The EconomistApril 4th 2020 Books & arts 75A
rich familytakes control of one of the
world’s two superpowers and rules for
generations with the aid of a compliant
Senate. That is not the plot of a 21st-century
political satire but of “I, Claudius”, a British
television drama of the 1970s about the Ro-
man imperial family, based on novels by
Robert Graves.
The series features some ter-
rific actors such as John Hurt (as
Caligula), Patrick Stewart (as Se-
janus, a scheming consul) and,
in the title part, Derek Jacobi as
the stuttering, lame emperor.
Brian Blessed, normally a very
hammy performer, is marvel-
lously effective as Augustus.
Siân Phillips plays his tricksy
wife, Livia.
Apart from the acting, two
things make the show a pleasure
to revisit in isolation. The first is
that this is just the right kind of
history to dramatise: familiar-
sounding but only half-remem-
bered. Most people will have
heard, if dimly, of Augustus, Tiberius, Ca-
ligula and Nero; the Roman Empire is still
revered. Second, this is soap opera on a
grand scale, featuring murder, madness,
incest and betrayal. It is “Game of Thrones”
without the dragons and direwolves.
The story is told in flashback by the aged
Claudius as he recalls the (literally) poison-
ous feuds that engulfed his family and re-
sulted in his unlikely ascent to the imperial
throne. Indeed, he only becomes emperor
because the praetorian guard needed a rul-
er to justify their existence, after the assas-
sination of Caligula. In a speech to a doubt-
ful Senate, Claudius says: “As for being
half-witted: well, what can I say, except
that I have survived to middle age with half
my wits, while thousands have died with
all of theirs intact. Evidently, quality of
wits is more important than quantity.”
Many scenes stick in the mind 40 years
after they were first broadcast. In one, Livia
carefully explains to Augustus how she has
poisoned him with fruit from a fig tree, as
Mr Blessed stares in mute, unblinking si-
lence for what seems like five minutes. In
another, Claudius’s mother, Antonia, im-
prisons her daughter, Livilla, after the lat-
ter killed her own husband. As Livilla
screams, Claudius asks, “How can you
leave her to die?” “That’s her punishment,”
his mother answers. “How can you bear to
sit out here and listen to her?” Claudius
says. Antonia replies, “And that’s mine.”
Gulp this down now, and you will need
to make allowances. The 1970s were an era
of limited budgets, so the series was shot in
the studio; vast Roman legions are repre-
sented by half a dozen soldiers. But the
story is so compelling that it overcomes
these shortcomings. It is, above all, a med-
itation on the corrupting influence of abso-
lute power. Place all authority in the hands
of one individual, and society is at risk
from his follies and petty jealousies. Even
the well-meaning Claudius is betrayed by
almost everyone he trusts and, in his dying
moments, learns that his dreams of a resto-
ration of a republic will be dashed. 7Ancient Rome is a memorable setting
for a saga of bloodshed and intrigue
“I, Claudius”
A family affair
“T
he beautyof poker,” writes David
Sklansky in the introduction to “The
Theory of Poker”, perhaps the best book
written about the best card game invented,
“is that on the surface it is a game of utter
simplicity, yet beneath the surface it is pro-
found, rich and full of subtlety.” Cooped-up
children can learn the rules in just a few
open hands—that is, rounds played with
all cards visible and all moves explained.
The lessons they glean will last a lifetime.
To sceptics, poker conjures up images ofcasinos, late nights and smoky back
rooms—all places inappropriate for kids.
That outmoded caricature need not trouble
people playing in quarantined homes, at
reasonable hours and without cigars. And,
yes, poker is a form of gambling, but it is
primarily a game of skill and nerve.
Luck plays a larger role than in purely
skill-driven games such as chess, but that
is what makes poker so appealing for put-
upon parents: you will be a better player
than your children, but they will still win
often enough to keep them interested. As
Mr Sklansky puts it, “The 500th best player
could easily win a [poker] tournament. By
contrast, the 500th best golfer is not going
to win a golf tournament.”
There are enough variations for chil-
dren to pick personal favourites; in other
words, like literature and music, it offers
them a chance for self-expression within a
shared passion. Just as a parent thrills to
see their offspring reading, even if what the
child chooses to read is not what the adult
would, a poker-enthusiast parent will hap-
pily play Five-card Draw with his child,
even if he prefers Texas Hold ‘Em.
The goal is always straight-
forward: amass a better five-
card hand than your oppo-
nents. But the paths to success
are many and divergent.
Sometimes it involves bluff-
ing, a practice that, initially,
children embrace with lunatic
enthusiasm. A parent may feel
guilty about taking all his
child’s chips the fourth time
the kid goes all-in with noth-
ing higher than a nine. Persist:
eventually, they will learn that
they cannot always lie their
way to victory, and that some-
times the wiser action is to
withdraw from the fight. They
will also learn the corollary of
that lesson: sometimes bluffing works.
Soon they will figure out how to read
their opponents—observing that cocki-
ness can be a cover for weakness, and reti-
cence a ploy to tempt others into overconfi-
dence. They will see that a lost hand is not a
lost game, and a lost game today does not
augur the same tomorrow. In poker, as in
life, the race is not always to the swift, and
chance and bad beats (losing a winnable
hand) happeneth to one and all.
But the only way they will learn any of
these lessons is if they hurt. After a few
practice rounds with matchsticks or tooth-
picks, the stakes must be actual money—
and adults must keep it when they win.
This may be difficult: children come into
the world lovable but broke, and no parent
wants to further impoverish their own. On
the other hand, children are also expen-
sive. Consider any victory a partial repay-
ment for their upbringing. 7The joys of teaching poker to your kidsAll-in togetherGambling with the
future
home
entertainment