Wrote 20 volumes (asked for 2)
When Claudius's publisher asked him to write a 2-volume history of the Etruscans, he produced 20 volumes instead.
Snapshot · Fin vs History
Not All Roman Emperors Are Visible | Claudius (Part 1)
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Jun 22, 2026
Where this was said
Eamonn Holmes
At 34:20 · chapter starts 33:41
Fin Taylor outlines Claudius's scholarly life in detail: he is placed under the tutelage of Livy, the great Roman historian, and asked to write a two-volume history of the Etruscans. He writes twenty. He attempts to write an account of Rome since Augustus, but is told off by his grandmother because airing recent imperial family drama is politically dangerous. His writing career fizzles into politically safe territory. Through it all, Claudius is 'steaming in the basement,' as Fin puts it, writing what amounts to manifestos while excluded from power. The hosts compare him to the classic archetype of the bullied nerd biding his time. The 1970s BBC series 'I, Claudius' — described as the Succession of its day — is introduced: Derek Jacobi played Claudius, Christopher Biggins played Nero. A brief rabbit-hole about a young Biggins looking like 'gay Rowan Atkinson' follows.
The Nerd in the Basement
Denied any political role by Tiberius three times, Claudius retreats to history books and writes 20 volumes when asked for two. He writes manifestos alone in the basement while the empire goes on without him — the classic nerd-bides-his-time archetype.
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