Chapter 10 Summary

The events of this chapter occur during 6 AD. Tiberius adopts Germanicus, Claudius' older brother. This leaves Claudius, as the only legal male family member living, the legal trustee of the Claudian family—he becomes his mother's legal guardian, which Antonia finds particularly distasteful. Claudius fathers a male child, Drusillus, with Urgulanilla. The remainder of the chapter presents transcriptions of letters sent between Livia and Augustus from roughly the period described in the chapter. In her letters to Augustus, Livia argues that Claudius is an unbecoming blot on the family honor and should be kept from the public eye as much as possible. In response, Augustus relates having overheard Claudius speaking with Athenodorus and states that Claudius is a capable orator; perhaps they have misjudged his intelligence. Livia responds that even a parrot can be made to talk and suggests that Athenodorus is...