Who is Claudius from The Twelve Caesars and what is their importance?

Claudius is the one emperor not given an easy pass to leadership, nor does he kill anyone to become emperor. His entire family is cruel to him and all say he is ugly, slow, and worthless. He ends up being one of Rome's favorite leaders, but his vices get the better of him in the end. One of his faults is trusting his wife and freedmen too much and they all use him like a puppet. It is believed that he was poisoned, perhaps by his wife, but nobody knows for sure.