August 1 was the birthday of emperors Claudius (10 B.C.) and Pertinax (A.D. 126). Emperor Claudius is familiar through the television series I, Claudius which is based on the historical novels, by Robert Graves, who used the ancient sources -- especially Suetonius. Pertinax was probably involved in the killing of Emperor Commodus, the gladiator-emperor made infamous by the movie Gladiator. The reigns of both Claudius and Pertinax were cut short prematurely: In the case of Claudius, by a mushroom. In the case of Pertinax, after only 87 days in office.
August Calendar