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I, Claudius
By Robert Graves

ROMAN Imperial history is brought alive in I, Claudius by the English poet and classical scholar Robert Graves. Told in the first person, it is an epic of ruthless ambition and murderous intrigue set in one of history’s most fascinating eras — beginning in 24 BC, under Augustus Caesar and ending in AD 54 with Nero on the throne. Claudius, thought to be an idiot, survives the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, to become emporer in 41 AD. The biggest worm in the Roman apple is Augustus’s wife, Livia, whose single-minded pursuit of power shapes the destiny of the Empire. With a carefully planted rumour here and a poisoned fig there, she gradually manoeuvers her son, Tiberius, toward the throne. It is deemed a masterpiece for the manner in which Graves combines stunning powers of characterisation and storytelling with deep historical knowledge of such diverse areas as mythical Greece, classical Rome and colonial America.