Drusus Nero

Wow , I didn't realise until now how important bread was to the standard Roman diet, I suppose they didn't have much money to spare for meat.

I read in a book recently that many working-class Romans (and non-citizens too I guess) didn't have individual kitchens in their tenament blocks. Because of the ever present risk of fire their landlords decided to leave out building a kitchen area in the apartments. Instead the people tended to buy ready cooked food from street vendors and either eat it straightaway or take it home to eat. This is just like today, back then there must have been quite a few takeaways in the markets and main shopping areas, yet they didn't seem to have the same problem we have. It occurs to me that we need to discover the secret they had for not putting on weight. I often see the news reports on the nation's growing obesity epidemic, if the Romans ate as much fast food as we do now how did they stay so thin?.

The Julio-Claudians were most certainly the best ruling family.

I've just had a blast of inspiration , what about Johnny Depp?, of course he'd need to dye his hair if he wanted the role.

McDowell gave a fair rendition - and was perhaps helped along the way by the fact that he bears more than a passing resemblance to the real emperor - or at least I have also thought so. The film could have been handled so much better, however. Jay Robinson, I have to disagree with. I honestly thought his performance was appallingly over-acted, and he turned Caligula into a caricature, which is precisely the fault Hurt avoided. Hurt, for me, was the best for balance, as he had the humour and the tyranny, and his performance was - in several places - beautifully understated. And yet, I suppose - the best portrayal has yet to come. Once dramatists ditch the 'insanity' tag totally, we may get a very different, far more chilling character than any that have been viewed so far. Yes, Augusta, I think you're right McDowell does look alot like Caligula, perphaps that's why they chose him?.

I haven't decided which actor was better at playing Caligula from the different versions I've seen. Is it fair to count Malcolm McDowall in the list?, because the film "Caligula" didn't turn out as it should have done, although that was more the fault of how it was finally edited into a softporn film. Jay Robinson was quite good in "The Robe", the very image of madness, and how too much power corrupts a weak minded ruler. John Hurt played him in almost the same vein in "I, Claudius", although at the same time he did show a more gentle side this man's nature, I suppose a programme has more time to expand upon a character than a film does?.

I've just read it and think Suetonius was a brave man to have included all the sordid details in his book. What I mean by that is he probably counted respected public figures amongst his friends, and if they thought he would publish their secrets in one of his books, it might not make him very popular.

Has anyone else read "The Twelve Caesars" by Michael Grant?, I read it years ago and thought it was very interesting. It gives an in-depth profile of each Emperor, starting with Julius Caesar and his subtle erosion of the Republic, it really digs up all the details and gossip.

I want to thank you, Augusta, for the gracious welcome. I enjoyed reading your review of the show, it was very good, it sums up the whole premise of the story Robert Graves wanted to put across. By the way, did you know Robert Graves was a friend of George Baker?, and used to visit the cast on set when they weren't filming.

So am I, I'm in Kent, where are you?.

Do you think that's what George Bush and the Republican party have in mind?.

I would have like to have been a friend of the Emperor Claudius, to have discussed politics with him, and find out what he was really like. Or failing that I would have wanted to be a soldier in one of the legions led by Tiberius, when he was a serving officer, from what I've heard he was a hard task master. He led the army to countless victories in the best Roman tradition.

Yes, I think you're right, the way Caligula was played was spot on . I've read the book twice and I think most of the important plotlines were included in the programme. I enjoyed Rome too, particularly the way they showed how the lives of Caesar and Anthony were so closely linked to the destinies of the ordinary soldiers.

I think "I, Claudius" is the best Roman Empire drama I've ever seen. The way the political intrigue and suspense was played out in each episode was amazing.