Lowery, Zoe and Julian Morgan. Nero. Part of the Leaders of the Ancient World series. 2017. 112p. ISBN 978-1-5081-7256-7. Available at B NER on the library shelves.
Famously known for his evil ways and for fiddling while Rome burned, Nero is a complex character that earned a reputation for wanton violence. However, all that we know of him was written by critics following his death, so there are several questions as to the legitimacy of these claims of villainy against him. There are no questions, however, that his reign as emperor of Rome was plagued with deaths and that the economy suffered as a result.
A descendant of Julius Caesar, Nero was to be the last emperor to be related to Caesar and Augustus. His mother, Agrippina, was a schemer who worked tirelessly so that her son would inherit the throne. When this was finally secured following the death of Claudius, she helped Nero govern. He eventually tired of her, however, and had her poisoned. One of the few restraining hands on his propensity for violence, her removal effectively allowed Nero to do whatever he wanted.
Unlike most Romans, Nero was fascinated by sports and by the arts. He played instruments and engaged in acting, two activities that were considered by upper-class Romans to be undignified. Nero spent time in Greece indulging in these passions, while Rome drifted. He rebuilt Rome following a fire that destroyed most of the city, but he also took several prime properties to build himself a large palace. He persecuted Christians, not for their religious beliefs but for the political expediency of having a group he could scapegoat.
His return to Rome heralded yet more deaths as his critics were either killed off, exiled, or forced to commit suicide. The execution of popular generals led to an open revolt from the army, which marched on Rome. Nero’s lack of military experience, his desire for self-aggrandizing, and his lack of respect for Roman dignity and customs meant that he had no allies when assassins finally came for him. A complicated figure, Nero remains one of the most controversial Roman emperors.
Titles in the Leaders of the Ancient World include:
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