The gens Claudia was one of the oldest families in ancient Rome, and for centuries its members were regularly leaders of the city and empire. The family was traditionally held to have begun with Attius Clausus, a Sabine who favored peace with Rome, an unpopular position that led to him leaving Regillus with his followers around 504 BC. Rome was welcoming however, making his followers citizens and giving them land, and making Appius Claudius Sabinus Inregillensis, as he was called in Latin, a senator. It is assumed that the name came from the Latin claudeo (to limp), as many of the family members were lame, probably from some congenital disorder.
Branches of the gens Claudia
There were several major branches of the Claudian gens at the end of the Republic.
- One obscure patrician branch of the family appears to have had no cognomen. A Lucius Claudius served as Rex Sacrorum in the mid-1st Century BC. He is doubly unusual, since "Lucius" is rare in any of the branches of the Claudii and unusual among patricians in general.
- Those with the cognomen Nero were prominent patrician senators during the late Republic; they favoured the praenomen Tiberius. However, the Neros joined the gens Julia when Tiberius Claudius Nero, the son of another Ti. Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla (herself a member of the other main branch of the gens Claudia - the Claudii Pulchri) through her father Marcus Livius Drusus Claudianus) was adopted by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus thus forming the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
- Those Claudii with the cognomen Marcellus (fem.Marcella, meaning martial) were plebeians and had three consuls in three successive years (51-49 BC; two brothers and their first cousin); they favoured the praenomina Gaius and Marcus. Gaius Claudius Marcellus (consul 49 BC) was married to Augustus' sister Octavia Minor and their son, Marcus, was married to Augustus' daughter, Julia the Elder.
- Those Claudii with the cognomen Pulcher (fem. Pulchra, meaning "beautiful") were patricians and also very prominent in the late republic; they favoured the praenomina Appius (the only family to bear this praenomen) and Publius. A plebeian offshoot of this family was created when a Publius Claudius Pulcher had himself adopted by a plebeian (for political reasons) and was thereafter known as Publius Clodius; his sister Clodia also adopted this vulgar spelling.
- As noted, some plebian Claudians used the gentilicium "Clodius."
- Claudia (and Clodia) were the forms used by women.
Notable members of the gens Claudia
- Appius Claudius Sabinus Inregillensis, founder, consul in 495 BC
- Appius Claudius Crassus, decemvir ca 450 BC, consul 445 BC
- Gaius Claudius, consul 454 BC (?)
- Appius Claudius P.f. Crassus Inregillensis, consul 349 BC
- Marcus Claudius C.f. Marcellus, consul 329 BC
- Appius Claudius Caecus, censor 312 BC consul 307 BC, 297 BC (or 296 BC)
- Marcus Claudius M.f. Marcellus, consul 288 BC
- Gaius Claudius M.f. Canina, consul 286 BC, 274 BC
- Appius Claudius Ap.f. Russus, consul 269 BC
- Appius Claudius Caudex, consul 264 BC
- Publius Claudius Pulcher, consul 249 BC, lost the battle of Drepana
- Gaius Claudius Ap.f. (Caecus f.?) Centho, consul 240 BC
- Marcus Claudius Marcellus, consul 222 BC, suffect 215 BC, 214 BC, 210 BC, 208 BC
- Quintus Claudius, tribune 218 BC
- Appius Claudius P.f. Pulcher, consul 212 BC
- Gaius Claudius Ti.f. Nero, consul 207 BC, won the battle of the Metaurus.
- Tiberius Claudius P.f. Nero, consul 202 BC
- Marcus Claudius M.f. Marcellus, consul 196 BC
- Appius Claudius Ap.f. Pulcher, consul 185 BC
- Publius Claudius Ap.f. Pulcher, consul 184 BC
- Marcus Claudius M.f. Marcellus, consul 183 BC
- Gaius Claudius Pulcher, consul 177 BC
- Marcus Claudius Marcellus, consul 166 BC, 155 BC, 152 BC
- Appius Claudius Pulcher, consul 144 BC (or 143 BC)
- Gaius Claudius Pulcher, consul 92 BC
- Appius Claudius Pulcher, consul 77 BC (or 79 BC?)
- Quintus Claudius Quadrigarius, historian
- Publius Clodius, tribune of the plebs 58 BC
- Appius Claudius Pulcher, consul 54 BC
- Marcus Claudius Marcellus, consul 51 BC
- Gaius Claudius Marcellus Major, consul 50 BC
- Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor, consul 49 BC
Note: Consuls of 51 and 49 BC were brothers and first cousins to the consul of 50 BC.
- Appius Claudius Pulcher, consul 38 BC
- Marcus Claudius Marcellus, namesake of the Theatre of Marcellus, married to Augustus' daughter.
- Marcus Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus, consul 22 BC
- Tiberius Claudius Nero, father of the emperor Tiberius, praetor in 42 BC.
- Nero Claudius Drusus, consul 9 BC, father of the emperor Claudius I.
- Tiberius Claudius Nero (Tiberius), emperor
- Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (Claudius I), emperor
- Tiberius Claudius Britannicus (Britannicus), son of the last
- Nero Claudius Drusus Caesar (Nero), emperor, first Claudian by adoption.
Note: Claudians after the death of Nero were most likely descended from freedmen of the Claudians, or men granted citizenship by Claudians.
- Claudius Ptolemaeus (Ptolemy), Greek astronomer
- Claudius Civilis, led a revolt in 69
- Lucius Catilius Severus Iulianus Claudius Reginus, consul 120
- Marcus Gavius Claudius Squilla Gallicanus, consul 127
- Lucius Uibullius Hipparchus Ti. Claudius Atticus Herodes, consul 143
- Gnaeus Claudius Severus Arabianus, consul 146
- Gnaeus Claudius Severus, consul 173
- Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus, consul 173
- Maternus Ti. Claudius, consul 185
- Tiberius Claudius Seuerus Proculus, consul 200
- Appius Claudius Iulianus, consul 224
- Claudius Pompeianust, consul 231
- Gnaeus Claudius Seuerus, consul 235
- Lucius Ti. Claudius Aurelius Quintianus, consul 235
- Claudius Aelianus (Aelian)
- Claudius Galenus (Galen), Greek physician
- Marcus Claudius Tacitus, emperor
- Titus Claudius M. Aurelius Aristobulus, consul 285
- Flavius Claudius Constantinus Caesar (Constantine II), emperor
- Flavius Claudius Julianus (Julian), emperor
- Claudius Mamertinus, consul 362
- Sextus Claudius Petronius Probus, consul 371
- Flauius Claudius Antonius, consul 382
- Claudius Claudianus (Claudian), poet
- Imp. Caesar Flavius Claudius Constantinus Augustus (Constantine III), usurper
- Claudius Iulius Eclesius Dynamius, consul 488
