Did the emperor Claudius have Asperger's Syndrome?

[Belisarius Ryan]

Many great individuals in history are now believed to have had Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of Autism. Einstein is believed to have had it. Thomas Jefferson also may have had it (read Diagnosing Jefferson). I myself have asperger's syndrome, and after reading about Claudius, the 4th emperor, I believe there is a strong possibility that he too may have been mildly autistic. Many of his relatives and contemporaries were embarressed by him and considered him dumb or retarded, yet he was actually quite intelligent and in many ways a progressive leader.

[Ursus]

Augustus himself was amazed how much Claudius seemed liked a buffoon in everyday conversation - but once you gave Claudius something serious to do, he showed decent character and ability.

 

I do wonder though - and I'm no psychologist, mind you - but a lot of intelligent people simply have a preference for developing intellectual skills to personal skills. The modern lingo for such people are "geeks." At what point does this personality preference cease to be a personality preference and become a clinical disorder?

 

I suppose some might say that point comes when you start lecturing the Senate on the value of snacks ....

[Ingsoc]

On what do you base your opinion that he had Asperger's Syndrome? There is a good article by Ernestine Leon which conclude that Claudius phsical condition was due to cerebral palsy.

[Northern Neil]

Speaking as someone who has been professionally involved with people who have autism - and has been married to someone who showed all the signs of high - functioning autism, I would like to say that Autistic Spectrum disorder is regarded as a continuum, on which we can all be placed to a greater or lesser degree. Most of us are, of course, on the lower end, with a preponderance of males showing more of the very mild attributes - for example, the 'Geekishness' alluded to by Ursus.

 

Perhaps this is down to the fact that minority hobbies/intellectual studies involve less social contact, which people with Autism or Aspergers find more agreeable. I must say, I have read little about Claudius aside from Robert Grave's excellent Claudius novels - which, if they were researched accurately, certainly suggest that Claudius was awkward in social situations, and overly pedantic to small, unneccesary detail. A tendency to think in concrete terms is also suggested by the novels.

 

These characteristics would suggest that there were at least some autistic tendencies in Claudius' psychological makeup. Other famous individuals said to have had Aspergers Syndrome are Isaac Newton, and the Jazz Guitarist Django Reinhardt.

[caldrail]

As to whether Claudius suffered a particular ailment is speculation and nothing more. The descriptions given by roman sources may not be entirely accurate and in roman culture, a deformed child was expected to be exposed, since it could not function as a fully healthy member of society and would therefore be a drain on the community to care for it. This was a hangover from the earliest days of Rome, which kind of inidcates that life on the farms back then was not a picnic. All the more ironic then that the romans considered the picture of rural bliss as an ideal of their society. Now since Claudius was not exposed he was therefore exposed instead to a great deal of ridicule from those who were fit and healthy. Given his mother thought him 'A man whom nature had not completed', one does have to ask why he wasn't exposed. I suppose in theory his father could have argued against it, but then Drusus had his fatal accident on a horse very early in Claudius's life. Perhaps Antonia saw him as all she had left of Drusus, and so was bitterly disappointed in his physical imperfection. Claudius without doubt did have some minor invalidity, and a number of commentators have suggested it was nothing as bad as Suetonius suggests.

[Octavia]

I can't remember what all the alments that Claudius had in the movie. He said some of them. I think one in the book was infantile paralisis which could be modern day serebral palsy. Sorry. I can't spell. Lol!

[Gaius Octavius]

I can't remember what all the alments that Claudius had in the movie. He said some of them. I think one in the book was infantile paralisis which could be modern day serebral palsy. Sorry. I can't spell. Lol!

 

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