== Genetic Defects? == 

   It is not politically correct in this era to talk about mental defects inherited from tinted genetics so no one does. However, it is very clear that all the Claudian emperors were all lunatics because they were all Claudians, a clan with serious genetic problems. But, not talk about something does not make it go away.  

 Let's take a look at the Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero family tree. 

 The Caeser family was a branch of the Julian family that had a long history of noble services in the Roman Republic. No one had a bad reputation during or after their lifetime. The Claudian family, on the other hand, had a long history of eratic and extremely out of control behaviors during the Roman Republic period and was noted for their strings of scandals.  

 Octavius, not really a Caeser but at least was related to the Caeser and the Julian family through his grandmother (sister of Gaius Julius Caeser). So he too was rational and served Rome well. Unfortunately, he left no son but only a daughter who married his chief general Agrippa. 

 Octavius had the misfortunate of marrying Livia who was not only a Claudian herself but also brought with her two sons from her previous marriage to Tiberius Claudius Nero who was also from the Claudian family. So her sons were doubly cursed. Very unfortunately, Octavius named Livia's son Tiberius Claudius Nero as his heir.  

 Agrippina, the daughter of Julia, was not genetically a Claudian so was not tinted. But she married Germanicus who was a Claudian because he was the grandson of Livia's first husband Tiberius Claudius Nero, so her children became tinted by the defective Claudian genes. Her son Caligula could not escape the curse.    

 Claudius, though portrayed as an intelligent person in this book, was not recognized as a good emperor during his lifetime. He was, in fact, acknowledged as an idiot by his contemporaries and by history.  

 Nero, the grandson of Germanicus, was similiarly a Claudian and carried on the family tradition of outragous Claudian behavior. 

 Once you know their family history, you know why they are all lunatics. 

 But the Romans did not understand genetics and believed that they can simply adopt someone and change their last name to make them their own. The important thing for them was to have someone carry on the family name. But, you can change their name but you cannot change their genetic makeup. Octavius did great harm to the Roman Empire by marrying Livia from the Claudian family and adopting her son Tiberius Claudius Nero who was a double Claudian. His two bad decisions plunged the Roman Empire into a long period of the worst corruption and debauchery history has ever seen.