Robert Graves’ I, Claudius - Capturing a Strange Moment in History Essa

Robert Graves I, Claudius - Capturing a Strange Moment in History Tiberius reign over the popish Empire stretched the longest of some(prenominal) emperor during Claudius lifetime. This may be a good reason why Robert Graves, in his historical novel published in 1934, I, Claudius devoted more(prenominal) than a third of it to the reign of Tiberius. I, Claudius, told through the eyes of the half-wit Claudius, records the annals of the first Imperial family at Rome, including the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and even Claudius himself. Livia, Augustus wife and Tiberius mother, played a crucial role throughout the reign of Augustus and Tiberius by eliminating all man matureable heirs other than her son to the throne of the emperor. By the use of poison and banishment, she was truly successful in her aspirations and even manages to arrange for Caligula to succeed Tiberius, although she died several age before Tiberius. Tiberius also played a key role during this story, undergoing a change from a private army general to a mentally-sick Roman emperor. Early in Tiberius life, he had already get unpopular in Roman society. However, although he was sometimes accused of universe over-cautious, he conduct the Roman army to several victories over the Germans, and became a national figure. But, as it was common with the Claudian family, Tiberius turned out to be one of the bad Claudians. Although being a celebrated general worked wonders for his political career, Claudius states that, on a ad hominem basis, he was morose, reserved and cruel. An excellent general, he won the respect of his soldiers by living as they did on a campaign. He seldom slept in a tent, and he ate and drank often no better than the time out of his troops. ... ...lthough the authors point-of-view, synonymous with Claudius, often makes the reader forget that it is not Claudius himself writing this, plainly Robert Graves almost 2000 years later. His writing i s exquisite, and although some sections of the novel become static, his elegance and grace with his wording carries the reader through these sections without difficulty. Although it is fiction, to anyone who wants to get up close to the family of Augustus, I would recommend this novel. Why? The story of the Augustan age is, in the words of Tacitus, a story that was the subject of every categorization of misrepresentation, not only by those who then lived but likewise in succeeding times so true is it that all transactions of leading(prenominal) importance are wrapt in doubt and obscurity (iix).Works CitedGraves, Robert. I, Claudius. impudent York The Modern Library, 1934.