This is the sequel to I, Claudius. Like some other reviewers, I did not
like the sequel nearly as much as the first book. The sequel picks up
right after the first book, just after the assassination of Caligula and
covers the reign of Claudius as Roman Emperor.
There was so much on Herod Agrippa near the beginning that it was almost like I was reading a book about about him instead of Claudius - there is even a detailed family tree of the Herods given. When the book finally shifted away from Herod, it got a bit tedious in discussing the public works projects and battles of Claudius' reign. The book is over 500 pages and would have been better if it had been shorter/less detailed.
Claudius was a great improvement over the two Emperors who preceded him - the British even worshiped him before he died. He had some really treacherous "associates" and several bad marriages. The last wife seems to have poisoned him at the end. A lot of poisoning and other intrigue was common then.
Keep in mind that this book is fiction, but is supposed to keep close to the historical facts.
I did not like how the book ended. The three historical versions of Claudius' death presented were a bit hard to read - better translations would have been helpful, but maybe these were the best available in the 1930's when this sequel was written. Seneca's satire that follows seemed pretty hateful - apparently, these Romans didn't follow the maxim about not speaking ill of the dead; I think the author should not have included it.
The TV version of the two books in the series spends much more time on period in the first volume. I think I know why now. The TV version is actually pretty good; it is called simply: I, Claudius.
There was so much on Herod Agrippa near the beginning that it was almost like I was reading a book about about him instead of Claudius - there is even a detailed family tree of the Herods given. When the book finally shifted away from Herod, it got a bit tedious in discussing the public works projects and battles of Claudius' reign. The book is over 500 pages and would have been better if it had been shorter/less detailed.
Claudius was a great improvement over the two Emperors who preceded him - the British even worshiped him before he died. He had some really treacherous "associates" and several bad marriages. The last wife seems to have poisoned him at the end. A lot of poisoning and other intrigue was common then.
Keep in mind that this book is fiction, but is supposed to keep close to the historical facts.
I did not like how the book ended. The three historical versions of Claudius' death presented were a bit hard to read - better translations would have been helpful, but maybe these were the best available in the 1930's when this sequel was written. Seneca's satire that follows seemed pretty hateful - apparently, these Romans didn't follow the maxim about not speaking ill of the dead; I think the author should not have included it.
The TV version of the two books in the series spends much more time on period in the first volume. I think I know why now. The TV version is actually pretty good; it is called simply: I, Claudius.
