Roman Revels
Dear Blog! It is so wonderful to get back to you. It is September, but the summer is persisting. Which is probably a good thing. I want to tell you about some time-travelling I did lately with I, Claudius, a novel by Robert Graves, for which I am SO grateful. I am not sure what exactly inspired me to read it (I have a vague purpose of not wanting to read historically-inspired stuff from other historical eras, while in the final throes of my PhD, lest I drown in altogether too much Altertumsgeschichte). You can have too much history, you know.
But somehow, this was perfect. I, Claudius hit the spot, it was just right. It was in June-July that I read that book, in a hard-copy I had ordered on a book binge last year (thanks past me, you were very right, in this case) and so, as the Covid situation started to lighten up in July (at least in Germany) I used my Audible credit for that month on the sequel to I, Claudius. Hoo boy, it was perfect, like its predecessor, a totally engrossing listen, at the right exact time. I am so happy to have a physical copy of the first book, and an audio copy of the second, I think I will try and accumulate them both in the opposite format too, because I can’t decide! I, Claudius was SUCH a fun read on paper, and at first I wasn’t sure if Claudius the God was going to live up to its predecessor, because you spend SO MANY chapters at the beginning with Herod Agrippa, a scallywag sometimes-king of Palestine, and I was often thinking “What is happening? I care about Claudius, when is Herod going to go away?“
He never really does, but you see through reading the book that his lengthy sections were necessary to give a proper historical background to the larger, international stage that Claudius is now on. It is a WONDERFUL BOOK. Take my word, if you are at all interested in Roman history, it is a ripping good yarn. The whole Christ-messiah-situation is elaborated on, but through Roman eyes, in a larger context, and it describes in detail Claudius’ invasion of Britain and what is probably quite an accurate representation of what Romans at the time knew about Britain (–and Druids !!) I thoroughly enjoyed it and now very much want to read The Gallic Wars by Julius Cesar, which deal with his conquests in France, and include an account of invasion of Britian–I just find the period of Roman expansion into that island, them trying to set up satellite Roman life there and their subsequent retreat sooooo fascinating. I very much want to read more about that period.
It is just super when reading leads to more reading, and I think that great modern treatments of historical periods are the perfect stepping stone into reading the original works themselves—or at least I always hoped that would be the case. In this instance, it seems to really be working, and although none of the emperor Claudius’ books survive (he was a scholar and is supposed to have written over 50 volumes relating the history of Etruria and of early Rome and its religion— it is a crime that these don’t remain to the modern world—) I am now really in a Roman mood.
To continue on with the emperors, I have purchased an audiobook of Suetonius’ The 12 Caesars, because I have heard its “wild”—for a classic— (but to be honest, I don’t really buy that, I think that whoever said so must be steeped in Classics, and I suspect that it can only be comparatively wild). And I am someone who studied Classics! So I know that, while they are interesting things to study at university, they are not necessarily things you relax with at the end of the day. Anyway, I am going to try it, —with the preconceived notion very much in mind that “the classics are difficult and dry”— on audiobook because I think that might be a bit more engaging. We shall see how it goes! I love the idea of reading the Greek and Roman Classics, nevertheless the words “easy” or “fun” do not immediately spring to mind when I think of them. I’m sure I can’t be alone in this…
But back to Claudius, he is really wonderful. A narrator you really enjoy listening to and who it is easy to root for. Actually, that is the major delight of these books, beside the rich historical detail, they are easy. The writing effortlessly draws one in completely, and weaves in all the fascinating historical detail so naturally, that you feel this all is true and really happened, without having to stretch your concentration much. I can only imagine that this depth of historical detail was possible because Robert Graves himself had a first-class late 19th century Classics-focused education (although I am not sure that he did. But I can tell you I will be reading every other work of his I can get my hands on). These books were really really delightful and I recommend them wholeheartedly. I am always looking for books that are worth re-reading, and these are those. I just have to wait for another time in life to pass, to the point where I do not remember them well enough, so that I can gasp at the intrigue afresh.
I am going to close off this blog, elated as I am that I am getting “back on track” with writing about my reading, with a super self-indulgent trip down the nostalgia whirlpool. (Aside—I was just thinking, the other day, that Dumbledore’s Pensieve is actually a nostalgia whirlpool), ANYWAY–
The year is 2004, and I am sitting in a classroom at my first University, on the upper level of a tall building that has since been changed completely, but probably still feels institutional, desperately reading about the Julio-Claudian emperors. Well, I certainly was reading about them with concentrated focus, the essay must have been due the next morning, otherwise I wouldn’t have made the effort to stay away from home late, but at the same time, I can remember enjoying myself; after all, who knew if, this time, dawn would come?
The overhead lights are dim-bright and probably buzzed slightly, but you got used to it and didn’t hear it anymore. The air is still, a bit stale, and all is silence. At this point, I didn’t have a laptop, I was taking notes on paper (oh the times, oh the days) after which I would head downstairs to the 24 hour computer room to type out knowledge so freshly acquired I am sure my prof could smell the paint on it.
This is quite a precious memory for me, looking back to a time when I knew literally nothing, but somehow my brain preserved one distinct moment when I realized I was alive, and I could do anything with this life of mine, but for now I was studying, and I had all night.
Whirlpool out.