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Claudius, early on in the story, in a discussion with Livy and Pollio about the role of the historian, remarks that "there are two different ways of writing history:  one is to persuade men to virtue and the other is to compel men to truth.  The first is Livy's way and the other is yours (Pollio's):  and perhaps they are not irreconcilable."  Sulpicius then chimes in with:  "Yes, Livy will never lack readers.  People love being 'persuaded to ancient virtue' by a charming writer, particularly when they are told in the same breath that modern civilization has made such virtue impossible of attainment.  But mere truth-tellers - "undertakers who lay out the corpse of history" (to quote poor Catullus's epigram on the noble Pollio) - people who record no more than actually occurred - such men can only hold an audience while they have a good cook and a cellar of Cyprian wine."   So I would guess that, in the character of Claudius as historian, Graves attempts to straddle both roles.

Absolutely. Although Sian whats her face is the best, in my humble opinion. George Baker is fantastic, however, and Brian Blessed is exactly as he is caricatured in the Cena Trimalchionis. Blustering, a bit of a buffoon, but shrewd, very shrewd, underneath it all. Sly, one might call it. But Sian Philips, as a foil to Augustus and Tiberius, is perfect. Her character reminds me of the character she plays in Tinker, Tailor... John Hurt is good, but he is just too old. George Baker they can make older, but John Hurt just looks too old.

I know Graves had all sorts of scholarly explanations that he relied upon, but it still remains that much of his book is speculation. It is rather difficult to impute motivations and emotions in a so-called work of history, which I'm aware this is not. Don't get me wrong, though. I love both books, and the series as well (I own the series and am on the second copies of both I, Claudius and Claudius the God.)

Aging in the television series is an odd thing. Because some of the characters age from birth to old age, and the series was made decades ago, we can see both how the actors were 'aged' for the show and how they actually aged.

 I think that at the time (I haven't seen 'I, Claudius' in years) if I thought about how old Caligula was supposed to be, compared to how old John Hurt looked (I was a teenager, or near enough, so all adults looked 'old') I probably thought it was an attempt at showing the effects of a dissolute life.

On the other hand, Derek Jacobi,  playing Claudius, was given cartoonish aging make-up, that looked increasingly plaster-like. Which, at the time, I just took as a desperate effort to make him look older and older. Now that I've seen him actually older, in 'Cadfael',  where it wouldn't be such as stretch to imagine him as 'elderly Claudius', I kind of wish it were possible to go back and CGI his current face back into the series.

Back to the actual book, one of the things I liked about the book was that I could stop and look things up, see how the book compares to other sources.

edited for spelling

Hi .I remember Graves said in an interview that he wrote I Claudius to pay a debt(or taxes), so he pretty much rattled it out.It does not even stick by Seutonius and his iffy history of gossip.

He was Professor of Classics at Cairo (I think), so must have had a decent grounding in ancient history and could give plenty of referances for research.I just enjoy them as the light fun read they were meant to be and don't think as them as history.They are a kind of airport novellette introduction to classical history.

I watched the series a couple of weeks ago back to back with Rome (again)both of which I loved but still think Up Pompei and Carry on Cleo had more historical accuracy.

The Allan Massey series on the caesars are among the best I have read, and Tom Hollands popular history Rubicon is a must for anyone interested in background.

This is one of the most well documented periods of history, we know as much if not more more about Rome at this period than we know of Henry V.

Augie.

Hey Brainy,I've allways liked his poems and liked "Goodbye to All That" but prefer Sassoons memoirs and war fiction.I had never thought of him as a journalist.I'll get myself a copy of "The Long Weekend" Ive liked everything else he wrote"King Jesus" and "The Greek Myths" etc. I believe he was allways a bit embarrassed by "I Claudius" and its mass appeal, he was a terrible snob about many things.
         Late last year or early this they were showing "Up Pompei" and "I Claudius" back to back on BBC 4.I'm sure the sets and wigs were better for Frankie Howard.
     I agree journos can not allways be trusted with history just look at Winston Churchill(I'm going to get into trouble for that).But as far as I know Graves never claimed any historical truths for it.
       I liked Patrick Stewart as Macro what a fine head of hair that man had.
      I have just about finished Tacitus "The Histories" and have just finished Xenephon "The Persian Expedition",I find the primary sources very easy to read but still love reading interpretations of the classical world no matter how bad some of them are.Conn Iggulden novels are the most ludicrous and had me laughing like a drain
       Oh and thanks to whomever it was who said about the shift key and enter so as not to leave a space. 

Augie.

though I love this book, I do sympathise with your dilemma - the Julians are a horribly complicated family!

You ask for "tips", so you are obviously a brave soul wanting to perservere. If you can get the DVD of the BBC production, that might help, as you'd have faces to put to the names.

'lette