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DO YOU WANT TO SIT NEXT TO A TWITCHING IDIOT ALL DAY?
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| As the dinner party breaks up and the younguns take their leave, Claudius twitches and drools his good-byes to Livia. Livia's frustration is encapsulated in her "What shall we do about Claudius?" This query does have historical evidence. Suetonius includes excerpts from the correspondence of Augustus in his Life of Claudius as evidence for Augustus' estimation of Claudius. The letters address the question of Claudius' physical and mental deficiency, ability to hold public offices, attendance at public events (specifically the Festival and Games of Mars and the Latin Festival). In the first letter Augustus is quite anxious to resolve these matters. In this scene, Pulman makes Livia the one eager to settle the question once and for all; Augustus is willing to put off the decision. This tone seems to come from the novel. Augustus' suggestion, that he assess the situation after having dinner with Claudius, is also supported by Suetonius. The emphasis on a decision being made before the games does appear in the letter to Livia quoted by Suetonius. Suetonius also documents Livia's utter disgust at the sight of her grandson Claudius, whose presence she avoided. | ||||