CLAUDIUS THE GOD - Penguin Modern Classics

Claudius has survived the murderous intrigues of his predecessors to become, reluctanly, Emperor of Rome. Here he recounts his surprisingly succesful reign: how he cultivates the loyalty of the army and the common people to repair the damage caused by Caligula; his relations with the Jewish King Herod Agrippa;and his invasion of Britain. But the growing paranoia of absolute power and the indifelty of his promiscuous young wife Messalina mean that his good fortune will not least for ever. In this second part of his fictionalized autobiography Claudius - wry, rueful, always inquisitive - brings to life some of the most scandalous and violent times in history.