Claudius the God: And His Wife
Messalina by Robert Graves
Good Follow-Up To My Favorite All-Time Book
Picking up where the extraordinarily interesting I, Claudius ends, Claudius
the God tells the tale of Claudius 13-year reign as Emperor of Rome.
Naturally, it ends when Claudius is murdered--believe me, its not giving
anything away to say this; the surprise is when someone doesnt get
poisoned. While Claudius spends most of his time before becoming
emperor tending to his books and his writings and trying to stay out of the
general line of corruption and killings, his life on the throne puts him into
the center of the political maelstrom.
Personal Review: Claudius the God: And His Wife Messalina by
Robert Graves
I wouldn't recommend reading this work without its predecessor, which
also deserves (and has duly received) many five-star reviews. If you loved
"I, Claudius," you should definitely read this second part, which also

abounds with larger-than-life characters, endless webs of plotting and
scheming, and Robert Graves' narrative brilliance. But I wouldn't think of
the two works as forming one big novel in two parts. "Claudius the God" is
a very different work, and maybe even a better novel than "I, Claudius."
Though longer in length, it covers fewer events: don't expect the same
breathless succession of bloody twists and turns.
The BBC series dedicated fewer than a fourth of the episodes to this book,
and for good reason: "Claudius the God" is chiefly concerned with the
emperor's approach to the challenges of ruling the empire, and Robert
Graves takes his time with this task. Slowing down from the intrigue-driven
rhythm of "I, Claudius," Robert Graves beautifully conveys the fatality of
Claudius' journey, from the excitement of his early idealistic days as a ruler
bent on restoring the Republic to the last years of his reign. The book is
full of nuanced emotion and even contains some surprisingly lyrical
passages, which would have been quite out-of-place in its predecessor.
The last few chapters are beautiful and tragic, in a way "I, Claudius" never
attempts to be, as the old emperor comes face-to-face with the immutable
fate of Rome and the absurdity of his own role as Caesar. Seen as a true
tragedy, this novel is a real success.
Other cool elements include a brilliantly paced glance at early Christianity
from Claudius' perspective, and the unpredictable and fascinating
character of Herod Agrippa. Though much more complex and likeable, he
electrifies (and occasionally dominates) the story as powerfully as Livia
does in "I, Claudius." Messalina adds further spice, intrigue (more sexual,
less bloody, than Livia), and an unexpected touch of pathos to the book.
This novel is also much richer than its predecessor in its evocation of
political and military maneuvers, since the management of the empire is
the central foundation of the plot.
Overall, both books are brilliant. But if "I, Claudius" is lots of fun (more fun,
technically speaking, I suppose, than "Claudius the God"), this book raises
more questions, develops more themes, and ultimately tells a much richer
story: the tragic story of what boundless power does to a man who never
wanted it.
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