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Description edit see section history

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. A masterpiece.

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “I am supposed to be an utter fool and the more I read the more of a fool they think me.”
    Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus
  • “There are two different ways of writing history: one is to persuade men to virtue and the other is to compel men to truth...perhaps they are not irreconcilable.”
    Tiberius Claudius
  • “A deputation went to him and pleaded that everyone should be allowed a year and a half to adjust his private finances to conform with the letter of the law, and Tiberius as a great favour granted the request. The result was that all debts were at once called in, and this caused a great shortage of coin. Tiberius' great idle hoards of gold and silver in the Treasury had been responsible for forcing up the rate of interest in the first place, and now there was a financial panic and land-values fell to nothing. Tiberius was eventually forced to relieve the situation by lending the bankers a million gold pieces of pubic money, without interest, to pay out borrowers in exchange for securities in land.”
    Tiberius Claudius

First Sentence edit see section history

Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus This-that-and-the-other (for I shall not trouble you yet with all my titles) who was once, and not so long ago either, known to my friends and relatives and associates as "Claudius the Idiot", or "That Claudius", or "Claudius the Stammerer", or "Clau-Clau-Claudius" or at best as "Poor Uncle Claudius", am now about to write this strange history of my life; starting from my earliest childhood and continuing year by year until I reach the fateful point of change where, some eight years ago, at the age of fifty-one, I suddenly found myself caught in what I may call the "golden predicament" from which I have never since become disentangled.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 53 of 214 in Best English-Language Fiction of the 20th Century. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Heart of Darkness, and followed by The Jungle.

This book is in Folio Society. (edition-based publisher list)
This is book 99 of 96 in Waterstone's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Earthly Powers, and followed by The Horse Whisperer.

This book is in TIME Magazine Top 100 English-Language Novels. (community list)
This is book 74 of 98 in Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: Reader's List. (authoritative list)

Preceded by Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and followed by The Call of the Wild.

This is book 69 of 96 in Newsweek's Top 100 Books: The Meta-List. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Sun Also Rises, and followed by The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

This book is in Penguin's Top 100 Classics. (authoritative list)
This book is in Penguin Modern Classics. (edition-based publisher list)
This is book 14 of 93 in Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: The Board's List. (authoritative list)

Preceded by The Way of All Flesh, and followed by To the Lighthouse.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Robert Graves (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Barker
Country: England
Publication Date: 1934
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 494

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PR6013.R35
  • Dewey: 823.912

Movie Connections edit see section history

  • I, Claudius (IMDb): (1976) British TV mini-series starring Derek Jacobi, Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed, John Hurt, George Baker, Margaret Tyzack, James Faulkner, and Frances White. Directed by Herbert Wise.

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