The series covers the history of the early roman empire, told from the. Caligulas wife and daughter were also put to death. This was one of the books i listened to on my recent vacation. I, claudius is a historical novel by english writer robert graves, first published in 1934. Written by jack pulman, it starred derek jacobi as claudius, with sian phillips, brian blessed, george baker, margaret tyzack, john hurt, patricia quinn, ian ogilvy, kevin mcnally, patrick stewart, and john rhysdavies. But in private, hes as sharp as they come, and keeps a secret history of everything he discovers. You can find not only biography of gaius cassius chaerea but also biography of almost famous people around the world.
I, claudius tv miniseries 1976 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. I, claudius is a 1976 bbc television adaptation of robert gravess i, claudius and claudius the god. Cassius chaerea is portrayed sympathetically in robert graves i, claudius novels as having had a long and distinguished career in service of rome, including being the only surviving officer of the massacre at teutoburg forest. Nov 28, 2010 i, claudius and claudius the god were adapted into a total of six episodes by robin brooks, and the episodes were broadcast on bbc radio 4 between 28 november 2010 and 2 january 2011. Considered the family idiot, he had the misfortune to be born into a family that suffered from a congenital lack of compassion. I, claudius chapters 2934 summary and analysis gradesaver. The 1954 film demetrius and the gladiators also portrayed him sympathetically. Finally, sickened by his excesses the praetorian guard under cassius chaerea kills caligula. The lonely computer brian blessed played augustus in a television adaptation. A fancast of actors actresses playing all the different characters of the early period of the roman empire from 44bc69ad, from julius caesar to emperor nero, featuring the roman emperors augustus, tiberius, caligula, claudius, and nero as well as members of the julio claudian imperial family and roman senators, nobles, generals, servants, and allies and enemies of the roman empire at the.
This renowned 1976 miniseries based on the books i, claudius and claudius the god by robert graves follows the history of the roman empire, from the latter reign of augustus starting around 2423 b. I was going to write that graves having translated the twelve caesars recycled the suetonius with a dash of tacitus and some added murders to create i claudius ostensibly the memoirs of the emperor claudius. His first act was to execute cassius chaerea and his coconspirators, the assassins of caligula. According to cassius dio, as well a possible surviving portrait, claudius became very sickly and thin by the end of caligula s reignmost likely due to stress. On january 24, 41, caligula was assassinated by a broadbased conspiracy including praetorian commander cassius chaerea and several senators.
According to cassius dio, as well a possible surviving portrait, claudius became very sickly and thin by the end of caligulas reign, most likely due to stress. Every page goes through several hundred of perfecting techniques. Arguably, livia is this during the first half of i, claudius. I was disappointed when i first read the books to learn that a movie version with charles laughton in the lead role had not been finished. Caligulas uncle, claudius, became the next roman emperor and ordered the deaths of chaerea and anyone else who was involved in caligulas death. Claudius reluctantly executes cassius chaerea and several of the assassins and begins tirelessly working for the sake of rome. I, claudius was a novel that the tenth doctor noted made the roman emperor caligula look worse than he really was. Whenever chaerea appears elsewhere in i, claudius graves is in fact imposing his character on a historical person. Athenodorus instills in claudius a love of history and truth and also helps him to overcome his stammer.
Claudius numiswiki, the collaborative numismatics project. On 24 th january 41, caligula was assassinated in a broadbased conspiracy involving the praetorian commander cassius chaerea and several senators. How historically accurate is i, claudius by robert graves. If you think we missed some information about gaius cassius chaerea, please help us to complete this biography of gaius cassius chaerea. I, claudius was one of the dark horse surprises of 1934. In public, claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination. Cassius chaerea assassinated the previous emperor caligula on the 24th of january 41ad in response to caligulas mocking of cassius supposed effeminacy.
The series covers the history of the early roman empire, told. Chaerea requested to be executed with his personal sword, and this boon was granted. I, claudius and claudius the god were adapted into a total of six episodes by robin brooks, and the episodes were broadcast on bbc radio 4 between 28 november 2010 and 2 january 2011. A sequel, it carries on from where the earlier book left off, but it is complete in.
Cassius kills caligula, his wife, and his daughter. Robert graves s novel i, claudius 1934 is written in the form of an autobiography by the roman emperor claudius. The assassins also murder caligulas mostrecent wife, caesonia, and their young daughter, drusilla. The historical cassius chaerea is only known as the prefect of the praetorian guard who was hated and teased by caligula and eventually was one of the leaders of the plot to murder him.
There is no evidence that claudius had a direct hand in the. In january 41, four months after his return to rome from gaul, caligula was murdered at the palatine games by cassius chaerea, tribune of the praetorian guard, cornelius sabinus, and others. Emperor claudius caesar augustus germanicus study archive. Tiberius claudius caesar augustus germanicus august 1, 10 bc october, 54 tiberius claudius drusus nero germanicus before his accession was the fourth roman emperor of the julioclaudian dynasty, ruling from january 24, 41 to his death in 54. He applies himself to the law courts, and demonstrates his intelligence in being able to locate one of augustus lost eagles. Although claudius has been living in peace with exprostitute calpurnia caligula thinks it would be fun to mismatch him with the beautiful but wanton messalina and has them marry each other. Like many concepts in the book world, series is a somewhat fluid and contested notion. Claudius, he became convinced that the child would one day grow up to destroy him. According to tacitus, before his service in the praetorians, he distinguished himself with his.
I made it past 10,000 missions altogethertime for an. It is a mesmerizing text detailing the reigns of augustus, tiberius and caligula with all the accompanying betrayals. He later serves under caligula, whom he protected in his youth. Among the great emperors of the roman empire stand augustus and marcus aurelius. Until one day, as one of the few of his family left alive. I, claudius fools luck tv episode 1976 sam dastor as cassius chaerea. 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. Claudius project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. Cassius chaerea, a distinct war veteran serving in the praetorian guard under caligula, was frequently insulted by the emperor and had intentions of restoring the roman republic.
The guards jokingly declare claudius as emperor, who pleads that he does not want to be, but he is ignored. In claudius the god, graves continues the story, detailing claudius s thirteenyear reign and his ultimate downfall. How historically accurate is i, claudius by robert. And you thought henry viii was a tyrant natalie haynes.
In claudius the god, graves continues the story, detailing claudiuss thirteenyear reign and his ultimate downfall. Based on the novels by robert graves, it stars derek jacobi the kings speech. I, claudius from the autobiography of tiberius claudius born b. Later it becomes clear that there are way worst people than her in power and that evil is inherent in the system. This is a compelling read, starting in the relatively sunny days of the rule of jovial augustus claudiuss grandfather where we meet the young claudius, a shy boy with a limp, a stutter and a love of reading, writing and history. Graves employed a fictive artifice to suggest that they. On 24 january, ad 41, caligula was assassinated by a broadbased conspiracy including praetorian commander cassius chaerea and several senators. Im relatively new to radio dramas, but not to i, claudius, and i have to admit, i was a little disappointed with this one. Cassius chaerea died 41 was a centurion in the army of germanicus and served in the praetorian guard under the emperor caligula, whom he eventually assassinated. Claudius tiberius claudius caesar augustus germanicus was the roman emperor from 41 ad to 54 ad. He had seen some hard action and was part of the military that managed to subdue a mutiny that popped up on the german frontier. Granted, the drama covers both i, claudius and claudius the god, and features some top notch acting, but a lot of material finer details were omitted. Cassius chaerea, a leading praetorian officer whom the emperor continuously mocks, forms a plan with several others to assassinate caligula. Caligula formally known as gaius was the third of ancient romes emperors, who achieved feats of waste and carnage during his fouryear reign a.
The book follows claudius through the court intrigue in the early roman empire, from his childhood until his ascension to emperor. If he were thought a bumbling idiot, he was less likely to be assassinated. Written in the form of an autobiography of the roman emperor claudius, it tells the history of the julioclaudian dynasty and the early years of the roman empire, from julius caesars assassination in 44 bc to caligulas assassination in ad 41. His madness seems to be at its zenith when he is finally challenged by cassius chaerea. It is a mesmerizing text detailing the reigns of augustus, tiberius and caligula with all the accompanying betrayals, violence and sexual exploits that you would expect from a particularly gruesome early episode in the game of thrones. I claudius and claudius the god are the sort of books that i will reread occasionally, always finding something new in them. Robert graves emphasizes this notion in i, claudius. Having the book be an autobiography of claudius enable graves to tell historical events as if claudius was telling a story. Painting the vivid, tumultuous, and decadent society of ancient rome with. This, however, seems to be entirely false as graves wrote i, claudius more than twenty years before he made that translation. Claudius was a roman emperor who made britain a province of the roman empire.
Cassius chaerea deed 41 wis a centurion in the airmy o germanicus an servit in the praetorian gaird unner the emperor caligula, whom he eventually assassinatit accordin tae tacitus, afore his service in the praetorians, he distinguished hissel wi his bravery an skill in helpin tae subdue the mutiny on the german frontier immediately efter the daith o augustus. In the 1960 film messalina, claudius is portrayed by mino doro. Mar 29, 2019 in an unexpected turn of events, the people of rome were angry, and demanded revenge against those who murdered their emperor. They strike during the games held to celebrate augustus, luring him away. Cassius chaerea, i, claudius, bbc2, 1976, broadcast on masterpiece theatre also known as exxonmobil masterpiece theatre and mobil masterpiece theatre, pbs, beginning 1977. I appreciated the depth of information involved in this book. Sep 04, 2015 and you thought henry viii was a tyrant. They strike during the games held to celebrate augustus, luring him away from his german guards and killing him. Claudius watches in hiding, horrified, but is discovered. By the time caligula s loyal germanic guard responded, the emperor was already dead. It prevented the book from having a stale and monotonous tone which wouldve made it difficult for me to keep my attention. Jun 08, 2018 on january 24, 41 ce, conspirators including cassius chaerea, an officer of the praetorian guard, stabbed caligula to death as he left a theatrical performance.
I claudius is a work of recreated autobiography, telling the life story of a reluctant roman emperor. Basically, whenever chaerea appears before then hes actually playing someone who the record says was named cassius, and that graves assumes or pretends was chaerea, for plot purposes. Robert gravess choice of the hapless claudius as the narrator for this work of historical fiction was ingenious. In modern literature, film and radio the best known fictional representation of the emperor claudius was contained in the books i. At the other end of the spectrum is emperor caligula who the historian suetonius c. Several people find out about cassius chaerea s plot to murder caligula, but choose not to do anything about it. Caligula would make rude gestures when cassius would kiss his ring. The gallifrey chronicles in roma i, marcus americanius scriptor commissioned and. Rated one of the 100 best tv shows of all time by time magazine, this epic bbc series spans the history of the roman empire from augustus through claudius, a stuttering scholar who learns early to play the fool and stay alive. Basing caligula on a thorough new assessment of the ancient sources, he sets the emperors story into the context of the political system and the changing relations between the senate and the emperor during caligulas time and finds a new rationality explaining his notorious brutality. There is no evidence that claudius had a direct hand in the assassination, although it has been argued that he knew about the plot particularly since he left the scene of the crime shortly before his nephew was murdered. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising.
Profile for tiberius claudius caesar from i, claudius. Aug 01, 2018 if he were thought a bumbling idiot, he was less likely to be assassinated. Eventually, caligula is assassinated by cassius chaerea and several other soldiers at the palatine festival. Oct 18, 2011 caligula gaius julius caesar augustus germanicus was roman emperor from 37 to 41 ce. Returning to rome, he decides to execute the entire senate for not awarding him a triumph for his victory, but his wife caesonia and claudius persuade him not to. Written by jack pulman, it proved one of the corporations most successful drama serials of all time. Claudius also begins work on building a harbour in ostia to help preserve the romans food. In fact, other than a reference in tacitus that he subdued the rhine legions. Claudius, the god is, if possible, an even better book.
Sadly for caligula, he also managed to alienate cassius chaerea. A good rule of thumb is that series have a conventional name and are intentional creations, on the part of the author or publisher. The production was directed by jonquil panting, and tom goodman hill did the role of claudius. Claudius tries to hide in the midst of the riot but is.
Tiberius claudius caesar has appeared in the following books. Born in lugdunum in gaul modernday lyon, france, to drusus and antonia minor, he was the. Robert graves classic i, claudius is a masterpiece of historical fiction about the stuttering, lame unlikely emperor claudius ending just as he mounts the imperial throne one must read claudius the god and his wife messalina for the rest high on my tbr now. Although not the preferred choice of the senate, claudius proved to be an efficient emperor.
Robin brooks dramatisation of robert graves scandalous histories of roman political vice. Cassius chaerea, a distinct war veteran serving in the praetorian guard under caligula, was frequently insulted by the emperor and had intentions of rome returning to a republic. Series was designed to cover groups of books generally understood as such see wikipedia. It follows the time period of the julioclaudian dynasty and the roman empire.
394 1008 529 1020 1462 110 633 1108 1255 989 341 452 1354 426 940 139 850 1003 231 486 491 1518 1166 1049 461 1181 619 1040 1086 245 1123 597 421 325 816 783 35 186 938 171 111 1233