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This article is about the novel by Robert Graves. For the television series adaptation, see I, Claudius (TV series). I Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves 's ''I Claudius'' and ''Claudius the God''.
I, Claudius
Author Robert Graves
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Historical novel
Publisher Vintage
Publication date 1934
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 468 pp (paperback ed. Robert Graves (24 July 1895 &ndash 7 December 1985 was an English Poet, Translator and Novelist. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States An historical novel is a Novel in which the story is set among historical events or more generally in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the Author Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Vintage Books was founded in 1954 by Alfred A Knopf as a trade Paperback home for its authors The year 1934 in literature involved some significant events and new books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. )
ISBN ISBN 0-679-72477-X
Followed by Claudius the God

I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, first published in 1934, that deals sympathetically with the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius and cynically with the history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Robert Graves (24 July 1895 &ndash 7 December 1985 was an English Poet, Translator and Novelist. The year 1934 in literature involved some significant events and new books The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (starting at about 27 BC Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I ( August 1, 10 BC &ndash October 13, AD 54 ( Tiberius Claudius Drusus from birth to The Julio-Claudian Dynasty refers to the first five Roman Emperors: Augustus (Octavian Tiberius, Caligula (Gaius Claudius, and The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Year 44 BC was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31 AD 12 &ndash January 24 AD 41 more commonly known by his nickname Caligula (kəˈlɪɡjʊlə was a Roman Emperor Year 41 was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Graves's interpretation of the story owes much to the histories of Tacitus, Plutarch, and (especially) Suetonius. Publius (or Gaius) Cornelius Tacitus (ca 56 &ndash ca 117 was a senator and a Historian of the Roman Empire. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Graves continued his tale (from Claudius' accession after Caligula's death to his death in 54, as well as a segue involving the early life of Herod Agrippa) in Claudius the God (1935). Year 54 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa I also called the Great (10 BC - 44 AD) King of the Jews, The year 1935 in literature involved some significant events and new books In 1937, abortive attempts were made to adapt the first book into a film I, Claudius. I Claudius was the proposed 1937 film of the book I Claudius. In 1976, BBC Television's attempts to adapt the book and its sequel into the TV series also entitled I, Claudius were more successful. I Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves 's ''I Claudius'' and ''Claudius the God''.

Contents

The novels

Content

I, Claudius and Claudius the God were written as if they were the secret autobiography of Claudius, the fourth emperor of Rome (r. Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I ( August 1, 10 BC &ndash October 13, AD 54 ( Tiberius Claudius Drusus from birth to 41-54 A. D. ). The historical Claudius was kept out of public life by his family, the Julio-Claudians, until his sudden elevation at the age of 49. This was due to several disabilities—including a stammer, a limp, and various nervous tics—which made him appear mentally deficient to his relatives. Stammer may refer to Stuttering or People Notker of St Gall "Notker the Stammerer" (840-912 Louis the Stammerer A limp is a type of asymmetric abnormality of the gait. Limping may be caused by unequal Leg lengths (short leg limp experiencing Pain when walking (antalgic A tic is a sudden repetitive nonrhythmic stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups This is how he was defined by scholars for most of history, and Graves uses these peculiarities to develop a sympathetic character whose survival in a murderous dynasty depends upon the incorrect assumption that he is a harmless idiot.

Robert Graves claimed that after he read Suetonius, Claudius came to him in a dream one night and demanded that his real story be told. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, commonly known as Suetonius (ca 69/75 &ndash after 130 was an equestrian and a historian during the Roman Empire. The life of Claudius provided Graves with a way to write about the first four emperors from an intimate point of view. In addition, the real Claudius was a trained historian and is known to have written an autobiography (now lost) in eight books that covered the same time period. I, Claudius is a first-person narrative of Roman history from the reigns of Augustus to Caligula; Claudius the God is written as a later addition documenting Claudius' own reign.

Graves provides a framework for the story by having Claudius describe his visit to Cumae, where he receives a prophecy in verse from the Sybil, and an additional prophecy contained in a book of "Sybilline Curiosities". There is also a small modern Greek Euboean city called Κυμη, near the ruins of the ancient Cuma The word sibyl probably comes (via Latin) from the Greek word sibylla, meaning Prophetess (Other schools of thought suggest that the word The latter concerns the fates of the "hairy ones" (i. e. The Caesars - from the Latin word "caesar", meaning "a fine head of hair") who are to rule Rome. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The penultimate verse concerns his own reign, and Claudius assumes that he can tell the identity of the last emperor described. From the outset, then, Graves establishes a fatalistic tone that plays out at the end of Claudius the God, as Nero prepares to succeed Claudius. Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called

At Cumae, the Sibyl tells Claudius that he will "speak clear" nineteen hundred years hence, which he takes to mean that he should write his secret memoirs and leave them to be found by posterity. He therefore chooses to write in Greek, since he believes that it will remain "the chief literary language of the world. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly " This allows Graves to explore the etymology of Latin words (like the origins of the names "Livia" and "Caesar") that would otherwise be obvious to native Latin speakers, whom Claudius believes will not exist in the future.

Major themes

Themes treated by the novel include the conflict between liberty (as demonstrated by the Roman Republic, and the dedication to its ideals shown by Augustus and young Claudius), and the stability of Empire and centralized rule (as represented by Empress Livia, Herod Agrippa, and the older Claudius). The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I ( August 1, 10 BC &ndash October 13, AD 54 ( Tiberius Claudius Drusus from birth to Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta ( Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA IVLIA•AVGVSTA (58 BC-29 AD was the wife of For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa I also called the Great (10 BC - 44 AD) King of the Jews, The Republic provided freedom but was inherently unstable and threw the doors open to perennial civil wars, the last of which was ended by Augustus after twenty years of fighting. While Augustus harbours Republican sentiments, his wife Livia manages to convince him that to lay down his Imperial powers would mean the destruction of the peaceful society they have made. Likewise, when the similarly minded Claudius becomes emperor, he is convinced by Empress Messalina and Herod to preserve his powers, for much the same reason. However, Graves acknowledges that there must be a delicate balance between Republican liberty and Imperial stability; whereas too much of the former led to civil war, too much of the latter led to the corruption of Tiberius, Caligula, Messalina, Sejanus, Herod Agrippa, Nero, Agrippinilla, and countless others – as well as, to a lesser extent, Livia and Claudius himself. Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31 AD 12 &ndash January 24 AD 41 more commonly known by his nickname Caligula (kəˈlɪɡjʊlə was a Roman Emperor Lucius Aelius Seianus (20 BC &ndash October 18 31 AD commonly known as Sejanus, was an ambitious soldier friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius For other with this name see Agrippa (disambiguation. Agrippa I also called the Great (10 BC - 44 AD) King of the Jews, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( December 15, 37 – June 9, 68) born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Julia Agrippina; known as Agrippina Minor ( Latin for the ‘younger’, Classical Latin: IVLIA•AGRIPPINA from the year 50 Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta ( Classical Latin: LIVIA•DRVSILLA IVLIA•AVGVSTA (58 BC-29 AD was the wife of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I ( August 1, 10 BC &ndash October 13, AD 54 ( Tiberius Claudius Drusus from birth to

Near the end of Claudius the God, Graves introduces another concept: that when a formerly free nation has lived under a dictatorship for too long, it is incapable of returning to free rule. This is highlighted by Claudius' failed attempts to revive the Republic; by the attempts of various characters to 'restore' the Republic but with themselves as the true rulers; and by Claudius noting that 'by dulling the blade of tyranny, I reconciled Rome to the monarchy' – i. e. , in his attempts to rule autocratically but along more Republican lines, he has only made the Roman people more complacent about living under a dictatorship.

The female characters are quite powerful, as in Graves' other works. Livia, Drusilla, Messalina, and Agrippinilla clearly function as the powers behind their husbands, lovers, fathers, brothers, and/or sons. The clearest example is provided by Augustus and Livia: whereas he would have inadvertently caused civil war, she manages, through constant and adroit manipulation, to preserve the peace, prevent a return to the Republic, and keep her own relatives in power. Roman women played little overt role in public life, so the often unpleasant but always significant events supposedly instigated behind the scenes by women allows Graves to develop vital, powerful female characters.

Another common theme throughout the novels is the immediacy and validity of the Roman religion. All prophecies made in the narrative come to pass, from the succession of the Caesars, to the "discovery" of the secret autobiography, to the date of Claudius' death. Religious omens and prophecies function as the major means of foreshadowing in the narrative.

Historical accuracy

The novels are written as if Claudius were telling his own story and that of his family, with the inclusion of some of the historical Claudius' own words and thoughts contributing to the plausibility of the narrative. The emphasis on the details of history is especially evident in Claudius the God, wherein the major part of the book covers the works of Claudius' reign before delving into his personal life. The historical Claudius' extant speech to the senate on voting and juries, his translated letters to the residents of Trent and the Alexandrians, and the text of the Lyon Tablet are all included. The Lyon Tablet is an ancient bronze tablet that bears the transcript of a speech given by the Roman emperor Claudius. In addition, Graves worked in arguments said to have been made by the historical Claudius in favour of his policies, such as the reasoning for the Claudian letters, as outlined by Tacitus. The Claudian letters were developed by and named after the Roman Emperor Claudius (reigned 41 – 54)

However, Graves was selective in his use of the ancient sources (primarily Tacitus and Suetonius), not always following their assessments. For example, the worst allegations against Tiberius and Caligula are repeated as fact, while similar allegations against Augustus focus on Livia's influence. Livia is made to confess to murders (of Marcellus, Agrippa, Augustus, Gaius, and Lucius) that she is alleged to have performed in only a single ancient source (Tacitus). Augustus, meanwhile, is depicted as a kindly man, even something of an amiable buffoon and dupe, who is sadly misled by his megalomaniacal wife.

A common charge of the ancient historians against Claudius is that he was easily ruled by his wives and freedmen. A freedman is a former slave who has been manumitted or emancipated. Graves rejected this assertion when it came to Claudius' major works and good deeds – as do modern historians. However, he does accept this explanation as an excuse for the less acceptable or understandable actions of the historical Claudius. Most of the capricious executions and blunders that marred his reign are blamed on the scheming of Messalina, Agrippinilla, Narcissus, and Pallas. Tiberius Claudius Narcissus ( fl 1st century was one of the freedmen who formed the core of the imperial court under the Roman emperor Claudius Marcus Antonius Pallas ( c 1 &ndash 63) was a prominent Greek freedman and secretary during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Claudius Graves pushes this interpretation to the point where nearly all those tried or executed seem to be innocent of any crime or undeserving of a harsh sentence. This is clearly at odds with the record. The historical Claudius was the subject of more assassination attempts than any previous emperor, perhaps because Caligula's death revealed that an emperor could indeed be killed and replaced. Undoubtedly, some of those condemned for treason were guilty.

The adoption of his stepson Nero is a case in which Graves absolves Claudius of various accusations. Graves has Claudius give in to every one of his wife Agrippinilla's demands, in a supposed bid to show Rome the face of real tyranny. The obvious problems of adopting an heir to supersede his own son Britannicus are not explored, until a strange plot is revealed at the end. In reality, the motivation for the adoption of an older teenager was most likely political. It was probably done in order to preserve Claudius' rule by demonstrating that a mature heir was available (so no usurper could grab power). This tactic was effective in that the number of assassination attempts on Claudius dropped off precipitously afterwards. Nero was a minor at the time, popular with the public, and unconnected with any scandal or plot - there was no indication of his future behavior as Emperor. As Britannicus approached manhood in 54, the historical Claudius did make preparations to name him the heir apparent (or co-heir), right on schedule.

The last major case of Graves' tendency to follow sources selectively occurs when Claudius' accession is instigated by Herod Agrippa. This is based on an account by Josephus, in which the role of Agrippa is played up in order to demonstrate how Jews had helped Rome. Josephus (AD 37 – c 100 also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph son of Matthias and after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus This account fits with Graves' portrayal of Claudius as a Republican, as it explains how Claudius could have come unwillingly to power. However, this interpretation is inaccurate in the view of both modern historians and the rest of the ancient sources (including another account by Josephus). Nearly everyone in Rome sensed the plot against Caligula, and the historical Claudius was no exception, though he did not have a direct hand in it. After Caligula's murder, Claudius was faced with a choice between becoming Emperor or being killed. He naturally chose the former. There is no indication of Republican hesitancy on his part in the record, aside from Josephus' claim.

Modern historians suggest that if Claudius is to be credited with all the accomplishments of his reign, he should also be held responsible for the mistakes as well, whether these were the result of justified cautiousness, mistaken reasoning, failure to foresee future effects, paranoia, or even too much faith in his advisers.

Graves ignored or accepted historical fact as it fitted the chosen narrative. There is no historical evidence of the withdrawn, fatalistic Claudius at the end of Claudius the God – a Claudius completely ruled by Agrippinilla in all matters. Julia Agrippina; known as Agrippina Minor ( Latin for the ‘younger’, Classical Latin: IVLIA•AGRIPPINA from the year 50 The historical Claudius continued to be politically active after the fall of Messalina and is known to have fought with Agrippinilla over the succession until his murder. Julia Agrippina; known as Agrippina Minor ( Latin for the ‘younger’, Classical Latin: IVLIA•AGRIPPINA from the year 50 Graves seems to have based his view on Victorian scholarship that painted the second half of Claudius' reign as a wash. An inactive period would more readily fit in with Graves' idea about the effects of tyranny. Another example of difference from the historical record is the prophecy of Claudius' death. The problem in any fictional autobiography is that a person cannot foresee his own murder, or he would act to prevent it. However, the prophecy allowed Graves to give the reader a real conclusion to the story that would otherwise have been impossible.

A few minor discrepancies are due to research performed after the books were first published. The current consensus is that Claudius suffered from cerebral palsy, not infantile paralysis as noted in the novels. Cerebral palsy ( CP) is an Umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non- contagious conditions that cause Physical disability Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral Infectious disease spread from person to person primarily via Graves himself confirmed this in a later interview (he referred to it as "Little's disease"). Another concerns the age of Messalina at the time of their marriage. At the time I, Claudius was written, Messalina was considered to be a child-bride of 14 years of age. It is now known that Messalina's younger half-brother Faustus Sulla was at least 17 when this occurred. Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix (22–62 was one of the lesser known figures of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of Ancient Rome. Messalina was therefore in her early to mid-twenties, and probably already once-divorced.

Literary significance and criticism

The Claudius novels, as they are called collectively, became a huge hit when first published in 1934 and gained literary recognition with the award of the 1934 James Tait Black Prize for fiction. Founded in 1919 the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English Language and are Britain's They are probably Graves's best known work aside from his myth essay The White Goddess and his own autobiography Goodbye to All That. The White Goddess is a book-length essay upon the nature of poetic myth-making by author and poet Robert Graves. Good-bye to All That is the Autobiography of Robert Graves. First published in 1929 the work is a landmark anti-war memoir of life in the trenches Despite their critical and monetary success, Graves later professed a dislike for the books and their popularity. He claimed that they were written only from financial need on a strict deadline. Potboiler or pot-boiler is a term used to describe a poor quality novel play opera or film or other creative work that was created quickly to make Money to pay

Later references

A. E. van Vogt wrote a novel, Empire of the Atom, which is a wholesale translation of Graves's novel into science fiction. Alfred Elton van Vogt (April 26 1912 – January 26 2000 was a Canadian -born Science fiction author who was one of the most prolific Empire of the Atom is a Science fiction novel by A E van Vogt.

In the last page of The Areas of My Expertise, John Hodgman includes a table comparing his "future works" with I, Claudius. The Areas of My Expertise (ISBN 0-525-94908-9 first published in 2005) is a satirical Almanac by John Hodgman. John Kellogg Hodgman (born June 3, 1971) is an American author and humorist

The soliloquacious title has influenced the names of other works of fiction:

Quotation

See also

External links

Count Belisarius is a Historical novel by Robert Graves, first published in 1938 recounting the life of the Byzantine general Belisarius Tacitus is remembered first and foremost on his place as Rome 's greatest historian the equal&mdashif not the superior&mdashof Thucydides, the ancient Greeks' foremost
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