Was Claudius part of the conspiracy to kill Calilgua?

[Naucus]

Hello everyone

So i was watching some youtube videos and than I came across a video about the emperor Claudius. The video said that Claudius could have conspired against Caligulla and the argument was that the story of Claudius being saved by a soldier named "Gratus" was too much coincidence. So could this be true? Or even better: does someone know the historian that made this argument? Or does this argument make no sense?

Thanks! I'm curious.

[caldrail]

This has been suggested often enough but why would anyone involve doddering and stuttering Claudius? He stood little to gain from such a conspiracy ad indeed was lucky not to have been slaughtered in the family purge that followed the assassination of Caligula. The Praetorians had other plans when they found him hiding behind a curtain - he was their ticket to preserving their perks and privileges. So a tense stand-off between the magistrates (who had seized power with the urban cohorts) and the Praetorians (who had seized Claudius) for a day or two. The Senate backed down and had Claudius declared Princeps.

[Naucus]

True you're right but in your opinion, is the Gratus argument a good argument? Or is it just a common name?

[guy]

18 hours ago, caldrail said:

This has been suggested often enough but why would anyone involve doddering and stuttering Claudius? He stood little to gain from such a conspiracy ad indeed was lucky not to have been slaughtered in the family purge that followed the assassination of Caligula.

That is why Claudius might have been involved in the Caligula assassination: He was not viewed as a threat to assert his power and thought to be weak and controllable. As history has shown, Claudius was very much underestimated.

[caldrail]

To be honest Guy, I just can't see why the conspirators would trust or want Claudius involved. Chaerea would have killed him had he found him first and remember the magistrates and urban cohorts seized power, not the conspirators or Julio-Claudians. Rome had a culture of virility and physique - Claudius was clearly unsuitable in both counts which was why he was always peripheral to events prior to the Praetorian looters finding him.