I, Claudius - (Claudius #1 )

Robert Graves

[NY] Vintage Books

1977

432 páginas

14h 24m

ISBN-13: 9780394725369

Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus lived from 10 B.C. to 54 A.D. Despised as a weakling and considered an idiot because of his physical infirmities, Claudius survived the intrigues and poisonings of the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and the mad Caligula to become emperor in 41 A.D. I, Claudius is written in the form of Claudius' autobiography and is one of the classics of modern fiction, the best fictional reconstruction of Rome ever written. |...| Historical novel set in 1st-century-AD Rome by Robert Graves, published in 1934. The book is written as an autobiographical memoir by Roman emperor Claudius. — Physically weak, afflicted with stammering, and inclined to drool, Claudius is an embarrassment to his family and is shunted to the background of imperial affairs. The benefits of his seeming ineffectuality are twofold: he becomes a scholar and historian, and he is spared the worst cruelties inflicted on the imperial family by its own members during the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula. Palace intrigues and murders surround him. Claudius' informal narration serves to emphasize the banality of the imperial family's endless greed and lust. The story concludes with Claudius ascending to the imperial throne. A sequel, Claudius, the God and His Wife Messalina (1935), covers Claudius' years as Roman Emperor. ===Sandra (Piper) reviewed I, Claudius on 8/22/2006: "I, Claudius_ chronicles the reign of the Caesars in Rome from the perspective of the 4th Caesar. Julius is dead by the time Claudius is born, but our hero is intimately acquainted with Augustus and his wife Livia, Tiberius, and finally Caligula. Claudius plays the fool and manages to survive these turbulent years of Rome's history, filled with poisonings, treachery, and the deaths of many honest men and women. Especially during Caligula's reign, Claudius lives on a knife's edge, fearful everyday for his life, playing along with the mad emperor and trying to prevent him from doing Rome irreversible damage.
Stunted from birth, Claudius is a sickly, stuttering child and young man. Ironically, this is the only thing that saves him. Most of his family believes he is an imbecile too unimportant to kill. Ignored by Augustus and Tiberius, tormented by his mother and by Livia, Claudius managed his last hurdle by entertaining Caligula with pert quotes from Homer and flattery. Claudius is a scholar-the only pastime he can manage in his crippled body. His knowledge of history serves him well during this period, providing him with examples from the past to guide his actions during a frightening childhood and youth.

The book follows him up to the point of Caligula's death when Claudius finds himself suddenly the only surviving Caesar, hurled into the office by a dangerous mob of soldiers. He makes his peace with the senate and begins his long reign.

Robert Graves tells the story in first person and provides the necessary guesswork details of Claudius's thoughts and feelings".

Resenhas (1)

4 (Muito bom)

Romance histórico de Robert Graves ambientado na Roma do século I d.C, escrito como um livro de memórias autobiográfico pelo imperador romano Cláudio, que é filho de um general romano, sobrinho do imperador Tibério e sobrinho neto do imperador Augusto. Fisicamente fraco, gago e com tendência a babar, Claudius é uma vergonha para sua família e é colocado em segundo plano nos assuntos imperiais. Os benefícios de sua aparente ineficácia são duplos: ele se torna um estudioso e historiador, fascinado pelas intrigas de seus contemporâneos, e é poupado das piores crueldades infligidas à família imperial por seus próprios membros durante os reinados de Augusto, Tibério e Calígula.

Intrigas palacianas e assassinatos - incluindo os do pai e irmão de Cláudio e dos filhos e netos de Augusto - o cercam. As maquinações resultam da ânsia de poder de seus familiares, do medo de perder o poder, de seus ciúmes e da crueldade e depravação inatas do insano Calígula. Lívia, esposa de Augusto e mãe de Tibério, é uma figura especialmente imponente entre o elenco de personagens complexos da história.

Robert Graves (1895-1985) foi poeta, romancista, tradutor, crítico e erudito clássico inglês, entre suas celebres traduções dos clássicos romanos estão Os Doze Césares (coleção de biografias históricas dos imperadores, importante para o enredo deste livro) e o Asno de Ouro.