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Claudius the God

by Robert Graves Book 2 in the Claudius Series series.

First published 1934

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4.3(1,807)

Claudius the God continues the fictional memoirs after Claudius becomes emperor. The novel follows his attempt to govern Rome through law, administration and public works while remaining dependent on freedmen, soldiers, informers and members of his own dangerous household. Its central events include the conquest of Britain, the scandals surrounding Messalina, the rise of Agrippina the Younger and the succession struggle that prepares the way for Nero.

Claudius’s great problem is the gap between his intention to govern rationally and the personal household through which imperial power actually operates. Freedmen, wives and guards can translate access into influence, while the emperor’s own physical and social isolation makes him dependent on intermediaries. The novel turns his reign into a study of how good administrative intentions can be undermined by the structure of autocracy.

Historical Periods

Roman Conquest of Britain43–87 CE Reign of Claudius41–54 CE Reign of Nero54–68 CE

Genres

Biographical Fiction Court & Political Fiction Dynastic & Royal Fiction Historical Sagas

Historical people

Nero37–68 Agrippina the Younger15–59 Claudius11 BCE–54 Britannicus41–55 Caratacus15–54 Vespasian9–79 Aulus Plautius6 BCE–57 Messalina20–48

Series reading order

Books in the Claudius Series series

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