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I, Claudius From the Autobiography of…
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I, Claudius From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius Born 10 B.C. Murdered and Deified A.D. 54 (Vintage International) (original 1934; edition 1989)

by Robert Graves (Author)

Series: Claudius (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
9,145168866 (4.25)429
Graves' scholarship comes through very clearly in this work, and he takes meticulous care in the detail with which he addresses the intrigues of Rome. In that respect, it reminded me strongly of Pride and Prejudice--but the pacing was more like a summary of a longer work. The sections in which he characterized Claudius were strongest, but my taste for those is likely a symptom of being used to modern narratives. The tone was reminiscent here and there of Caesar, of Herodotus, and in language, he used a hybridization technique, with very little Latin. It was a useful technique to make Claudius into a historian, and the reader could clearly see where his biases and prejudices affected his opinions on things. An interesting work to read alongside historical fiction theory articles. ( )
  et.carole | Jan 21, 2022 |
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Most of the time a dreadfully boring enumeration of events. If you like history, the detailed descriptions of Roman culture are nice. ( )
  jd7h | Feb 18, 2024 |
A magnificent achievement, to write as if he was the Emperor Claudius (he only becomes emperor right at the end). Very informative on Roman history and ways of life. Does one believe that Rome and the imperial household were as bad as that? Well, ancient sources vary.
  jgoodwll | Feb 1, 2024 |
Engrossing, fascinating, disturbing, with deadpan humour shining through at times. I really liked Claudius as a narrator and character (especially Claudius' conversation with Caligula when the latter decided that he was a god - priceless).
It was very impressive how Robert Graves made me believe that I was reading a real autobiography of Claudius. I had to remind myself that it's historical FICTION...

I found it a bit challenging to keep track of who was who and the (dysfunctional) imperial family relationships - somebody should have included a family tree/a chart in the book. But I am not complaining...

P.S. I remember being very interested in Suetonius' The Twelve Caesars when I was small, while digging through my grandparents' bookshelves. Obviously, it was something about Ancient Rome, and the author had a cool name. But I never got around to reading it, there were so many other books... Since my book club had chosen "I, Claudius", could it be a sign that it's time for me to read "The Twelve Caesars"? ( )
  Alexandra_book_life | Dec 15, 2023 |
Great historical fiction.
I first enjoyed this book more than 45 years ago - when it introduced me to some treasures of ancient Roman writing - Tacitus and Ceasar especially. Rereading after so long was interesting - I now have a good basic understanding of the Roman history of the period, so I was more able to sit back and enjoy the ride. Graves produced a masterpiece - good solid factual history, interspersed with believable novelistic details. ( )
  mbmackay | Oct 18, 2023 |
Anyone interested in the history of the Roman Empire would be fascinated with this fictitious autobiography of Claudius. Robert Graves, a noted historian was also known for his works as a translator, essayist, critic, and lecturer, and he did an outstanding job in writing this award winning story of Claudius. It also rates as #14 on the Modern Library List of best novels ever written.

Writing in the first person, the tale begins when Clausius was a mere teenager as he describes being shunned by most of his family because of his disfigured body and severe stutter. There is a lot of focus on family gossip, and of course, the family are all members of the Julio-Claudian Royal Caesar family.

Claudius’s mother was the daughter of Marc Antony, and his father was the nephew of Augustus Caesar. His Great-Great-Uncle was Julius Caesar. To complicate things, his Grandmother on his father’s side of the family was married to his great-uncle Augustus Caesar. The family tree is complicated because of all the inbreeding.

It is almost impossible to understand the full meaning of I Claudius unless you first read some historical background of Roman history and the Caesar Dynasty. Julius Caesar was believed to be a descendant of the Gods, and following generations of his lineage imagined their evil behavior was excused because they were exempt from judgement. They preferred to inbreed, keeping the family blood line as pure as possible.

In any case, the family history was riddled with mysterious poisonous deaths, betrayal, sabotage, and incest. The most evil of the clan were vicious and would do anything to usurp the power of other family members. There was literally a civil war between brother-in-laws (Marc Antony and Augustus). No wonder the mention of Babylon in the Bible is interpreted to mean Rome.

As Claudius struggles to keep a low profile, staying out of controversial family feuds, he becomes an intellectual scholar and immerses himself in writing - alleged to have written over 40 books. He never wanted to rule Rome but due to the assassination of the reigning Caligula Caesar he was unexpectedly selected as a successor.

As the story covers all the scandalous and nefarious activities of the Royal family members it also describes the military conquests, and concludes when Claudius takes over as Emperor of Rome in 41 AD.

After reading the autobiographical novel Great Lion of God which is about Paul the Apostle (lifespan: 5 BC to sometime between 64 and 68 AD), I found it intriguing to contrast it with the autobiographical novel of the life of Tiberius Claudius the Emperor or Rome (lifespan: 10 BC to 54 AD). Interestingly their paths never crossed. Paul was only in Rome twice and only after Claudius had already passed away.

Coincidently, both Claudius and the Apostle Paul were believed to be murdered, Claudius by poison, and Paul by beheading. The Emperor at the time of Paul’s death was Claudius’s successor and grand-nephew Nero. And both fictitious historical novels ended approximately 13 years prior to their death. The similarities end there.

Robert Graves does an excellent job of bringing all the characters to life and the true story of the Caesars is so outrageous there is no need to embellish the fictional account. "I, Claudius" is an enthralling read.

Rated 5 Stars September 2023 ( )
  LadyLo | Oct 15, 2023 |
4.25/5 ⭐️'s. After January 6, 2021, I truly feared for our country and its democracy. I naively thought that I had witnessed humankind at its worst ... until I read about ancient Rome and the Julio-Claudian dynasty. No wonder this line only lasted until Nero: death by beheading, poison, debauchery of all kinds ... a fascinating yet violent read. I'll have to read CLAUDIUS THE GOD now to see how he turns out as emperor. ( )
  crabbyabbe | Sep 11, 2023 |
This is a fictional biography, although filled with actual events. Robert Graves gave Claudius a voice and personality - and what a personality! Intrigues and depravity were frequent but a speech impediment and physical handicap made Claudius appear innocuous, an unappealing target. He took to writing a history that made this into a gossipy journal that would give modern scandal sheets a run for their money. Reading it reminded me of a tv series I loved of the same name featuring Derek Jacobi and William Hurt that was broadcast a few decades ago. Excellent reading. ( )
  VivienneR | May 7, 2023 |
Well, I think this was a situation where my expectations were sky high, and they were not realized. I've watched the mini series, based on this book, twice, and I really enjoyed. Plus, it is epic historical fiction, which usually I love (James Michener fan here). I just felt this book could have been so much more.

In my mind, Graves is just not a good storyteller. The book is narrated by Claudius, who was born into the leading family of the Roman Empire, and who happens to be considered mentally handicapped because of his physical infirmities and speech impediments. As it turns out, Claudius is quite clever and a student of history, and he manages to survive a time period filled with the absolutely most heinous plots, banishments, poisonings, etc. etc.

For all the MANY exciting things that happen in this book, I didn't feel like Graves brought it to life successfully. It was so much of a narrative. Telling, not showing, the reader what happened. There were so many characters that without a family tree it was easy to get lost. And I've seen the mini series! And I downloaded a family tree - - which still didn't cover about a third of the characters mentioned.

What I did like is that the book did give a strong picture of what life was like in the Roman Empire at that time - - it made me more interested to pick up a true history book on the time period.

The last quarter of the book seemed like someone else wrote it to me. It focused on the rule of Caligula, and suddenly the storytelling became a lot better and more compelling, and it mostly followed one person - - which made it a lot easier to absorb.

I wanted to love this book - - maybe I wanted to love it too much. As a result, it was just okay for me. I recommend watching the mini series instead! ( )
  Anita_Pomerantz | Mar 23, 2023 |
A dying man who survived to old age thanks to physical effects of an illness at a young age that made defective in the eyes of his family tells history about the deadly power politics of early Imperial Rome. I, Claudius by Robert Graves is a historical fiction written as an autobiography of the fourth Roman Emperor Claudius from his family background and birth to his elevation to the Imperial throne.

Covering over 80 years of events, though the first 34 are background leading to Claudius birth, Graves retells the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty through the eyes of Claudius who until a brief consulship during his nephew’s reign was a nonentity in politics, becoming a real-life historian and thus is a perfect individual to give the story. Using the history of the period written by Suetonius and Tacitus as an outline, Graves fills in the drama by making an individual a political mastermind who uses poison to not only to allow the newborn Empire to become permanent but also to have her descendants come to rule it. Graves gives Claudius life with complaints about this family members, frustration by being pushed aside, and concern about his friends and relatives. The attention to detail in both history and creating a rounded individual as storyteller made this an enjoyable read.

I, Claudius is an historical fiction autobiography that brings the fourth Roman Emperor to life thanks Robert Graves’ attention to history and character writing. ( )
  mattries37315 | Jan 27, 2023 |
Very good indeed. A great story, told in a creative and arresting manner. You both feel you are reading the words of Claudius, and cheering him on in the crazy intrigues of the palace. ( )
  diveteamzissou | Dec 2, 2022 |
What a story! What a lot of heads rolling! What intrigues! All this takes place around the time of Jesus being born, but I guess they didn't know about that in Rome.
Claudius was the stammering, lame grandson of Livia, Emperor Augustus' wife. Made fun of by practically everyone in the imperial family, he was a historian and smarter than most of the characters in this drama.
I'll be reading volume 2 soon, just to find out more about this fascinating character. ( )
  burritapal | Oct 23, 2022 |
As far as historical fictions go, I found this well written and well research. I can tell Robert Graves thinks about his words before he writes them down. This book is also clever how it was presented. It's not like other historical fictions I've read in the past.

I, Claudius is basically about various times in the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius. The way this is written makes the book really stand out I think. It's told in first-person and not like normal first-person fiction either. Robert Grave does a convincing job making this book read like an autobiography. At times I felt like I was reading nonfiction and not fiction.

I liked this book too because it got me more interested in Roman history. Usually, I find that time period kind of boring. Take a character like Claudius though and you have my attention. He has quickly become a person of interest with history for me. I like the fact he was emperor of Rome, yet he had flaws physically. Sometime, not anytime soon, I want to read the second book of this series and possibly read some nonfiction books on Claudius.

Giving this book 5 stars because I think it unique, but 4 starts for the plot. I'll admit some of the war tactics I didn't care for and some of the chapters drag, but overall this book is worth the read. ( )
  Ghost_Boy | Aug 25, 2022 |
In 1977 (oh my, how time flies), Masterpiece Theater presented a BBC production of I, Claudius. The production included the events of both of Graves Claudius novels and featured a cast that would include some of the best actors of the century, among them Derek Jacobi, an unforgettable Claudius. After watching it, I read Robert Graves novel from which its name was derived, but never got around to the second half of the story, Claudius the God. Fast forward to today, and I am at last revisiting the first novel in anticipation of reading the second.

What an amazing piece of historical fiction this is! I do not think bringing this era to life and making it relatable is easy, but Robert Graves makes it seem so. What an unlikely hero is the stammering, crippled Claudius, but what a clear-sighted and good man he is, despite his times. How can you keep your sanity when there is so much arbitrary killing? Was there ever a more villainous villain than Livia? A more reprehensible madman than Caligula? A less insightful dupe than Augustus? No wonder Rome fell.

At the end of this novel we have just been introduced to the lady, Messalina. I know what awaits me in volume two and I am looking forward to it. Lord preserve us from ourselves.
( )
  mattorsara | Aug 11, 2022 |
Just well-researched and accurate... Disappointed for one of the best rated historical books... ( )
  jordisolisc | Aug 7, 2022 |
One of the giants in the field, Robert Graves' artful stitching of Tacitus and Suetonius' accounts of the life of the Fourth Roman emperor, reads well, and holds up today. Lacking some of the more immediate details of domestic life, and the remarkable numbers of suicides and outright assassinations, this is a clear portrait of the narrator, and most especially of his remarkably vicious grandmother, Livia the wife of Augustus. The choice of the life of the studious Julio-Claudian, allowed Graves to avoid going into the details which may appeal to the modern taste for bedroom scenes and gritty sword fights. Read it to discover the "high road" of historical imagination, and, because it is a hard book to stop once you start. ( )
  DinadansFriend | Feb 13, 2022 |
Graves' scholarship comes through very clearly in this work, and he takes meticulous care in the detail with which he addresses the intrigues of Rome. In that respect, it reminded me strongly of Pride and Prejudice--but the pacing was more like a summary of a longer work. The sections in which he characterized Claudius were strongest, but my taste for those is likely a symptom of being used to modern narratives. The tone was reminiscent here and there of Caesar, of Herodotus, and in language, he used a hybridization technique, with very little Latin. It was a useful technique to make Claudius into a historian, and the reader could clearly see where his biases and prejudices affected his opinions on things. An interesting work to read alongside historical fiction theory articles. ( )
  et.carole | Jan 21, 2022 |
Claudius, fourth Emperor of Rome, is said to have composed an autobiography now lost to history. In the 1930s a cash-strapped Robert Graves decided to try filling in this blank with a two-volume fictional work. In this first volume, he has Claudius describe the rule of the first three Emperors, all of whom he knew during his lifetime. It is as wonderful a companion to Tacitus' Annals as I had hoped. It fills in the story of Augustus which Tacitus spent little time on, and clarifies the crimes of Tiberias (whom I'd found at least somewhat sympathetic, but not at all now). Tacitus' coverage of Caligula has been lost but it's all here. I doubt whether Graves selected Claudius as his narrator so much for the purpose of redeeming his image (although in this first volume at least he certainly does that), as much as because he could tell the story of the early Roman Empire from an ideal point of view.

This fictional memoir approach makes it comparable to Yourcenar's account of Hadrian. This is not as dense, but both heavily rely on telling more than showing, and feature an enormous amount of detailed family relationships, military maneuvers and political machinations. They differ in two significant respects. For one, Robert Graves waxes more poetic than Yourcenar - literally, in his recounting of invented prophecies, quoting from Homer, etc. Secondly, Graves in particular is a wizard at completing our knowledge of events beyond what's recorded. I was too often forgetting that I was reading fiction, wondering in surprise about some astonishing fact before I had to remember that it wasn't (necessarily) how events actually occurred. Graves writes a very plausible and often exciting story, one that makes an enormous villain out of Livia and a victim out of Julia, swaps Postumus with his impersonator, attributes definitive blame for various deaths, and does various other tricks. I picked up on a few of these thanks to other reading (e.g. Tacitus) and by referring to the internet, but I'm sure I missed a few gems. An annotated edition of this novel would be brilliant, if it could cite through endnotes which parts of the narrative can be found in contemporary sources and which appear to be invented.

I would suggest that nothing Graves speculated is entirely implausible. He adheres to the known history, and what makes this so fascinating is that quite possibly he's guessed right on all counts. Who can say now? ( )
3 vote Cecrow | Oct 25, 2021 |
I received this book as a gift, and I wasn't aware that it was first published in 1934 until I opened it up to read it. Like any true classic, the book is unforgettable. The language is incomparable, the descriptions are incredible and the characterization is second-to-none. The book is written is the first person and it appears to be written by Emporer Claudius himself. It is not an easy book to read. Graves knew his subject so well, and described everything so realistically, that all the atrocities, murder, rampant lawlessness and mayhem felt like I was reading this in a newspaper in the present day. The book covers the time from 10 BC to 64 AD. This time frame is when Rome saw four emperors - the Great Augustus, the slippery Tiberius, the raving lunatic Caligula, and finally, at the end, sensible, quiet Claudius. It does not cover Claudius' reign, but his life up to that moment is brought to life in vivid detail. Graves packs so much into these pages. We see the depravity, the lawlessness, the cruelty and all the pomp and circumstance through the eyes of the lame stammerer Claudius It is hard to believe that this is a fiction book. It is almost impossible to believe that it isn't Claudius' autobiography because the book is so real. Fascinating stuff here, and a very thorough history lesson of Ancient Rome. It was a great way for me to spend a few days in late October as the days are getting shorter and cooler. I do admit that I need to read something a little lighter now. That should get the ghosts of the Roman past out of my brain where they have been residing while I was reading this classic. I highly recommend this book to any history lovers interested in ancient civilizations. ( )
  Romonko | Oct 24, 2021 |
When released in 1934 it was a reimagined and groundbreaking way to present Roman history, with a historical figure narrating his own tale.

While Claudius is the narrator, from the beginning the story has an almost total focus on Livia as the grand mover behind everything in the Julio-Claudian family, including directing all of Augustus' actions. While this view does draw on the available historical evidence, it's a rather narrow view when seen through 21st century eyes.

Abridged audiobook (2007 CSA Word version) read by Derek Jacobi:

The book is read well by Derek Jacobi, who is very familiar with the story having played the role of Claudius on both television and radio.

This is an older style of audiobook where musical interludes are inserted as chapter breaks. The musical interlude is from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, which makes it an additionally anachronistic interruption. ( )
  rakerman | Sep 11, 2021 |
I really enjoyed this read, though I'll admit I wasn't sure where to put it at first. In contrast to novels where the protagonist is an active participant in the story, Claudius the historian is an observer and therefore the story is characterized with a distinct objectivity. His quiet narration of the turbulent political and familial events around him is almost ironic, and the juxtaposition is rather liberating. Free from being caught up in the passions and plots, the reader is able to better contemplate themes of free will, the truth of history, and the role of women in ancient Roman culture.

I am curious to see what the partner book will feel like, and how becoming a central figure in the action will change the tone of the story. ( )
  dowswell | Jul 25, 2021 |
I've tried this more than once over the years, and each time I get a little farther, but it's more grim determination than enjoyment. It's an admirable achievement of its kind, and Claudius is a likable narrator and guide, explaining patiently the complexities, backstabbing, plotting, manipulation, and cold-blooded murders of kith and kin... but it *is* explaining and describing, and it just never quite comes to life enough to engage me. Oh well. Too many books, too little time. ( )
  JulieStielstra | May 17, 2021 |
I picked up I Claudius and Claudius the God, because I remembered really liking the BBC Series, which we watched in Latin Class. I approached the first book with some caution, not sure if they would live up to the TV series, after all, these books were written almost 80 years ago. I was not disappointed. They're great. Really great. It is written in a manner that projects a lot of authenticity, yet very pleasant to read.

'I Claudius' deals with Claudius' childhood up until Caligula's assassination, in the form of an autobiography. 'Claudius the God' describes Claudius' life as emperor of Rome until his death.

It's obvious that Graves knows his stuff and that he has done a lot of research. Granted, he does portray some of the wild stories that Suetonius and the like wrote about as being true, and most historians will tell you to take this with a pinch of salt. But hey, I remember loving those stories in my Latin classes, the crazier the better. I adored Caligula, he was just awesome. Horse elected senator, war against Neptune, oh man. Good stuff.

So many times while reading these, I came upon facts, or names or whatever and I would have an 'ohhhh yeah!' moment and remember things that I'd been taught years ago. These two books are a must-read for people who are interested in Roman stuff. Graves does tend to go into a lot of detail, so make sure you're a total geek before you start. Myself, nine times out of ten, I was very interested. And there's always epic battles, murder, deceit, banishment and adultery to mix things up.

Personally, I enjoyed the first book a little more than the second one, but that might be because the first one has historical V.I.P.'s such as Caligula and Augustus (who is, by the way, probably a little slower and a little more pussywhipped than the real Augustus was), but they are both still very much recommended. By me. ( )
1 vote superpeer | Feb 1, 2021 |
I, Claudius is an utterly unputdownable historical fiction about Imperial Ancient Rome in all its political gore and glory. Packed with political machinations and scheming straight from the (fictional) autobiography written by Roman Emperor Claudius, the famed The Idiot/Roman mythology's Vulcan, this novel is engrossingly twisty and sneaky. More than a telling of his life and his absurdly incidental nomination to power—with a feign of stupidity used as one of his advantages—this also covers Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula's reign. To say the manipulations and betrayals are driven by personal interests alone is only dust on the surface. The insistence of these plots necessary for the good of the Roman Empire reexamines the characters' actions and decisions. Graves' I, Claudius has no pause for any dry or dull moment either; everything is written in exact humour and wit. And due to the superb quality of the novel, there are times when its historical inaccuracies become incontestable and difficult to separate from the historical truths of one of the most sweeping and influential civilisations of humankind. Sumptuously controversial and pleasurably conniving, how there is brutality, horror, and greed in such an advance culture also absolutely magnifies society's glaring regressions and stagnancies. And by god, it's not in any way shocking at all but still a note to take: the senators then haven't got a hair's width of difference with the senators of today. You kind of wish we still have the Stairs of Mourning. ( )
  lethalmauve | Jan 25, 2021 |
It hasn't really taken me 16 months to read this...

The first book I've finished in our brand new year is I Claudius, the fictional autobiography of the accidental emperor of Ancient Rome, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus (10BC-AD54). I wanted to read it because of my interest in Ancient Rome (which I studied at university when I did Classics.)

For those of us of a certain age, it's impossible to read this book without remembering the characters from the 1976 BBC series starring Derek Jacobi. It's still available in various re-mastered editions, and it's still good entertainment despite showing its age in terms of special effects, scenery and costuming.

The book, however, is a bit arduous to read. My edition comes in at 395 pages, but the font is small and dense, and most modern editions are 450+ pages. Robert Graves (1895-1985) based his historical novel on real events in the early Roman Empire using Tacitus and Suetonius as sources, and he spares his readers no detail. Since the participants in the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty were an ambitious lot, much given to disposing of rivals in a variety of duplicitous ways, they adopted alternative heirs and successors willy-nilly and made things harder to follow by being wilfully unimaginative in naming offspring with the same old names over and over again. Which is why, when I started this book way back in August 2019, I abandoned it at page 67 and watched the TV series on DVD to clarify who was what and which ones had been bumped off and why. I then progressed to page 177 but the book got moved off the coffee table to make way for 2019 Christmas revelry (which we were allowed to have in those pre-Covid days, remember?) And then I forgot about it, except when I looked at my Goodreads 'currently reading' status, where it dropped down lower and lower as other shiny new books took its place.

So in very late 2020 I had to start at the beginning again...

The take-home message, cleared of all the murders and plots and depravity, is that somehow Rome was by and large a stable society. Yes there were assorted 'barbarians' at the borders that needed to be quelled, but the enthusiasm for that was largely because soldiers and their leaders were handsomely rewarded. It's telling that when Claudius slinks off to his estate to avoid the horror of Caligula's lunatic reign, his slave Calpurnia is able to help him restore his financial fortunes. She hasn't needed to spend the money he gave her in return for her wise advice; it's there to help him out after Caligula has bled him dry. While the Senate is too craven to rein in any emperor's excesses, the ordinary people went on farming and selling produce and paying their taxes, largely free of the shenanigans in Rome.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/01/05/i-claudius-by-robert-graves/ ( )
  anzlitlovers | Jan 4, 2021 |
I think for its time it was an achievement to put voice to this ancient cast of depraved tyrants, but I found it rather impersonal, repetitive. and dry. The narrative is clear, but there isn't much lyricism, humour, or dramatic detail. There are also a number of historical side bars that bog things down. Diagramming the complex royal family tree was the fun part. Published today, I doubt something like this would do very well. ( )
  Misprint | Aug 31, 2020 |
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