The Trump administration is based on the book " I, Claudius ".

[Kaleva]

[get the red out]

1. But

Is Trump Caligula or Nero?

[BlueMTexpat]

2. IMO, he is

more Caligula. But Trump has aspects of both.

[Kaleva]

3. He certainly isn't Augustus, Drusus, Germanicus, Herod or even Tiberius

More of a combination of Caligula and Nero.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. I think I'm putting Trump as Tiberius, with Putin as Livia, and Bannon as Sejanus

What we have to watch out for is who will be Macro, and who Caligula ...

[WinkyDink]

16. Wasn't Sejanus depicted as sexy?

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. I admit he was played by a young Patrick Stewart on the BBC

I can't remember sexiness being a plot point, though. I remember him as the man who got the Praetorian Guard to be the power behind the throne, endangering people they didn't favour, while Tiberius went a bit mad. Sejanus had imperial ambition himself, but eventually Tiberius got rid of him. Only for Macro, who was a pure thug, to take over the Guard, and help Caligula to take power.

[Kaleva]

19. I pick Kelly to be Marco and I agree with your saying Bannon as Sejanus

Trump-Caligula
Ivanka-Livia
Kelly-Marco
Bannon-Sejanus
Pence-Claudius
Jared-Tiberius

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. Keep in mind that you can rest assured that Trump never read the book.

And probably didn't see the amazing BBC adaptation of it. He simply hasn't the attention span.

It's possible some of his staff have read or seen it, but any similarities to either is purely coincidence.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

5. Now I will have to reread.......

the novels by Sir Robert Graves as well as watch the series.

[Kaleva]

6. Ivanka could be Livia

Working to ensure that Tiberius (Jared) ends up with all the power.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

8. Ivanka is more Julia than Livia .....

Ivanka is not ruthless enough to throw her weight to eliminate anyone who gets in Daddy's or Jared's way.

[Kaleva]

11. Bannon? Gorka? Scarmucci?

Ivanka might have played a hand in thier dismissals.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

12. Methinks......

More Jared's doing than Ivanka's. He and Bannon did not get along. But I could be wrong.

[PJMcK]

7. But who is Claudius?

In Graves' novel, Claudius is the unexpected cleverly manipulative savior of the Roman Empire. It's unclear who is in the background of our government that will end up as the leader.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

9. Robert Meuller comes to mind......

He has the moral appitude to remain uncorruptable.

[PJMcK]

13. Mueller's inauguration speech

"Friends, Americans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to indict Trump, not to praise him."

[Kaleva]

10. Claudius was a survivor because others thought him to be a simpleton....

and not a threat to their own ambitions. The Empire kind of fell into his lap because everyone else was killed off.

[PJMcK]

14. All true

In fact, Claudius was hardly a simpleton. He probably had a speech impediment or similar malady which was misunderstood at the time. His years as a leader were productive and he was a reasonably steady hand on the tiller of the Roman Empire.

[meadowlander]

17. Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out

I've been saying it since the inauguration.