Claudius the God by Robert Graves (Review)
Much like my review of Robert Graves’s first great novel, I, Claudius, I don’t have too many comments about the book other than an expression of my enjoyment. Between the two books, I, Claudius is far superior, but I still enjoyed Claudius the God as a welcome dose of fiction—albeit historical fiction—in my mostly non-fiction reading. Claudius is a wonderful character that Graves transforms from a flat historical figure into a living man whose life welcomes exploration. His story is interesting, as is the injection of Herod Agrippa and the early Christian church. The only downside to Herod is that the presentation of Christianity was almost too clever by half. The retelling of the Good Samaritan by Herod’s companion (the Good Samaritan’s cousin) was an enjoyable perspective, but it almost seemed as if Graves was winking at the reader a bit too emphatically to emphasize his wit. If I, Claudius is a 5-star book, then I, Claudius strikes me as a 3.5- to 4-star book—enjoyable but not quite as perfect. The following provides the few notes I took from this fun read.
After Caligula’s death, one of the senators gave a speech on tyrant. He said that “The mischief of tyranny is that it discourages virtue. Tyranny teaches flattery and base fear. Under a tyranny, we are straws on the wind of caprice.” This quote seems particularly timely given some of President Trump’s overtures, and the kowtowing of the Republican Party during his presidency.
Claudius’s success in his military campaigns in Germany and the clever work to finance and build the safe harbor at Portus left him pleased at the ease that comes with being a monarch. It allowed him to accomplish great works without having to convince other leaders of the work’s importance (“smothering stupid opposition with a single authoritative word”). This realization made it difficult for him to hold onto his belief in building a republic, so he did his best to encourage free speech and public spiritedness. Yet eventually Claudius grew more distance from the masses.
Herod’s warning to not trust anyone was not only wise but interesting in light of how Claudius became emperor. While there was a certain fortuitous nature to Claudius’s rise, he understood that he needed to play the fool to survive in cruel times. Despite his past shrewdness and insight to the cruel treachery of those in power, he still let himself be played by those around him—including his friend, Herod, and his wife, Messalina.
At the end of the book, Claudius declared, “Yes, we are all mad, we emperors. We begin sanely like Augustus, and Tiberius, and evening Caligula. Though he was an evil character, he was sane at first. Monarchy turns our wits.” This line should be a warning to anyone who holds power.
As suggested above, I enjoyed Claudius the God, just not quite as much of the original Graves novel. I suppose this assessment fits with most sequels, but the book is still a worthwhile and entertaining read. For readers who enthusiastically enjoyed I, Claudius, I recommend the sequel as a worthwhile addition to your reading list.
