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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

Series: Claudius (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
9,145168866 (4.25)429
The emperor Claudius tells of his life during the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula and the events that led to his rise to power in a classic novel reconstructing ancient Rome.
Member:daza
Title:I, Claudius : From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Born 10 B.C., Murdered and Deified A.D. 54 (Vintage International)
Authors:Robert Graves
Info:Vintage (1989), Paperback, 468 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:fiction, classic history

Work Information

I, Claudius by Robert Graves (1934)

  1. 120
    Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar (bertilak)
  2. 50
    Julian by Gore Vidal (CurrerBell)
    CurrerBell: Both classical Roman subjects, and they share the style of an "autobiographical novel."
  3. 20
    Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz (sirparsifal)
  4. 20
    Homer's Daughter by Robert Graves (longway)
  5. 20
    Augustus: First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy (CurrerBell)
    CurrerBell: I, Claudius can be at times be a bit weird (maybe "overly romanticized" would be a better description). Goldsworthy's biography can be a good corrective, at least for the first half of I, Claudius (the portion dealing with the lifetime of Augustus), and definitely presents a different (and probably much more balanced) image of Livia, the long-time wife of Augustus.… (more)
  6. 20
    Augustus by John Williams (rahkan)
  7. 10
    The Egyptian by Mika Waltari (mcenroeucsb)
  8. 21
    Salammbô by Gustave Flaubert (CGlanovsky)
    CGlanovsky: Historical fiction set in the Classical Mediterranean
  9. 10
    The Annals of Tacitus by P. Cornelius Tacitus (Cecrow)
    Cecrow: Non-fiction view into the same period, and a probable reference for Mr. Graves.
  10. 10
    The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius (Cecrow)
    Cecrow: Robert Graves produced a well-regarded translation of Suetonius, and it is a primary source for discerning fact from fiction in his Claudius novels.
  11. 11
    Tiberius by Allan Massie (celtic)
  12. 11
    An Imperial Possession: Britain in the Roman Empire, 54 BC - AD 409 by David Mattingly (John_Vaughan)
  13. 11
    Pride of Carthage: A Novel of Hannibal by David Anthony Durham (mcenroeucsb)
  14. 44
    I, Claudius [1976 TV miniseries] by Herbert Wise (longway)
  15. 12
    Empire by Steven Saylor (JGolomb)
    JGolomb: "I, Claudius" is the standard bearer for Imperial Roman fiction. It's more richly detailed and emotional than Saylor, but comparable it's broad historical scope.
1930s (46)
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» See also 429 mentions

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Showing 1-5 of 148 (next | show all)
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 |
Showing 1-5 of 148 (next | show all)
Young Claudius is such an unlikely protagonist, and the story covers his childhood as the family embarrassment, with a stammer and a limp. Readers know from the start that he’s going to become emperor, there’s not really any suspense on that account, but what a ridiculously wild route. Claudius survives the reigns of Augustus (and Livia), Tiberius, and then insane Caligula, and is finally appointed to Imperial power, despite his not-so-secret republican leanings and basically his best efforts to stay away from becoming emperor. I’ve read this book 5 or 6 times now, and every time I notice another historical detail.

I, Claudius reimagines historical figures as complicated characters, and retells actual events with Claudius’ commentary and spin. It’s this compelling mix of careful research and details from Suetonius, and scenes that, well, no Roman historian said it DIDN’T happen that way, so why not?
 
It is not enough for us to form any judgment of his merits as a historian or his qualities as a stylist. It is Graves that gives him a voice, and what a voice it is, garrulous, digressive, spiced with gossip and scandal, at the same time strangely dispassionate and sober. There is a range of tone here that enables Claudius, in his persona as professional historian, to deal with matters widely diverse, to be equally convincing whether talking about the waste and excess of military triumphs, the fate of Varus and his regiments in the forests of Germany, or the endless intriguing for power and influence among the members of the imperial family.
added by SnootyBaronet | editThe Guardian, Barry Unsworth
 
Supuesta "autobiografía" de Claudio, singular emperador romano predestinado a serlo a pesar de que sus deseos fueran por otros caminos. Graves dibuja sin concesiones un espeluznante retrato sobre la depravación, las sangrientas purgas y las intrigas cainitas llevadas hasta el crimen durante los reinados de Augusto y Tiberio. Pero Yo, Claudio es también Calígula y su etapa sádica, Mesalina, Livia y, cómo no, Roma, un decorado único para esta trama argumental apasionante que se llevó a la pequeña pantalla con rotundo éxito.
added by Pakoniet | editLecturalia
 

» Add other authors (32 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Graves, Robertprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Hill, Tom GoodmanNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jacobi, DerekNarratormain authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cohen, Mark J.Designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Martinez, JohnIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mazía, FlorealTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mitchell, SusanArt directorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Renner, LouisTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
. . . A story that was the subject of every variety of misrepresentation, not only by those who then lived but likewise in succeeding times: so true is it that all transactions of pre-eminent importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity; while some hold for certain facts the most precarious hearsays, others turn facts into falsehood; and both are exaggerated by posterity.

TACITUS
Dedication
First words
I, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus This-that-and-the-other (for I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles) who was once, and not so long ago either, known to my friends and relatives and associates as "Claudius the Idiot", or "That Claudius", or "Claudius the Stammerer", or "Clau-Clau-Claudius" or at best as "Poor Uncle Claudius", am now about to write this strange history of my life; starting from my earliest childhood and continuing year by year until I reach the fateful point of change where, some eight years ago, at the age of fifty-one, I suddenly found myself caught in what I may call the "golden predicament" from which I have never since become disentangled.
Quotations
You refuse to see that one can no more reintroduce republican government at this stage than one can reimpose primitive feelings of chastity on modern wives and husbands. It's like trying to turn the shadow back on a sundial: it can't be done.
Tiberius will make him his successor. No question of it. Why? Because Tiberius is like that. He has the same vanity as poor Augustus had: he can't bear the idea of a successor who will be more popular than himself. But at the same time he does all he can to make himself hated and feared. So, when he feels that his time's nearly up, he'll search for someone just a little worse than himself to succeed him. And he'll find Caligula.
Germanicus has told me about you. He says that you are loyal to three things—to your friends, to Rome, and to the truth. I would be very proud if Germanicus thought the same of me.
To recommend a monarchy on account of the prosperity it gives the provinces seems to me like recommending that a man should have liberty to treat his children as slaves, if at the same time he treats his slaves with reasonable consideration.
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The emperor Claudius tells of his life during the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula and the events that led to his rise to power in a classic novel reconstructing ancient Rome.

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Book description
1st pub. by Arthur Barker, 1934. Pub. by Methuen, 1939. !st pub. in Penguin Books (in two vols), 1941; reprinted 1944; new ed. in one vol., 1953; reprinted, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976.
Haiku summary
Becomes emperor
with death of Caligula.
Where have good times gone?
(leboeuf)

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Penguin Australia

2 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141188596, 0143566393

 

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