▁I , ▁Claud ius ▁by ▁Robert ▁Gra ves — based ▁on ▁T ac it us ' ▁in nu endo — L iv ia ▁is ▁port rayed ▁as ▁a ▁thoroughly ▁Mach ia vel li an , ▁sch em ing ▁political ▁master mind . ▁ ▁Det erm ined ▁never ▁to ▁allow ▁republic an ▁govern ance ▁to ▁flower ▁again , ▁as ▁she ▁felt ▁they ▁led ▁to ▁cor ruption ▁and ▁civil ▁war , ▁and ▁devoted ▁to ▁bringing ▁T iber ius ▁to ▁power ▁and ▁then ▁maintain ing ▁him ▁there , ▁she ▁is ▁involved ▁in ▁nearly ▁every ▁death ▁or ▁dis gra ce ▁in ▁the ▁Jul io - Cla ud ian ▁family ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁death . ▁ ▁On ▁her ▁death bed ▁she ▁only ▁fear s ▁divine ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁all ▁she ▁had ▁done , ▁and ▁sec ures ▁the ▁promise ▁of ▁future ▁de ification ▁by ▁her ▁grand son ▁Claud ius , ▁an ▁act ▁which , ▁she ▁bel ieves , ▁will ▁guarantee ▁her ▁a ▁bl iss ful ▁after life . ▁ ▁However , ▁this ▁portrait ▁of ▁her ▁is ▁bal anced ▁by ▁her ▁inten se ▁dev otion ▁to ▁the ▁well - be ing ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ▁as ▁a ▁whole , ▁and ▁her ▁mach in ations ▁are ▁just ified ▁as ▁a ▁necessarily ▁cruel ▁means ▁to ▁what ▁she ▁firm ly ▁cons iders ▁a ▁noble ▁asp iration : ▁the ▁common ▁good ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ans , ▁achiev able ▁only ▁under ▁strict ▁imperial ▁rule . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁BBC ▁television ▁series ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁book , ▁Liv ia