See also

Tiberius EMPEROR OF ROME (10-54)

1. Tiberius Claudius Nero EMPEROR OF ROME, son of Nero Claudius Germanicus Drusus (38-9) and Antonia Minor of Rome (36-37), was born in 0010 B.C. He died on [Julian] 13 October 0054. He married Valeria MESSALINA. He married Julia Agrippina Minor of Rome.

 

Roman emperor AD 41-54, the son of Drusus and Antonia, nephew of the emperor Tiberius, and grandson of Livia Drusilla, the wife of Augustus, was born at Lugdunum (Lyons) on the 1st of August 10 BC. During his boyhood he was treated with contempt, owing to his weak and timid character and his natural infirmities; the fact that he was regarded as little better than an imbecile saved him from death at the hands of Caligula. He chiefly devoted himself to literature, especially history, and until his accession he took no real part in public affairs, though Caligula honored him with the dignity of consul. He was four times married: to Plautia Urgulanilla, whom he divorced because he suspected her of designs against his life; to Aelia Petina, also divorced; to the infamous Valeria Messallina; and to his niece Agrippina.

In AD 41, on the murder of Caligula, Claudius was seized by the praetorians, and declared emperor. The senate, which had entertained the idea of restoring the republic, was obliged to acquiesce. One of Claudius's first acts was to proclaim an amnesty for all except Cassius Chaerea, the assassin of his predecessor, and one or two others. After the discovery of a conspiracy against his life in 42, he fell completely under the influence of Messallina and his favorite freedmen Pallas and Narcissus, who must be held responsible for acts of cruelty which have brought undeserved odium upon the emperor. There is no doubt that Claudius was a liberal-minded man of kindly nature, anxious for the welfare of his people. Humane regulations were made in regard to freedmen, slaves, widows and orphans; the police system was admirably organized; commerce was put on a sound footing; the provinces were governed in a spirit of liberality; the rights of citizens and admission to the senate were extended to communities outside Italy. The speech of Claudius delivered (in the year 48) in the senate in support of the petition of the Aeduans that their senators should have the jus petendorum honorum (claim of admission to the senate and magistracies) at Rome has been partly preserved on the fragment of a bronze tablet found at Lyons in 1524; an imperial edict concerning the citizenship of the Anaunians (15th of March 46) was found in the southern Tirol in 1869. Claudius was especially fond of building. He completed the great aqueduct (Aqua Claudia) begun by Caligula, drained the Locus Fucinus, and built the harbor of Ostia. Nor were his military operations unsuccessful. Mauretania was made a Roman province; the conquest of Britain was begun; his distinguished general Domitius Corbulo gained considerable successes in Germany and the East. The intrigues of Narcissus caused Messallina to be put to death by order of Claudius, who took as his fourth wife his niece Agrippina, a woman as criminal as any of her predecessors. She prevailed upon him to set aside his own son Britannicus in favour of Nero, her son by a former marriage; and in 54, to make Nero's position secure, she put the emperor to death by poison. The apotheosis of Claudius was the subject of a lampoon by Seneca called apokolokyntosis, the "pumpkinification" of Claudius.

Claudius was a prolific writer, chiefly on history, but his works are lost. He wrote (in Greek) a history of Carthage and a history of Etruria: (in Latin) a history of Rome from the death of Julius Caesar, an autobiography, and an essay in defense of Cicero against the attacks of Asinius Gallus. He also introduced three new letters into the Latin alphabet, none of which survived -- one for consonantal V, one for BS and PS, and one for the intermediate sound between I and U.

 

Julia Agrippina Minor of Rome was the daughter of Germanicus Caesar of Rome (15-19) and Vipsania Agrippina Major of Rome ( - ). She and Tiberius Claudius Nero EMPEROR OF ROME had the following children:

 

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Genvissa of Britain QUEEN OF BRITAIN ( - )

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Nero EMPEROR OF ROME ( - )

Second Generation

2. Genvissa of Britain QUEEN OF BRITAIN, daughter of Tiberius Claudius Nero EMPEROR OF ROME and Julia Agrippina Minor of Rome, married Gweirydd of Siluria KING OF BRITAIN.

 

This link has as the source for its claims the writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Earlier sources do not mention her.

The citing is as follows:

He (Claudius) therefore proposed peace to him (Arvirargus), promising to give him his own daughter, if only he would recognize that the kingdom of Britain was under the sway of Rome. His nobles persuaded Arvirargus to abandon his plans for battle and to accept the proposals of Claudius. Their argument was that it could be no disgrace for him to submit to the Romans, since they were the acknowledged overlords of the whole world. Arvirargus was swayed by these arguments and by others of a similar nature. He accepted their advice and submitted to Claudius. Claudius soon sent to Rome for his daughter. With the help of Arvirargus he subdued the Orkneys and the other islands in that neighbourhood.

At the end of that winter the messengers returned with Claudius' daughter and handed her over to her father. The girl's name was Genvissa (= Genuissa). Her beauty was such that everyone who saw her was filled with admiration. Once she had been united with him in lawful marriage, she inflamed the King with such burning passion that he preferred her company to anything else in the world. As a result of this Arvirargus made up his mind to give some special mark of distinction to the place where he had married her. He suggested to Claudius that the two of them should found there a city which should perpetuate in times to come the memory of so happy a marriage. Claudius agreed and ordered a town to be built which should be called Kaerglou or Gloucester. Down to our own day it retains its site on the bank of the Severn, between Wales and Loegria. Some, however, say that it took its name from Duke Gloius, whom Claudius fathered in that city and to whom he granted control of the duchy of the Welsh after Arvirargus.

 

Gweirydd of Siluria KING OF BRITAIN (also known as Arvigarus) was the son of Cymbeline KING OF THE CATUVELLAUNI ( - ). He and Genvissa of Britain QUEEN OF BRITAIN had the following children:

 

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Marius of Siluria "Meurig" KING OF BRITAIN ( -c. 125)

 

3. Nero EMPEROR OF ROME was the son of Tiberius Claudius Nero EMPEROR OF ROME and Julia Agrippina Minor of Rome.

Third Generation

4. Marius of Siluria "Meurig" KING OF BRITAIN, son of Gweirydd of Siluria KING OF BRITAIN and Genvissa of Britain QUEEN OF BRITAIN, was born. He died circa 0125.

 

Marius (Welsh: Meurig) was a legendary king of the Britons during the time of the Roman occupation of Britain as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of King Arvirargus and ruled following his father's death.

Known as one of the wiser kings of Britain, he ruled in the time when the Picts first came to Britain. It appears that a fleet of ships under the leadership of Sodric came from Scythia and landed in Albany. Once there, they began to destroy the lands and Marius was forced to react. Following numerous battles, Marius killed Sodric and set up a stone there to remember that triumph. In addition, that land became known as Westmorland after him. In respect for the people he defeated, he gave them a small portion of Albany called Caithness to live in. Marius refused, however, to give them Briton wives to marry so the Picts fled to Ireland and took wives there.

In regard to Rome, Marius established close ties and good diplomacy through tribute and respect of the Roman citizens in Britain. He followed the laws of his ancestors and ruled the island justly. When he died, he was succeeded by his son, Coilus.

 

Marius of Siluria "Meurig" KING OF BRITAIN had the following children:

 

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Coel I KING OF BRITIAN ( - )