Novels I, Claudius

1 novels

1.1 historical context
1.2 i, claudius
1.3 claudius god

novels
historical context

claudius fourth emperor of rome (r. 41–54 ad). historically, claudius family kept him out of public life until sudden coronation @ age of forty-nine. due being perceived being dolt due stammering, limp , other nervous tics. made others see him mentally deficient , therefore not threat ambitious relatives. symptoms began wane in teenage years, ran trouble work budding historian. work on history of civil wars truthful , critical of reigning emperor augustus , mother , grandmother put stop it. episode reinforced initial suspicions claudius not fit public office. how defined scholars of history, , graves uses these peculiarities develop sympathetic character survival in murderous dynasty depends upon family s incorrect assumption harmless idiot.

graves s interpretation of story owes histories of gaius cornelius tacitus, plutarch , (especially) suetonius (lives of twelve caesars). graves translated suetonius before writing novels. graves claimed after read suetonius, claudius came him in dream 1 night , demanded real story told. life of claudius provided graves way write first 4 emperors of rome (augustus, tiberius, caligula, , claudius) intimate point of view.

in addition, real claudius trained historian , known have written autobiography (now lost) in 8 books covered same time period. i, claudius first-person narrative of roman history reigns of augustus caligula; claudius god written later addition documenting claudius own reign.

graves provides theme story having fictionalised claudius describe visit cumae, receives prophecy in verse sibyl, , additional prophecy contained in book of sibylline curiosities . latter concerns fates of hairy ones (i.e. caesars – latin word caesar , meaning fine head of hair ) rule rome. penultimate verse concerns own reign, , claudius assumes can tell identity of last emperor described. outset, then, graves establishes fatalistic tone plays out @ end of claudius god, claudius predicts own assassination , succession nero.

at cumae, sibyl tells claudius speak clear. claudius believes means secret memoirs 1 day found, , he, having therein written truth, speak clearly, while contemporaries, had distort histories appease ruling family, seem stammerers. since wishes record life posterity, claudius chooses write in greek, since believes remain chief literary language of world. enables graves offer explanations of latin wordplay or etymologies unnecessary native latin speakers.

i, claudius

claudius establishes himself author of history of family, , insists on writing truth, includes heavy critique of deified augustus , livia.

during prosperous reign, augustus plagued personal losses favored heirs, marcellus, marcus agrippa, gaius caesar , lucius caesar, die @ varying points. claudius reveals these untimely deaths machinations of augustus cold wife livia, seeks make son tiberius succeed augustus.

as these intrigues occur, sickly tiberius claudius born , shunned , mocked family. brother germanicus , cousin postumus treat him kindness. given great tutor athenodorus, fosters love of history , republican government in claudius. during age claudius advised idol asinius pollio play fool survive.

later, postumus framed raping livilla , beating niece aemilia , banished island, postumus relays truth claudius. claudius relays truth germanicus, convinces augustus of postumus innocence. relenting, augustus removes postumus double named clemens , secretly writes restoring postumus heir. livia manages discover , poisons augustus.

following death of augustus, tiberius declared emperor, legions of germany refuse accept tiberius , instead declare germanicus emperor. germanicus, shocked , confused, refuses, instead sends wife , youngest son caligula away , asks claudius enormous sum of money pay soldiers. claudius agrees , pretends gambling debts. money , return of caligula, germanicus ends mutiny , has several successful campaigns in germany.

in midst of this, claudius informed postumus alive, , secretly forming resistance group take rightful place in rome. claudius letters germanicus postumus intercepted livia. postumus later captured , executed tiberius. livia, recognizing claudius threat, sends him carthage avoid contact germanicus.

growing fear germanicus more , more, tiberius sends hostile governor, gnaeus calpurnius piso, spy on germanicus. germanicus becomes plagued witchcraft, before dying of poison. later revealed germanicus own son caligula instigator of witchcraft.

as tiberius becomes more hated, increasingly relies on praetorian captain sejanus able make tiberius fear germanicus wife agrippina , own son castor. sejanus secretly plots livilla usurp monarchy poisoning castor , beginning remove ally of agrippina , sons. agrippina survives due protection of livia, holds vital information of augustus true opinion of tiberius.

livia has surprising dinner, claudius , caligula invited. predicts caligula become emperor (not caligula s older brothers) , claudius succeed him. livia begs claudius swear make goddess (she believes grant blissful afterlife), agrees to. claudius later invited livia on deathbed , reveals caligula betrayed promise. claudius swears livia become queen of heaven, moves livia before dying declare no fool.

tiberius, free of livia, loses compunction , executes hundreds, including banishing agrippina , son nero, while agrippina s son drusus starved death in rome. sejanus given full command of city , de facto ruler of rome. tiberius alerted sejanus treachery letter antonia. tiberius allies himself caligula, whom calls poisonous snake, , transfers control more wicked naevius sutorius macro. sejanus killed along children. claudius survives despite being married sejanus sister, , divorces wife. livilla locked in room mother antonia , starved death, antonia punishes herself having raised livilla listening daughter die.

now old , feeble, tiberius smothered death macro, after earlier having appeared have died. caligula declared emperor , @ first appears enlightened , kind. surprise, claudius recalled rome peaceful life writing history in capua, living prostitute companion calpurnia. claudius becomes butt of many taunts , practical jokes imperial court. caligula loses mind, after recovering severe illness, , declares himself god. behavior becomes more , more irrational bankrupts country , kills thousands.

the madness having reached tempest quelled cassius chaerea kills caligula, along wife , daughter. claudius horrified, hides behind curtain , discovered disgruntled praetorian guard. guards needing emperor employed bemusedly declare claudius emperor. claudius pleads not want emperor , wants republic restored guards ignore him. claudius sadly accepts sake of wife , unborn child, , on whim thinks emperor have people read books.

claudius god

the story begins apology claudius having ended first history on dramatic point, , continues brief history of friend herod agrippa. herod agrippa schoolmate of claudius , liked claudius mother antonia. herod finds himself in debts , danger in east , in rome. gains favour of caligula , made king of bashan. herod in rome when assassination of caligula happens , able convince claudius accept being emperor avoid civil war.

claudius reluctantly executes cassius chaerea , several of assassins , begins tirelessly working sake of rome. applies himself law courts, , demonstrates intelligence in being able locate 1 of augustus lost eagles. claudius begins work on building harbour in ostia preserve romans food supply. claudius able quell 2 major mutinies against him , has successful conquest of britain.

during time herod agrippa conspires take on east regards himself messiah. when announces himself such breaks first commandment declaring himself god. herod dies painful death, grandfather had died, dies imploring claudius forgive him , not trust anyone.

throughout claudius reign being unwittingly manipulated adulterous wife messalina kills many of enemies being involved in bribery. conspires usurp monarchy lover gaius silius. claudius distraught , crushed such news , given olympian mixture in order manage through ordeal. claudius arrests silius , leaders of coup. messalina executed without claudius s consent, , claudius has no reaction during olympian state, , bemusedly jokes being worshipped god in britain.

however, upon being relieved of olympian mixture claudius crushed. deploring actions claudius decides way republic can restored having true mad monarch rather reign of benevolent one. comparing himself fable of frogs desired king, claudius privately refers himself old king log , plays weak , manipulated fool. incestuously marries niece agrippinilla whom openly despises. in feeble old age claudius excessively enjoys gladiatorial games , intoxicated , makes himself oblivious agrippinilla s schemes gain power , make son nero emperor. claudius, foreseeing nero terrible ruler, plans on having son britannicus removed live northern britons , later return rome s saviour. britannicus refuses such, , admits while loves republic, republic dead , wants challenge nero right rule rome emperor. crushed, claudius agrees, knowing sending son death. claudius resignedly accepts death numerous signs suggesting such.