417:
at risk, when
Halotus was so close to Claudius, and could so easily have worked with Agrippina and others to poison the late Emperor. It would have made Halotus, as chief steward and taster, look like an accomplice or a witness to the or in the collaboration to poison Claudius, and all those involved would have preferred to keep the matter quiet than to arouse public suspicion in the new administration, and the way that the new administration had come into force.
254:
adoptive father; Nero often politically and publicly criticised and even insulted the late
Claudius and many Claudian laws and policies were disregarded and abandoned under Nero's reasoning that Claudius was simply too stupid and senile to be given any consideration. Nero responded to allegations of poisoned mushrooms being used to kill Claudius, by naming the fungus "the food of the gods", lending further credence to the idea that mushrooms were used.
227:
565:
267:
165:. There are many possible reasons for this but the most likely is related to the possibility of sexual contact between servant and master; a prohibition against sexual contact between royalty and servants, guards and slaves was not uncommon in many parts of the world during Halotus' era and it was thought that male
350:. At the time of his death, Halotus' public reputation had been at least partially restored and he had accumulated some degree of wealth after he had been cleared by Galba. Details relating to his death are not recorded in any of the writings of ancient historians, and neither are any specific dates.
177:
Halotus is primarily remembered for his suspected involvement in the conspiracy and poisoning of
Emperor Claudius on 13 October (times of death are in dispute; see below) 54 AD. It is possible that Claudius died of natural causes, and the actual manner of the poisoning, in regards to which poison may
253:
should take the throne following his death. Nero swiftly took firm control over an unsettled public; all but
Claudius' most rigid and unmoving supporters became Nero's men after only a short period. This can be at least partially attributed to Nero's very well known opinions of Claudius, who was his
149:
Halotus worked as a servant for
Claudius and also held the position of official taster, an occupation which entailed his tasting of a portion of every meal Claudius ate each day for poison. Tasters also worked to detect less sinister problems with the Emperor's meal, such as whether the food was fit
416:
Nero's decision to allow
Halotus to live and keep his job may have been influenced by a variety of factors. The most important of these factors was that the execution of Halotus, or indeed anyone else closely involved, for the murder of Claudius, may have put the plot to secure Nero's seat of power
403:
This has been suggested because there were historical accounts reporting that, in regards to
Claudius actually accepting the food laced with the lethal poison, things did not go exactly to plan; this could imply a variety of things: Claudius might first have touched the poisoned food and licked his
244:
on 24 October, 54 AD, ten days after his death. Despite the great political tumult
Claudius' passing caused, Nero and the Senate very quickly deified Claudius and Nero took the throne, just as Agrippina had wanted. at the young age of sixteen. The usurpation was politically easy for Nero; Claudius'
239:
For a while, it was pretended that
Claudius was still alive, with all of those involved in the plot (including Halotus) undertaking their normal duties. This was done so that arrangements for Nero's accession could be secure. The news that Claudius was merely sick rather than dead spread widely and
257:
Much public outrage resulted from the mystery shrouding
Claudius' death and the death itself; there was a clear desire among the people of Rome that anyone suspected in Claudius' murder be executed and this included Halotus; he was not killed, and Nero allowed him to retain his position throughout
293:
Galba may have chosen to award Halotus the lucrative procuratorship for any number of reasons; during his reign, Galba was known for making often unpopular political and economical actions, supposedly for what was, at least in Galba's mind, the financial health of the city. Halotus' great rise in
213:
Other details about the poisoning have always been in dispute. While some argue that Claudius was in Rome, others claim he was in Sinuessa on the night he was poisoned. Whether one ingestion of poison was only enough to cause Claudius to fall ill and whether a second dose was given to kill him is
128:
resulted in Halotus' becoming a very wealthy man in Roman society. Galba's reason for allowing Halotus such a well-paying job when he was generally unpopular in the Roman society could not fairly be predicted; Galba often made decisions that were not well liked by the public but which Galba often
390:
Scramuzza (1940) pp. 92–93 says that tradition makes every Emperor the victim of foul play, so it cannot be known certainly if Claudius was truly murdered. Levick (1990) pp. 76–77. raises the possibility that Claudius was killed by the stress of fighting with Agrippina over the succession, but
189:
Halotus, as the Emperor's official taster, would probably have had a role in the plot, deceiving Claudius into believing the food was safe to consume. He is a prime suspect because he would have had access to everything eaten by the Emperor on the night of his death. It has been suggested that
206:, who, in line with the suggestion that the poison was not immediately fatal, is said to have carried an ailing Claudius out of the banquet, taken him to his room and forced a poisoned feather into his mouth on the pretence of encouraging him to regurgitate. Others say Xenophon used poisoned
190:
Halotus may have been the murderer but was working under orders of Agrippina. While it is uncertain whether Halotus would have had anything to gain from the death of the Emperor, Agrippina's political and personal advantage gained by the death of her husband was evident; with Claudius dead,
141:, who were also some of the main recorders of the events around Claudius' death and the political trauma that followed. Whether Halotus was involved in the murder of Claudius and to what extent remains an unresolved point, as do many other aspects related to Claudius' passing.
240:
Agrippina making requests "on Claudius' behalf" further fooled the people into believing the Emperor lived. After all of the preparations for Nero's accession had been made, the death was revealed to the Roman people. Claudius was cremated, and his ashes were interred in the
217:
The time of death is also much discussed; one version claims that the poison was so potent that he died instantly, while another says that he endured agony until dawn of the following day. It has been suggested that Claudius may have died as late as noon on 13 October.
345:
Halotus died sometime in the latter part of the 1st century. At the time of his death, he still held the procuratorship that he had been granted by Galba. He kept this position despite Galba's unseating very soon after it was bestowed and the political uproars of
404:
fingers, or might otherwise only have consumed a portion of the dose of poison needed to be lethal. Those who implicate that a second dose was required claim that he fell into a stupor, threw up, woke up, only to be administered another dose that was then lethal.
294:
status, and his subsequent prosperity, may have been in some way beneficial in Galba's eyes. Less specifically, the move would certainly have had some degree of benefit for Galba in some way, whether indirectly, or directly, economically or financially.
158:, suggesting the possibility of their collaboration in poisoning Claudius. It also meant that he would have been aware of details such as the Emperor's food preferences, his meal times and his schedule, making it easier for him to commit the murder.
153:
As the Emperor's personal taster, Halotus would accompany Claudius to every banquet and dinner and as chief steward, he would have been with Claudius and his family for the majority of the time. Thus he could have formed a relationship with
329:
Why Halotus in particular was chosen for such a high-paid position is unclear. Why Halotus was even spared is also unclear, as almost all of Nero's former servants were killed on Galba's assumption of the throne, as Suetonius notes above.
194:, Agrippina's biological son, would be able to claim the throne. It was also known that the animosity between Agrippina and Claudius had grown during the months preceding the suspected homicide. Other notable suspects included
102:, the wife of Claudius, Halotus was considered one of the most likely to have committed the murder, although speculation by ancient historians suggest that he may have been working under orders of Agrippina.
297:
The office was described by Suetonius as "an important procuratorship" but few other details relating to the actual occupation were specified. Mentions of Halotus' receiving of the procuratorship include:
132:
Halotus died close to the end of the century, his public reputation somewhat restored after his rise in stature and wealth. His date of death is not mentioned by ancient historians of the time, such as
579:
178:
have been used, in which food it could have been hidden, etc., remains unclear. It is considered most likely, considering the writings of various ancient historians, that the poison was concealed in
290:, another servant who had possibly been involved in the murder of Claudius and whose death was also being called for among the Romans, rebuking the public for their harshness and outrage.
641:
Tacitus, Annals XII.66; Cassius Dio, Roman History LXI.34; Suetonius, The Lives of Twelve Caesars, Life of Claudius 44; Josephus is less sure, Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews XX.8.1
745:
Accounts of his death: Suet. Claud. 43, 44. Tac. Ann. XII 64, 66–67. Josephus Ant. Iud. XX 148, 151. Dio Rom. Hist. LX 34. Pliny Natural History II 92, XI 189, XXII 92.
319:
saved these two alone out of all Nero's agents, even though they were perhaps the worst of the lot. What is more, he gave Halotus an important procuratorship....
105:
Following the death of Claudius, much public outrage ensued, and there was a clear desire in the general public that Halotus and several other suspects (such as
186:, Claudius' wife, is thought to have been the most likely to have instigated the murder or to have been the lead conspirator in the plot to overthrow Claudius.
98:; it was because of his occupation, which entailed close contact with Claudius, that he is and was a suspect in the murder of the latter by poison. Along with
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879:
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113:. Nero, who acceded to the throne, allowed Halotus to continue as chief steward and taster; Halotus served Nero until the latter's death in 68, and
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As noted in the first quote above, the procuratorship was a "wealthy" one, leading to the possibility that the job involved
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would prevent this. Halotus may have been required to submit to castration in order to hold his position.
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Making of America Project, Jared Sparks, Edward Everett, James Russell Lowell, Henry Cabot Lodge
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Noted as the year Nero died, and the year preceding the politically unstable year 69 AD, the
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Marble bust of Nero (ruled from 54 to 68), located in the Antiquarium of the Palatine.
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Why, when the Roman people called for the execution of Tigellinus and Halotus, he
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Shortly after Galba became Emperor, he bestowed upon Halotus an "important
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also survived Nero, and was promoted by Galba to a wealthy procuratorship
179:
83:
1068:. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 397.
883:. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 465.
759:
The History of the Roman Emperors: From Augustus to the Death of Marcus
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20:
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182:(as Claudius was known to have been particularly fond of them), and
568: This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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16:
Servant and butler of Claudius; suspect in his possible murder
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concludes that the timing makes murder the most likely cause.
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Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences
467:
Agrippina: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Early Empire
59:
51:
43:
35:
28:
282:, despite public feeling, rewarded Halotus with a
1095:, M. Gwyn Morgan; Oxford University Press, 2006;
72:(c. 20–30 AD – c. 70–80 AD) was a
314:
300:
583:(1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.
627:. Translated by John Carew Rolfe – via
270:Galba, the first of the four emperors of the
8:
904:The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison
109:, another servant who served Claudius), be
695:
693:
532:An Introduction to Quantitative Psychology
63:Servant to Claudius, suspect in his murder
25:
989:
781:
779:
719:Cornelius Tacitus, George Otis Holbrooke
970:Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
847:Suetonius, Robert Graves, Michael Grant
486:
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703:, page 102. Kregel Publications, 1991.
494:, page 101. Kregel Publications, 1991.
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161:Halotus was also known to have been a
129:claimed were "for the economic good".
810:
808:
286:. Galba ordered an edict relating to
7:
964:Marmion, VJ; Wiedemann, TE (2002).
761:. Simpkin, Marshall & Co, 1850.
1093:69 A.D.: The Year of Four Emperors
1014:69 A.D.: The Year of Four Emperors
942:Women and Politics in Ancient Rome
249:had specified that either Nero or
19:For the genus of butterflies, see
14:
1032:Suetonius, Suetonius Tranquillus
1016:. Oxford University Press, 2006.
906:. Oxford University Press, 2006.
1059:"Galba, Servius Sulpicius"
563:
622:The Lives of the Twelve Caesars
512:Political Dissidence Under Nero
198:, a professional poisoner, and
1036:. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.
1:
1155:Emperor's slaves and freedmen
1114:The year of the four emperors
469:, page 140. Routledge, 1996.
348:The Year of the Four Emperors
117:'s assumption of the throne.
616:Suetonius Tranquillus, Gaius
278:In 68 AD,, Nero's successor
534:. J. Wiley & Sons, 1971
86:, the fourth member of the
1186:
982:10.1177/014107680209500515
851:. Penguin Classics, 2003.
360:Julio-Claudian family tree
124:". This new occupation of
90:. He served Claudius as a
18:
940:Richard Alexander Bauman
836:The North American Review
818:. Ayer Publishing, 1977.
672:History of Twelve Caesars
545:Emperors Don't Die in Bed
431:Year of the Four Emperors
272:Year of the Four Emperors
1034:The Lives of the Caesars
687:Harper & Bros., 1881
1065:Encyclopædia Britannica
966:"The death of Claudius"
880:Encyclopædia Britannica
362:- Claudius' family tree
47:c. 70–80 AD (~50 years)
327:
313:
275:
231:
88:Julio-Claudian dynasty
55:Food taster and butler
1160:Ancient Roman eunuchs
1080:The annals of Tacitus
814:Cyrus Leo Sulzberger
721:The annals of Tacitus
269:
242:Mausoleum of Augustus
229:
184:Agrippina the Younger
173:Poisoning of Claudius
156:Agrippina the Younger
100:Agrippina the Younger
530:John Augustus Keats
274:(68) seen on a coin.
944:. Routledge, 1992.
547:. Routledge, 2004.
465:Anthony A. Barrett
1165:1st-century Romans
1150:1st-century deaths
1145:1st-century births
849:The Twelve Caesars
701:The Flames of Rome
492:The Flames of Rome
276:
232:
202:, Claudius' royal
1170:Ancient murderers
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596:Missing or empty
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543:Fik Meijer
302:This person
262:Under Galba
258:his reign.
251:Britannicus
39:c. 20–30 AD
1139:Categories
1091:Cited in:
1082:, page 145
770:Suetonius
629:Wikisource
288:Tigellinus
235:Under Nero
167:castration
126:procurator
107:Tigellinus
1125:Tacitus,
1103:; page 46
651:Suetonius
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222:Aftermath
204:physician
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