 Halotus is primarily remembered for his suspected involvement in the conspiracy and poisoning of Emperor Claudius on 13 October (times of death are in dispute; see below) 54 AD. It is possible that Claudius died of natural causes, and the actual manner of the poisoning, in regards to which poison may have been used, in which food it could have been hidden, etc., remains unclear. It is considered most likely, considering the writings of various ancient historians, that the poison was concealed in mushrooms (as Claudius was known to have been particularly fond of them), and Agrippina the Younger, Claudius' wife, is thought to have been the most likely to have instigated the murder or to have been the lead conspirator in the plot to overthrow Claudius.
