Robert Graves

I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, first published in 1934, that deals sympathetically with the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius and the history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41. Graves's interpretation of the story owes much to the biographies of Tacitus, Plutarch, and (most especially) Suetonius. Graves continued his tale (from Claudius' accession after Caligula's death to his death in 54, as well as a segue involving the early life of Herod Agrippa) in Claudius the God (1935). In 1937, abortive attempts were made to adapt the first book into a film. In 1976, BBC Television's attempts to adapt the book and its sequel into a television serial were more successful.