Claudio was an important ruler of the early Roman imperial era. He reigned from 41 to 54 AD. He was easily influenced by those with questionable agendas, such as his last two wives and his freedmen, but his principality was considered successful. His expansion of the empire, his new reforms, and his control over the senate were all beneficial to the state, and his rule was one that paved the way for those who ruled after him. Claudius was a member of the equestrian class and became consul in AD 37 (Chronology of Emperor Claudius, N Gill). He suffered from permanent lameness, speech impediments and abdominal pain. Due to his poor health he was not considered a political threat, but rather his poor health became an asset on January 24. He strove to create a military image for himself and this was achieved through the conquest of Britain. He personally led his Roman armies to land in Britain, despite his physical disabilities. This act earned him popularity and support from the military. He reorganized the names of the auxiliary troops, also changed their conditions of service, and ensured that every auxiliary soldier had the right to Roman citizenship. Claudius gained the support of the military and strove to gain the support of the Julians as well. He did this by publicly announcing Augustus as his role model and also by executing Caligula's assassin. This earned him the support of the Julians but also angered the Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard was the Roman army whose job was to protect the Roman emperors. They were appalled that Claudius had executed Caligula's murderer without consulting them first. However, Claudius managed to regain their loyalty and support by providing the Guard with a generous bonus of 15,000 - 20,000 sesterces. In this way he set a precedent. However, although Claudius had the support of many, he struggled to gain the support of the Senate. The Senate posed a danger to Claudius and he refused to enter the Senate chamber during the first thirty days of his reign. By removing and abolishing Caligula's treason trials and tax reforms, he tried to gain their support. Messalina was Claudius' third wife and they had a son named Britannicus, who would be heir to the throne when Claudius died. When Claudius married Caligula's sister and her niece, Agrippina the younger, he had a son. Agrippina convinced Claudius to adopt her son as his own, and he succeeded. After the adoption his name changed to Nero. As Nero grew older, he also attempted to convince Claudius to appoint Nero as his successor. He succeeded and Claudius favored Nero as his heir. Because she was such an influential person in his life, people believed that she had caused his death by poisoning him when she had second thoughts about naming Nero as her successor. Emperor Claudius was a successful and significant ruler of the Roman Empire. His control of the Senate and new bureaucratic reforms led him to improve the efficiency of government. His most dramatic reform was the expansion of the empire and the extension of the subjects who could be granted Roman citizenship. These new reforms brought him a lot of support. Although Claudius was easily influenced by those close to him, such as his two wives and the freedmen, his rule was successful and paved the way for other rulers after