11 Facts About Lex Claudia

The ultimate beneficiaries of the lex Claudia were probably the equestrian class, rich citizens not in the senate.

The lex Claudia would be the solution to the corruption of Roman governance and prevent private investors from forcing further taxes from ordinary Roman citizens to increase private profit.

Significant aspect of the lex Claudia was its specificity about the size and quantity of goods.

The lex Claudia aimed to minimise the distraction from the life of leisure that was necessary for the political affairs of senators, as well as prevent corruption and conflicts of interests.

Therefore, those who benefited from the lex Claudia were the equestrian order, who were rich enough to invest in the ships and were not senators.

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Fact that lex Claudia was obsolete by the late Roman Republic seems to suggest a lack of enforcement.

Additionally, Bleckmann observes that the Lex Claudia was established to help safeguard against war profiteers benefitting too greatly from the transportation of supplies by private citizens during a time of war.

Nicolet suggests that the lex Claudia forbid senators from pursuing 'any kind of activity for grain'.

Furthermore, Feig Vishnia suggests that the lex Claudia could have been intended not only to forbid the senators and their sons from owning sea-going ships whose capacity exceeded 300 amphorae, but to obstruct a growing senatorial inclination to compete for military contracts.

Lex Claudia's goes on to state that 'In the atmosphere of uncertainty, when people's anxiety and anger at their leader's miscalculation after the Second Illyrian War had yielded very little booty and senators who had opposed the Claudian measure withdrew their objection'.

Tchernia refers to a more superstitious intention suspected by Boudewijn Sirks who believed the Lex Claudia derived from an old religious taboo: that senators must avoid the sea because it signifies death.