Perhaps Suetonius exaggerated his historical accounts as he poked through the personal writings of the early emperors to create his Twelve Caesars. Perhaps Claudius’ royal life, found in Graves’ novel, is all myth: the poisons, the rapes, the lust, the greed, and the tyranny associated with the Claudian line.

LIV) can provide information for your own journey to Rome, adding a depth to your experience that an ordinary guidebook cannot. I, Claudius (its full title: I, Claudius, From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius–Born B.C. I, Claudius (1934) was adapted into a BBC movie for television in 1977. It was this collection of historical documents that Graves adapted into the widely-read and much-loved novels I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Graves was an Oxford-trained professor known for his translation of Suetonius’ The Twelve Caesars. Much of what we know of Claudius comes from his own writings (and those of his uncle, Augustus Caesar) which filtered down to Suetonius and then to Graves. And when I say Livia placed the laurel wreath on Tiberius’ head, place them she did. One by one, any person with a possible link to the emperor’s throne died mysteriously until Livia finally placed the laurels on her own son’s head. In the years prior to Tiberius’ rule, there were many unexpected deaths in the Claudian family. I, Claudiusis his autobiography, written by the distinguished British translator, Robert Graves.Īfter Augustus died (some say by his own wife’s Livia’s hand) his adopted son Tiberius took over Rome’s helm. I, Claudius tells the tale of one of the Eternal City’s earliest emperors, Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, who was the grand-nephew of the great Caesar Augustus. I, Claudius will prepare you for great buildings, art, and personalities–historical fiction brings Classical Rome to life. Here is a novel idea for a visit to Rome: replace the guidebook with literary fiction.

Graves robert i claudius