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Content snapshot
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Violence
A lot
Multiple murders including poisonings; gladiatorial violence; Caligula's brutal atrocities
Language
Barely any
Classical prose style; no profanity
Sexual Content
A lot
Explicit debaucheries of the Roman court; incest and sexual violence in Caligula's reign
Substance Use
Some
Orgiastic drinking and excess in imperial Rome
Emotional Intensity
A lot
An immersive portrait of absolute power and its corrupting and lethal effects
What this book is about
Robert Graves's historical novel presents the autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius, written in secret as a record of the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and his own early life. Through Claudius's wry, observant eyes, the reader witnesses the poisonings, murders, conspiracies, and debaucheries of the imperial house — one of history's great dynastic psychodramas.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Multiple poisonings and political murders
Caligula's sexual depravity and violence
Explicit debauchery in the imperial court
Reader Verification
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