Claudius the God

By: Robert Graves

Narrated by: Nelson Runger

Length: 19 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Robert Graves continues Claudius' story with the epic adulteries of Messalina, King Herod Agrippa's betrayal of his old friend, and the final arrival of that bloodthirsty teenager, Nero.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend us your ears: don't miss the first book, I, Claudius.

©1962 Robert Graves (P)1987 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"This book, with or without its predecessor, is amusing and illuminating to a high degree." ( The New York Times)

Fabulous sequel to I, Claudius

I enjoyed "I, Claudius" so much I bought and started this book immediately on finishing it. I'm very glad I did. I enjoyed "Claudius the God" even more.

"Claudius the God", like "I, Claudius" is top-shelf historical fiction, beautifully written, with perfect narration. What's better in this second book is that Claudius really comes into his own, grows as a character, and fulfills his potential.

I felt immense relief when Claudius gained control of his fate and really enjoyed where the author took the story from that point on. The new-ish (no pun intended) character of Herod is a great addition. The ending is brilliant (SPOILER ALERT:) though by the time Claudius dies, I found myself wishing it could have ended more better for him, his loved ones, and those loyal to poor old “King Log”.

I highly, highly recommend this book.

A necessary sequel

I suppose there was no way Graves could have not written this given the success of the first book and the sense of having broken off in the middle. From the great BBC miniseries, this was the part I best remembered and looked forward to. Somehow the magic wasn't there for me. No longer the observant outsider, Claudius seems reduced to a more pedantic reciting of events. Most of the colorful characters from the first book are dead by now. There's still plenty of intrigue, but Claudius is now the victim of a good deal of it and unable to relate it with the same perspective as when he was just passing on gossip. The naive wonder and delight of the first book is replaced by a kind of gloomy poignancy. Still, I wouldn't have skipped this for the world; not after having read the first one.

Must read after I Claudius

What did you like best about this story?
This is the sequel to Robert Graves's well-known I Claudius. Listen to I Claudius first (I prefer the Nelson Runger performance -- he captures well Graves's portrayal of Claudius as a reluctant and ill-prepared emperor). After listening to I Claudius, you will want to know what happened next -- or at least how Graves portrays it. And yes, it is largely fictional, though based on period sources. Even what we call "history" is, at it's best, a kind of fiction in that it is only as good as the sources and only as reliable as the conjectures we make to stitch the "facts" together.

I gave this four stars instead of five for story -- it is not quite as compelling as I Claudius, but still quite worthwhile.

As good as the first...

The books makes a fine sequel to "I, Claudius," which I've already reviewed as being excellent. If you enjoyed that book, then you will obviously enjoy this fine piece of historical fiction.

This is a fictional autobiography of Claudius, fourth emperor of the Roman Empire. It is a narration of those events which transpired after Claudius became emperor. He has survived the reigns of the expedient Augustus, the perverse Tiberius, and the insane Caligula, where few others in his line have. But how long can he survive his wives?

Claudius is a sympathetic emperor and the narrator is entirely believable as Claudius himself. Attached to the end of this audiobook are readings from translations of Suetonius, Tacitus, and Cassius Dio regarding the death of Claudius as well as all that remains of Seneca's Apocolocyntosis. The translations are somewhat stilted but provide an interesting contrast between Graves' depiction of Claudius and those of the Roman Senators.

great

This and the first book are some of the best i have ever read. A must for people interested in Roman history.

splendidly crafted

Even better than the first one, i wonder what Claudius would have felt of his existence being remembered so far into the future and so well regarded.

A favorite book

Engrossing and highly detailed story full of historical facts, creativity, and drama. This and I, Claudius, are a must read!

No saga like a Roman saga

Highest literary, historic and dramatic quality. Work of genius. Performed brilliantly. Retread four times already still finding new attributes and details.

Continuing Claudius' great 1st century narrative

Even though I took two years of Latin in High School and two more in college, I do not consider myself a Roman history enthusiast or expert at all. But I do have an interest in many historical events and stages which is why I finally “read” [listened to] Robert Graves “I, Claudius” and the sequel, “Claudius the God.”

I say, “finally listened to” them because I have had the books for forty years now and never actually started reading them.

Now that has changed.

The books are both fascinating and beautifully written, lending themselves well to spoken narration. Graves proves himself a master at making the events of first century Roman antiquity come alive in the imaginative autobiography of the Emperor Claudius. Imaginative – yes. Far-fetched – no.

Very many of the events in the book (actually both books) are well-documented history. Other events that are not strictly documented history serve to fill out a sweeping story that seem “true to the man,” or “true to the woman,” even “true to the period.”

And what a period it was!

People grasping for power, sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters clawing for an inside track or a devious ploy to obtain power and keep it. Servants and slaves deciding to tell or withhold what they know or heard. Rumors whipping through the Roman populace and creating emergencies.

The Roman abbreviated motto, SPQR (The Senate and the Roman People - Senatus PopulusQue Romanus) seems to point backward to a time when the Senate actually wasn't just a craven rubber stamp for whatever an emperor wants. MRGA? ("Make Rome Great Again?")

Listening to the narration of the countless power manipulations, I could not help but see obvious parallels in present day American politics (perhaps minus the overt poisonings).

Nihil novi sub soli. (Nothing new under the sun.)

To my mind, Nelson Runger’s performance is excellent. His narration is clear and easily understood while driving in a car with the auditory competition of road noise. With a book length of sixteen and three-quarters hours, a great narrator is especially important.

16 hours, 47 minutes for I, Claudius; 19 hours, 46 minutes for Claudius the God.

Absolutely recommend both of these books in unabridged audible format.

Thank you Audible for making these gems available.

Great Classic

Great sequel to a great novel. It deserves the status as a classic. Very talented voice artist.