I, Claudius by Robert Graves

About the Book

I, Claudius is a fictional autobiography of the life of the Roman emperor Claudius. Robert Grave’s interpretation of Claudius’ life is based on the histories of Tacitus, Plutarch, and Suetonius.

Despised for his weakness and regarded by his family as little more than a stammering fool, the nobleman Claudius quietly survives the intrigues, bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the imperial Roman dynasties. In I, Claudius he watches from the sidelines to record the reigns of its emperors: from the wise Augustus and his villainous wife Livia to the sadistic Tiberius and the insane excesses of Caligula.

Written in the form of Claudius' autobiography, this is the first part of Robert Graves's brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, and stands as one of the most celebrated, gripping historical novels ever written.

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Robert Graves Biography

Robert Graves (July 24 1895- December 7 1985) was a prolific English poet, scholar and novelist who wrote more than 140 works during his lifetime. Born in Wimbledon, England to Alfred Perceval Graves and Amalie von Ranke Graves, Graves was the one of five children born to the couple.

Graves enlisted early on during World War I and early on became known as a war poet. He was one of the first soldiers to write realistic war poems and to speak of his experience on the front lines. During the Battle of the Somme he was badly wounded and expected to die and was actually officially reported as dead. However, Graves gradually recovered and was sent back to England.

After World War I, Graves married and taught at various universities. In 1927, he published Lawrence of the Arabs, it was I, Claudius that would become his most commercially successful work. Some years later he published The Greek Myths, which contained translations and interpretations of Greek myths. His ideas and interpretations have provoked much research into the topics he raised.

Graves was a productive and seemingly inexhaustible writer, but thought of himself first and foremost as a poet. In 1961 he was given the post of professor of poetry at Oxford and he held the post until 1966. Graves died in December 1985, at the age of 90 and is buried on a hill in Deia overlooking the northwest coast of Majorca.

Some Other Works by Robert Graves

• Goodbye to All That
• Complete Poems
• The Real David Copperfield
• Count Belisarius
• The Golden Fleece
• King Jesus
• Homer’s daughter
• The Islands of Unwisdom
• The Ancient Castle
• The White Goddess

Into the Movies

I, Claudius was first made in to an aborted movie in 1939.

The BBC turned I, Claudius in to a movie and TV mini series in 1976, which were more successful and was placed 12th in the list of 100 Greatest British Television Programmes by the British Film Institute and 2000. The I, Claudius series also provided exposure to several no well-known actors such as Patrick Stewart, Derek Jacobi, and John Rhys-Davies.

Did you know?

Robert Graves wrote a sequel to I, Claudius entitled Claudius the God in 1935.

Claudius has survived the murderous intrigues of his predecessors to become, reluctantly, Emperor of Rome. Here he recounts his surprisingly successful reign: how he cultivates the loyalty of the army and the common people to repair the damage caused by Caligula; his relations with the Jewish King Herod Agrippa; and his invasion of Britain. But the growing paranoia of absolute power and the infidelity of his promiscuous young wife Messalina mean that his good fortune will not last forever.

In this second part of Robert Graves's fictionalized autobiography, Claudius, wry, rueful, always inquisitive, brings to life some of the most scandalous and violent times in history.

Reading Guide

1. How does Claudius’ physical disabilities allow him to survive the bloody internal power battles of the Roman elite?
2. How are Roman imperial women portray as opposed to imperial men? Is the portrayal of Livia one-sided? Does Livia’s confession to Claudius about what drives her make her seem less vicious?
3. How does Robert Graves’ portray Claudius’ relationships with Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula? How does Claudius’ impressions of each of the Emperors change?
4. Does Caligula model his actions in response to the actions of the Emperors and why?
5. How is religion and power portrayed in the novel?

Collectible Editions

I, Claudius by Robert Graves is a highly collectible novel. As of May 14th, AbeBooks only has two signed, first editions of I, Claudius listed.