If at first you don't succeed . . .

I, Claudius, by Robert Graves.

I started this audio book back in the spring, but unfortunately, did not pay close enough attention to the various characters and events, so that it became dreadfully difficult to follow. For whatever reason, I started from the beginning, and once I took special care to pay close attention to the course of events, truly enjoyed this fictionalized account of Roman history.

Murder, false accusations, extortion, incest, and all sorts of intrigue. This book winds it way through the reign of Augustus Caeser and his very competent, but rather evil second wife, Livia. Tiberius follows as one of the most insecure and bitter people one could ever find. Then there's Caligula--certifiably crazy. Finally, Clau, Clau, Claudius becomes the emperor. The crippled, stammering man, believed to be an idiot, who is anything but.

Here's what I learned: I don't think I'd want to be part of the imperial family. Or the Roman nobility. Or a citizen. Or a freedman. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be a slave. I wouldn't have wanted to be even a beautiful, high-born woman. Life during the Roman empire was tough--fraught with the risk of poisoning, false accusation (meaning almost certain forfeiture of all wealth and execution or suicide). Service in the Army could extend for 20 or 30 years, or even longer, with the risk of a good beating for various infractions. Service in the army for certain men, with risk of beating for discipline. And life for women, at least those in the imperial family, wasn't much better. The emperor had absolute power to marry and divorce them. And angering the emperor could result in banishment to some forsaken island. Family kinship meant nothing!

Ultimately, it was worth the effort to pay attention to this well-written soap opera of the first milllenium kind. Glad I went back to it.

Listening: The Woman inWhite.
Reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame.