him a sacrifice of a steer on his birthday, the Kalends of August.

and such commemoration ( and consequent feasting ) probably continued until the Christianization and disintegration of the army in the late fourth century.