- Claudius, the pitiful stammerer who became Emperor despite his first passionate refusal, was the uncle and butt of the notorious Caligula, the husband, dupe and vengeful destroyer of the wicked Messalina, and the stepfather and victim of the still more notorious Nero. Robert Graves" most famous book is regarded as the best historical novel of its time, and has made the name of Claudius as familiar as any of his sinister relatives. It is firmly based on contemporary records of the early Roman Empire at its most dramatic and dissolute, and is a pacy and gripping read.