I, Claudius cover art

I, Claudius

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

I, Claudius

By: Robert Graves
Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, Full Cast, Tom Goodman-Hill
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, starring Tom Goodman Hill as Claudius and Derek Jacobi as Augustus. The wickedly entertaining inside story of the lives and deaths of the Imperial dynasty from Augustus to Caligula is told by their obscure relation, Claudius. In public, Claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination. But in private, he's as sharp as they come, and keeps a secret history of everything he discovers. Until one day, as one of the few of his family left alive, he's acclaimed Emperor against his will. Can he save Rome from the corruption he's grown to detest? Featuring Derek Jacobi (who won a BAFTA for his performance as Claudius in the acclaimed 1977 BBC television production) as Augustus, and with an all-star cast, this gripping dramatisation will enthral anyone who loves the decadence of Ancient Rome. Biographical Fiction Classics Genre Fiction Scary Funny
All stars
Most relevant
Really only gets going with Caligula. Some of the Mockney soldiers I could have done without. Not a patch on the TV series but not a bad listen.

Good in Parts

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I first heard this on the radio, and have listened to it many times since. Great story. And a great cast.

One of my favourites.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This captures the essence of the original BBC series with perhaps a little more humour and colour thrown in. Tom Goodman Hill is every bit as Claudius as Derek Jacobi was, and that's no mean feat. I wish there were more parts to this dramatisation but sadly there aren't. I'll just have to listen again...and again...and again.

One more thing: this Caligula is more 'Horrible Histories' than John Hurt's terrifying original portrayal but deliciously camp and slightly sinister nonetheless.

Overall, highly recommended.

Can't wait to listen to this again

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A gripping story of Roman emporers and the dark side of human nature. Horrifying and enthralling in equal measure.

Power, plotting and intrigue

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A Roman soap opera with a rapidly multiplying body count, this is the story of stammering historian Claudius, who finds himself caught up in endless Machiavellian plots as his scheming relatives fight for power. It’s shocking, funny, and extremely listenable. In the earlier stages, the large cast meant I sometimes struggled to keep track of who was who - and who was killing who! But stick with it: the last two to three hours in particular are addictive and gripping. A classic.

Tales of power, passion, plots - and poison

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews