Word: realpolitik
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Dates: during 1934-1934
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Thanks to his sagacity and his apparent incompetence, Claudius came unscathed through the ruthless realpolitik of Augustus' reign, the tyrannies of Tiberius', the craziness of Caligula's. A Roman of the old school, nostalgic for the Republic, he saw that Rome was headed in a showier direction. His stoicism kept him fairly equable through bankruptcy, an accusation of treason, a near-drowning, when he was thrown into the River Rhone by Caligula's orders. In the sabbatanic orgies at the palace Claudius played well his appointed role of buffoon, bided his time. But when a conspiracy...