![I, Claudius. From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Emperor of the Romans born B.C. 10 murdered and deified A.D. 54 - [with] - Claudius The God and his wife Messalina. The troublesome reign of Tiberius Claudius Caesar, Emperor of the Romans (born B.C. 10, died A.D. 54), as described by himself; also his murder at the hands of the notorious Agrippina (mother of the Emperor Nero) and his subsequent deification, as described by others](http://lokmanbooks.com/fmp/images/112708a.jpg)
I, Claudius. From the Autobiography of Tiberius Claudius, Emperor of the Romans born B.C. 10 murdered and deified A.D. 54 - [with] - Claudius The God and his wife Messalina. The troublesome reign of Tiberius Claudius Caesar, Emperor of the Romans (born B.C. 10, died A.D. 54), as described by himself; also his murder at the hands of the notorious Agrippina (mother of the Emperor Nero) and his subsequent deification, as described by others -
Robert Graves
1934 - Arthur Barker, London - First Editions
First editions of Graves’ magnificent biography of the great Tiberius Claudius Caesar, with large fold out ‘Tree of the Imperial Family and Connexions’ to the rear of each volume, and additional fold-out table of ‘The Royal Family of the Herods’ in the second volume. Arguably the defining piece of Roman historical fiction from the twentieth century
I Claudius - ‘Written in the form of Claudius' autobiography, this is the first part of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, and stands as one of the most celebrated, gripping historical novels ever produced.
Despised for his weakness and regarded by his family as little more than a stammering fool, the nobleman Claudius quietly survives the intrigues, bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the imperial Roman dynasties. In I, Claudius he watches from the sidelines to record the reigns of its emperors: from the wise Augustus and his villainous wife Livia to the sadistic Tiberius and the insane excesses of Caligula.’
Claudius the God - the second part of Robert Graves' fictionalised autobiography, Claudius – wry, rueful, always inquisitive – brings to life some of the most scandalous and violent times in history. After having survived the murderous intrigues of his predecessors to become, reluctantly, Emperor of Rome, Claudius recounts his surprisingly successful reign: how he cultivates the loyalty of the army and the common people to repair the damage caused by Caligula; his relations with the Jewish King Herod Agrippa; and his invasion of Britain. But the growing paranoia of absolute power and the infidelity of his promiscuous young wife Messalina mean that his good fortune will not last forever’. The story was dramatised by the BBC in 1976, staring Derek Jacobi, and has since inspired the tone of the acclaimed series 'Rome' (2005-07).
'Still an acknowledged masterpiece and a model for historical fiction ... sympathetic and intensely involving: a great feat of imagination'. – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall.
Robert Graves (1895-1985) was a gifted classicist at Charterhouse and later Oxford, but decided to pursue literature and poetry after he completed his degree. As well as contributing translations of Apuleius' 'The Golden Ass' and Suetonius' 'Twelve Caesars' to the Penguin Classics collection, he also published a controversial encyclopaedia of Greek Myths containing some of his own original theories, generally rejected by the academic community.
During his lifetime raves authored more than 140 books of poems, novels and translations, autobiography, poetics and books on myth. He is frequently remembered for his memoir of the First World War, Good-bye To All That, his two-volume Greek Myths, his historical study of poetic inspirations The White Goddess and these historical novels, I, Claudius and Claudius The God.
References: Higginson, A Bibliography of the Writings of Robert Graves, A42a. Penguin Classics, web. ‘The Robert Graves Collection’ University of Buffalo Library, web.
Two large octavo volumes (binding size 22.4x15.8cm), pp. 494 [4]; [2] 575 [1] [2]. Finely bound in recent three-quarter burgundy calf over matching cloth, spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, top edges gilt. Condition: Near fine, some light spotting to edges and first / final leaves, otherwise crisp, clean copies in fine bindings. Ref: 112708 Price: HK$ 10,000
I Claudius - ‘Written in the form of Claudius' autobiography, this is the first part of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, and stands as one of the most celebrated, gripping historical novels ever produced.
Despised for his weakness and regarded by his family as little more than a stammering fool, the nobleman Claudius quietly survives the intrigues, bloody purges and mounting cruelty of the imperial Roman dynasties. In I, Claudius he watches from the sidelines to record the reigns of its emperors: from the wise Augustus and his villainous wife Livia to the sadistic Tiberius and the insane excesses of Caligula.’
Claudius the God - the second part of Robert Graves' fictionalised autobiography, Claudius – wry, rueful, always inquisitive – brings to life some of the most scandalous and violent times in history. After having survived the murderous intrigues of his predecessors to become, reluctantly, Emperor of Rome, Claudius recounts his surprisingly successful reign: how he cultivates the loyalty of the army and the common people to repair the damage caused by Caligula; his relations with the Jewish King Herod Agrippa; and his invasion of Britain. But the growing paranoia of absolute power and the infidelity of his promiscuous young wife Messalina mean that his good fortune will not last forever’. The story was dramatised by the BBC in 1976, staring Derek Jacobi, and has since inspired the tone of the acclaimed series 'Rome' (2005-07).
'Still an acknowledged masterpiece and a model for historical fiction ... sympathetic and intensely involving: a great feat of imagination'. – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall.
Robert Graves (1895-1985) was a gifted classicist at Charterhouse and later Oxford, but decided to pursue literature and poetry after he completed his degree. As well as contributing translations of Apuleius' 'The Golden Ass' and Suetonius' 'Twelve Caesars' to the Penguin Classics collection, he also published a controversial encyclopaedia of Greek Myths containing some of his own original theories, generally rejected by the academic community.
During his lifetime raves authored more than 140 books of poems, novels and translations, autobiography, poetics and books on myth. He is frequently remembered for his memoir of the First World War, Good-bye To All That, his two-volume Greek Myths, his historical study of poetic inspirations The White Goddess and these historical novels, I, Claudius and Claudius The God.
References: Higginson, A Bibliography of the Writings of Robert Graves, A42a. Penguin Classics, web. ‘The Robert Graves Collection’ University of Buffalo Library, web.
Two large octavo volumes (binding size 22.4x15.8cm), pp. 494 [4]; [2] 575 [1] [2]. Finely bound in recent three-quarter burgundy calf over matching cloth, spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, top edges gilt. Condition: Near fine, some light spotting to edges and first / final leaves, otherwise crisp, clean copies in fine bindings. Ref: 112708 Price: HK$ 10,000