This series delves into the intricate world of ancient Rome through a fictional autobiography that reveals the inner workings of imperial power. Follow the triumphs and downfalls of the powerful, the schemes, betrayals, and human desires that shaped one of history's most influential civilizations. Experience an era of political maneuvering, cruelty, and grandeur, seen through the eyes of an unlikely figure whose life intertwined with the fate of the empire. It's a compelling narrative of survival and influence in a ruthless historical landscape.
Into the 'autobiography' of Clau-Clau-Claudius, the pitiful stammerer who was destined to become Emperor in spite of himself, Graves packs the everlasting intrigues, the depravity, the bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, soon to culminate in the deified insanity of Caligula. I, Claudius and its sequel, Claudius the God, are among the most celebrated, as well the most gripping historical novels ever written. Cover illustration: Brian Pike
And His Wife Messalina
With the same brilliance that characterized his classic I, Claudius, Robert Graves continues the tumultuous life of the Roman who became emperor in spite of himself and his handicaps. Claudius the God reveals the splendor, vitality and decadence of the Roman Empire through the eyes of the wry and bemused Claudius who reigns as emperor for thirteen years. The crippled Claudius describes himself as the fool of the royal family, whom none of his ambitious and blood-thirsty relatives considered worth the trouble of killing. Once in the throne, however, he finds himself at last at the center of the political maelstrom.