How might Claudius argue that giving citizenship and high office conquered Gauls would be good for Rome?

Answer 1

smile

Answer 2

In his speech Claudius responded to objections to allowing access to the senate to the Gauls of Gallia Transalpina (France, Belgium, and Holland south of the river Rhine). These were based on the fact that the Gauls were once enemies and fought the deified Julius Caesar, that Roman citizenship should not be extended beyond Italy and that this would create competition against the Roman noble families

Claudius argued that the extension of Roman citizenship beyond Italy would be an innovation which would bring fresh blood, soldiers and the wealth of the Gauls to the Roman state and that it was an innovation consistent with the Roman innovative tradition. He pointed out that Rome had expanded into Italy by making alliances with the other Italic peoples and that they were then given Roman citizenship and that men from these peoples became senators. Some of these peoples, like the Volsci, Aequi, Samnites and Etruscans had been enemies who once fought against Rome. Yet, once they were united under Rome they became peaceful and loyal, they provided troops for the Romans, and they had been integrated with Rome though education and intermarriage. Claudius argued that this showed how well Rome had handled foreign relations for centuries. He also pointed out that Roman citizenship had been extended to Italy beyond the River Po (in northern Italy). This was a reference to the conquest of Gallia Cisalpina, an area which was inhabited by the Gaul of northern Italy, and the fact that these Gauls were also Given Roman citizenship and access to the senate. They were loyal and also contributed wealth and supplied solders.

Claudius also pointed out other Roman innovations which, though introduced long previously, had been new in their times. He noted that originally the senators were patricians and that later the Roman plebeians gained access to these offices, then the other Latins and then all Italians. Rome had entrusted with public office the sons of freedmen (who were foreigners) for a long time. Romulus (the founder of Rome and its first king) had admitted foreigners to Rome as Roman citizens. During the period of the Roman monarchy some of the kings were foreigners.

Regarding the Roman noble families he pointed out that some of these families were original from outside Rome (even Claudius' family was originally Sabine) and that some prominent Roman families came from Spain and southern Gaul (Gallia Narbonensis which had been under Rome for centuries).