Robert Graves
Finished reading 9 mars 2004
Claudius the God is a sequel to I, Claudius, and it's probably a good idea to read that first, as I did, but it's not at all essential. I, Claudius, the first of the books, describes the life of Tiberius Claudius, a figure surrounded by Imperial Roman politics. Claudius manages to survive the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula, due mainly to the fact that every one thinks him a fool. It's true that Claudius stutters, and has a mal-formed foot, but Claudius is no fool. An intellectual and historian, Claudius' reputation saves him as all are poisoned or unjustly tried around him. Claudius is in a very dangerous situation, and in the end of the first book, much to his own surprise (this is not spoiling any thing to say this, as it says this on the first page of the first book, and, after all, it is historical fact), Claudius is made Emperor himself.
Claudius the God picks up right where the first book left off. Ostensibly the autobiography of the Emperor Claudius, this book details his early political instability, the life and danger of his friend King Herod, his campaign against the island of Britain, the indiscretions of his wife Messalina, and ultimately, his death. But throughout all this, Claudius is a Republican. His only goal is to see a Rome run by the vote of the citizen, not the monarchical rule of one man.
I love this book, both as a novel and as a historical work. Robert Graves has been meticulous in his research of the life of Claudius, and reading this book makes me want to know more. I wish Robert Graves had written more about this time period, but there are plenty of others to read (Suetonius, Dio Cassius, Tacitus, for starters), and as Claudius himself says in I, Claudius, (and I paraphrase) 'Livy is a fine story-teller, but I prefer a historian who stays more to the facts, over one who makes their subjects out to be glorious heroes'.
Rating: 5/5