I, Claudius

INTRO: Entertaining AND Educational I, CLAVDIVS (Romans did not have the letter U) by Robert Graves manages to fulfill for me my two objectives for reading this wonderful novel: (1) entertainment and (2) education. The novel is written from the perspective of CLAVDIVS, and it provides a fascinating exploration of the beginnings of the Roman Empire. GRIPPING SCENES Some of the scenes in the novels are gripping (and historically accurate!). In particular, I enjoyed the part when TIBERIVS is reading a letter from his brother DRVSVS that is critical of LIVIA and Emperor AVGVSTVS. TIBERIVS is forced to read the letter out loud. Another part that stands out is when Emperor CALIGVLA is undergoing his metamorphosis from a mere mortal to a god. Some characters are hilarious such as CLAVDIVS'S wife VRGVLANILLA. COMPELLING CHARACTERS Speaking of characters, I left this novel with a deep respect for GERMANICVS (brother of CLAVDIVS and father of CALIGVLA). Another gripping portion of the novel is when GERMANICVS'S palace is being haunted with unlucky signs "scrawled on the walls in charcoal." Worse, dead animals and "the corpse of a baby, the belly painted red and horns tied to the forehead" beneath loose tiles. These occurred immediately prior to his unfortunate death. Another character worth mentioning of course is CALIGVLA. He stuffed the body of the tallest man in the world, an eleven-foot Parthian, and dressed him in armor to display him outside his bed-chamber door to frighten off assassins. He would dress as different gods depending upon his whims and possessed an incomprehensible wickedness. To suggest CALIGULA was mad would be a remarkable understatement. He was demonic, cruel, and psychotic. Let me briefly, then, discuss our Emperor, CLAVDIVS. CLAVDIVS the lame, the stutter, the idiot. Well, his character teaches us never to underestimate someone based upon some sort of defect (inability to speak well, limp, physical handicap). He was a historian and scholar. An enjoyable part of the novel is when he was in the Apollo Library and the historians LIVY and POLLIO come along. An interesting conversation emerges on historical writing and the difference between readability and accuracy. Should we prefer reading history that is less accurate but poetic or history that is written with diligence and correctly records events? ROMAN v. GERMAN The novel teaches a great deal of the difference between the German warring tribes and the discipline of the Roman legions. The Roman military was extraordinarily disciplined, yet floggings and paying soldiers were considered base by the Germans. The Germans, however, would promise glory and plunder to inspire their troops. The Germans were "chaste in their morals" while Roman officers "openly practiced vices." It was very interesting to learn about the loss of the eagles and the battle between VARVS and HERMANN (ARMINIVS). The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest resulted in the loss of three Roman legions. CONCLUSION Your perspective of LIVIA, the Roman Empire, and the Roman people will forever change by reading this novel. You will learn history, (corrupt) politics, complex characters and be entertained while you are learning. Five stars are warranted. Suggestion: Read Anthony Everitt's CICERO prior to reading this to place the novel in historical context of the late Roman Republic and certainly obtain a Julio-Claudian family tree.

Enjoyed it. Good writing style, though more of a diary recounting than a traditional novel. Wish there was more of Claudius ruling

First, let me explain about the sexual content: It is not vivid, does not take up much of the narrative, and is definitely not a reason to keep your child from reading the book if you happen to be blessed with a child who wants to read something beyond Hunger Games and the subsequent rip-offs of Hunger Games. I first knew of Robert Graves for his poetry and for a marvelous historical work of his, The Long Weekend, which is among my favorite history books. When I came across this work of his, I was intrigued because the Julio-Claudians have always seemed to me to be the most interesting of Rome's dynasties. I think it's because of the dynamic women involved behind the scenes and not-so-behind the scenes. What Graves has done here is to take incredibly well-researched history and turn it into a novel that is amazingly factual (he really doesn't make up much so much as he speculates a bit -- and frankly, his speculations are probably right considering his vast knowledge of the period) and yet also compelling and vivid. Claudius, one of the saner Julio-Claudians (this being the dynasty that brought us Nero and Caligula) is the narrator, telling the story of his incredible grandmother Livia and how she secretly was the true power ruling Rome -- and also, incidentally, an incredibly depraved and evil woman, too! It goes into the deep, personal stories behind a great many Romans with whom most people only experience a momentary grade school acquaintance. The writing style has a very appealing sarcastic humor at times, though most of the book is more of a drama than a comedy. I would highly recommend this to anyone with even the slightest interest in Roman history, or just anyone who likes a really well-written narrative. Having taught high school for several years, I can also with confidence recommend this as a great book for teens and preteens. If you have a son or daughter preparing to take AP World History, this would be an excellent summer reading book to help him/her prepare to leap into the course (and, again, the vast majority of the book is actually true, so it can make great fodder for fleshing out an essay better in the heat of an AP exam).

Through the voice of Graves, Claudius, or even better, Tiberius Caludius Drusus Nero Germanicus, later Emperor of Rome, tells us his story, a story of precarious survival in a world of intrigue, betrayal, lies and dangerous madmen (and madwomen). Sickly, limp, deaf in one ear, and stammering, Claudius is right from his birth a shy, timorous and diminished boy. In consequence, almost everybody believes him to be hopelessly stupid. Everybody rejects him, except his beloved older brother Germanicus and his friend Postumus, but even these treat him only as their poor protege. His parents tend to his needs, but nothing else. His grandmother Livia, the most fascinating character in the book, despises and hates him. All the rest simply mock or ignore him. Claudius, with his peculiar and acid sense of humor, tells us the story beginning two generations before his birth. At the end of the Civil War provoked by Julius Ceasar, Augustus (originally Octavian) attains victory and installs him as de-facto Emperor of Rome (it would be centuries later that the pretensions of Republican institutions would be officially disappeared). Livia, a woman sick with ambition and lust for power, divorces Claudius's grandfather and marries Augustus. Thus begins a story of centralization of power, of poisonings and blackmailing, of a power-behind-the-throne which makes Lady Macbeth look like an innocent school girl. Livia is a portent: she possesses incredible political and administrative skills, and she becomes the perfect partner of the noble, capable, but sometimes naive Augustus, who consults with her every matter. Augustus plays good cop: he is honest and magnanimous, the friendly face of the regime. Livia does all the dirty work, with dedication and efficiency. For a moment, the Empire ceases its expansionist efforts, and the resources are dedicated to consolidation of frontiers and to the strengthening of infrastructure and administrative apparatus. A spirit of sacrifice and service prevails. Heroes abound, remarkably Drusus, Claudius's father, and then Germanicus, the older brother and true Hero of Rome. Both men preserve ideas about Republican restoration, something they will pay dearly for. While many things are passing, Claudius grows up silently in the shadow. Little by little, some people (his two friends, his two servants and his two teachers) discover that the family fool is in fact a clever, observant, just and gentle guy. But no one else notices, which is exactly what saves his life, since no one envies him or feels he is a threat. When he is thirteen, still living in Rome, Claudius falls in love with an angelical creature, his soulmate, to whom he is promised in marriage. I won't spoil for you what happens the day of the wedding, but suffice it to say that his subsequent married life will be horrible. During the following years, Claudius retires to live at his villa in Capua, where his only company are some faithful servants and the two successive prostitutes who become his only true friends. After Augustus's death, the obscure Tiberius raises to the throne. Tiberius is a capable politician, soldier and administrator, but he is also a sexual degenerate, a puppet in the hands of his mother Livia, who progressively becomes a paranoid murderer and an intolerable tyrant. Tiberius's years are for Claudius a time of great intellectual achievements (he is an historian and writer), as well as a time of a personal nightmare, for one by one his loved ones are murdered by Tiberius and Livia. Then Tiberius's debacle sets in and he is succeeded by Caligula. Claudius's nephew and Livia's grand-grandson (Livia finally dies at age 86) begins his reign as a benevolent and generous ruler. But one day, after a month of sickness, Caligula sends for Claudius and tells him the real truth: He is God, more powerful than Jupiter. What follows, horrible but fun to read, is the crazed story of a living Devil. Dispend, negligence, murder, degenerate orgies and almost the ruin of the Empire, until the furious masses kill Caligula and crown the ultimate survivor, the only capable man left alive but who, alas, doesn't want to be Emperor. Thus finishes the first part of Claudius's life, masterfully told by a Classicist, poet and narrator of the first order. This is one of the bloodiest and cruellest books you'll ever going to read, but it is extremely entertaining, illuminating and solid.

There's not much I can say here or desire to say here that hasn't been covered by the other reviewers. Just to reiterate though: The character of Livia, as presented here in Graves's novel, is NOT based on any sound scholarship, new or otherwise. It's true that she COULD have poisoned her way to power as depicted here. But bear in mind that Claudius himself COULD have just as well done so himself, with this first person narration serving as a cover up. - Be it remembered that Claudius (the actual emperor) did write an actual first person Autobiography, now lost to us. - Who knows what ulterior motives he might have harboured in doing so? In any event, altogether too many untimely deaths of all sorts pile up to attribute to any one person. It also seems clear to me that Graves, in describing the Germans, was certainly drawing a parallel to the Germans he fought against in WWI. But, laying historical accuracy to one side, this is a clever and interesting read. It is not, to my mind, the masterpiece some reviewers here make it out to be. But I enjoyed it. The impression one has on closing the book and reflecting on the murders, mayhem and madness that occur on almost every page leaves one feeling about the book as Claudius felt about the last, ebrious conversation he had with Livia: "The conversation was like the sort one has in dreams - mad but interesting."

What is it about the Romans and their history that makes reading a book about their lives not only educational, but also very entertaining? I suppose a lot of it has to do with the people themselves. With all the intrigue, scheming, conspiracy and illicit affairs going on you tend to forget that these people actually existed in real-life and are not just characters you could easily find in a modern day soap opera. It’s thoughts such as these that ran through my mind as I read Robert Graves’ I, Claudius. While you did get all the intrigue surrounding Claudius, it wasn’t at the expense of the quality of information in this “autobiography” by Claudius. This book may be about Claudius’ life and his account of the major events and people in his life, but the wealth of information about Roman life is impressive. Through Claudius, Graves provided details of what happened behind the scenes of the Senate and the various Emperors that have reign during his life. You get insight into the culture and political scene of the times. Reading Claudius’ narrative, I was really drawn into the intricate web of lies and conspiracies that were prevalent and by those who were the main perpetrators such as Livia, Claudius’ grandmother. While this is a historical account of Claudius’ time, you never get the sense that you’re reading a history book. Having the book be an “autobiography” of Claudius’ enable Graves to tell historical events as if Claudius was telling a story. It prevented the book from having a stale and monotonous tone which would’ve made it difficult for me to keep my attention. I appreciated the depth of information involved in this book. You can tell that time and research went into putting this book together. And to have it all told in such a way that you were able to learn while being entertained is what made this book an enjoyable read for me. With all the scheming and determined cast of characters, it’s easy to forget these are actual historical figures. I suppose it’s easy to read books such as these when those involved do things that make it difficult for you to turn away.

I enjoyed this thoroughly. I love the way it is written, with Claudius as the narrator. It does drag a little bit in places, but all the historical background is necessary. This is part one. I plan to read the second book.

Go for it. They deliver on time.

buono

Underhållande och bra skriven fiktiv historia om en historisk person

Lo compré usado en estado "Bueno", decía Amazon, y la verdad es que estaba en excelente estado. El libro en sí es muy bueno, muy interesante y para ser una novela clásica no es una lectura pesada. Eso sí, si lo compran en inglés, tengan en cuenta que se requiere tener un muy alto nivel del idioma, siendo bilingüe aún preciso buscar 2 palabras por cada página en el diccionario o el traductor

Yazıları çok kalın, sanki sahte kitap gibi ama değil. Hızlı üretimin bir eksisi. Okurken göz yoruyor. Her baskı böyle değildir bence, yine de dikkatli olun.

Es un magnifico libro para quien le guste ha historia novelada.