The Rise and Fall of Emperor Nero: Power, Betrayal, and Chaos in Ancient Rome

Unlock the secrets of one of history's most notorious rulers, Emperor Nero, and witness the power plays, scandals, and tragedies that shaped his reign. You won't just hear about Nero's infamous reputation; you'll gain insights into the complex family legacy that propelled him to power. From his beginnings as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus to the dramatic events that marked his rule, our episode offers a comprehensive look into the life of a man driven by ambition, artistic passion, and political intrigue.

Journey through a web of deception and power struggles as we recount Nero's calculated rise to the throne. Discover the ruthless actions he took to eliminate threats, including the mysterious demise of his adopted brother, Britannicus, and his strained relationship with his manipulative mother, Agrippina. As Nero weaves through a court rife with betrayal and alliances, we explore his attempts to fortify his position through strategic alliances with the Praetorians and the general populace. Revel in the irony of Nero's governance, where public generosity was juxtaposed against personal indulgences and legislative maneuvers designed to maintain control.

As we unravel the full spectrum of Nero's rule, be prepared for a dramatic climax amid the chaos of rebellion and disaster. Experience the shockwaves of the Great Fire of Rome and the subsequent political fallout, including Nero's controversial scapegoating of Christians and the Pisonian Conspiracy. Delve into the empire's broader challenges, from Boudicca's fierce uprising in Britain to the brewing unrest in Judea and Nero's dismissive stance towards the looming rebellion led by Gaius Julius Vindex. This is a tale of an empire on the brink, with Nero's leadership standing at the crossroads of preservation and downfall.

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
The man known to history as the Emperor Nero was born Lucius
Demetius Ahenobabas on the 15th of December 37 AD at the
Imperial Villa in the Italian town of Antium.
Nero's father, Gnaeus Demetius Ahenobabas, was born sometime
around 2:00 to 1:00 BC to the prominent Ahenobabi clan.

(00:27):
Originally of the plebeian class, the family was raised to
ruling patrician status under Augustus and had produced many
consuls, the highest elected political office in the Roman
Republic. Ganes Demetius held the
consulship in 32AD for the entire year.
However, four years later, aftera fire tore through the Aventine

(00:49):
and Circus Maximus in Rome, the emperor Tiberius appointed him
to serve on a Commission set up to compensate those who had lost
their property to the blaze. In the closing months of
Tiberius reign, Gnaeus Timeteus found himself accused of incest
with his sister Demetia Lepida and of adultery with the
noblewoman Albusila in proceedings brought about by the

(01:12):
praetorian prefect Macro. But with Tiberius death and the
smooth succession of Caligula, Dimitius escaped prosecution.
Neera's mother, Agrippina the Younger, was the daughter of the
elder Vipsania Agrippina, motheralso of the emperor Caligula.
As such, Agrippina the Younger was also the great granddaughter

(01:34):
of the first Roman emperor Augustus.
Agrippina's father was the prominent Roman general
Germanicus. And a member of both the Julian
and Claudian clans. And so Agrippina had a
distinguished ancestry. She was born on the 6th of
November 15 AD in the Rhineland settlement of Ara Ubiorum during
one of her father's Germanic campaigns.

(01:57):
In 28 AD. When the Emperor Tiberius
returned to the mainland after his withdrawal to Capriati,
today's island of Capri, he arranged for the 13 year old
Agrippina to marry Demitius Ahino Babas.
Their first and only child, Nero, would be born nine years
later following Tiberius death in 37 AD Nero's birth was

(02:19):
accompanied by mixed omens. The delivery was traumatic for
Agrippina as it was a breech birth.
Contemporary philosopher Pliny the Elder noted that the only
person to have been born in sucha way who had ever made a
success of their life was the Roman general Marcus Agrippa, a
close friend to Augustus. But as Nero was finally

(02:40):
delivered, it is said that before he touched the ground for
the first time, he was touched by the rays of the sun.
Yet despite this positive omen, his horoscope was unfavorable
and purportedly 1 astrologer predicted that Nero would rule
but would kill his mother, to which she exclaimed, let him
kill me, only let him. Rule Nero was only two years old

(03:03):
when he was parted from his mother in 39 AD after she was
implicated in a plot against herbrother Caligula.
A number of leading men were executed in the wake of the
conspiracy, whereas both Agrapina and her sister Lavila
were sent into exile, Agrapina taking up residence on the
island of Pontia, where her older brother had served his own

(03:25):
exile. Initially, Nero stayed with his
father, but Ganesh Demetius Ahenababus had been suffering
from dropsy for a time, from which he died in January of
41AD. Nero was sent to live with his
aunt Demetia Lepida, mother of the soon to be Empress
Messalina, but despite her affections for the young boy, he

(03:46):
was subjected to a Spartan life thanks to Caligula.
When imposing exile on his sisters, Caligula had
confiscated their property, and not content with that, when
Nero's father died, he also tookNero's share of his inheritance.
Nero stayed with his aunt for only a short time, as on the
24th of January 41 AD, Caligula was assassinated.

(04:10):
Claudius became emperor the following day and quickly
recalled both Agrapina and Lavila from exile, restoring
their property to them. Following her return from exile,
Agrapina took her son back from the Mithia Lepida, appointing
him appropriate tutors placed under the supervision of the
freed men, former slaves Berylisand Anacitas, and began the

(04:34):
search for a new husband, setting her sights first on the
distinguished general Galba. However, Galba resisted her
advances, and instead she turnedto the wealthy older consular
Passienus Crispus, who at the time was married to Dimitia
Leopard's older sister, Dimitia the Elder.
Unlike Galba, Passienus, alreadydistinguished in himself, likely

(04:55):
saw the merits of a marriage to the daughter of distinguished
General Germanicus and married Agrippina sometime late in 41
AD, holding the pro consulship of Asia in 42 to 43 AD and
taking his second consulship in 44AD.
Pasianus's success continued, but he would be dead by 47 AD,

(05:16):
leaving his fortune to Agrapina.Some of the ancient sources
claim that Agrapina murdered herhusband after being made his
heir, but whether there is any truth to the claim cannot be
proven. The year of Pasianus's death
also marked the 800th year sincethe founding of Rome, and
accordingly Claudius held Centennial games to mark the

(05:37):
occasion. Both Claudius's son Britannicus
and Nero appeared at the games, taking part in the Lucius Troy
Eye equestrian event, but of thetwo it was Nero who received the
warmer reception. It has been suggested that this
adulation was orchestrated by agents of Akropina.
It clearly had a negative effecton Claudius's wife Messalina, as

(05:59):
did the rumor that she had sent assassins to kill the infant
Nero, who was saved by a snake, the skin of which he would wear
in a golden bracelet. Messalina had played her part
alongside her husband Claudius in removing those perceived as
rivals to his somewhat shaky claim to power, including
Agrippina's sister Lavila early in his reign.

(06:21):
After returning to exile late in41 AD, she was subsequently
executed, and so it is thought that during the years since her
return from her exile, Agrippinakept her head down in order to
avoid attracting Messalina's attention.
So much so that her actions during 41 to 47 AD have gone
largely unrecorded. Instead, Agrapina seemed to have

(06:45):
worked in such a way to keep attention from herself while
subtly building up Nero. The adulation for Nero garnered
a hostile reaction from Messalina, but by this point her
attention was elsewhere as she was engaged in an affair with
the consul designate Gaius Silius.
It was her later supposed bigamous marriage to the man in

(07:05):
48 AD that brought about her death and the end of the threat
to Agrippina and Nero. Whether Agrapina truly had
designs on Claudius during this period cannot be proven, but
following the death of Messalina, she emerged as the
favoured candidate for marriage to Claudius among those put
forward by his freedmen. Already in 48 AD she had had a

(07:29):
hand in Claudius's daughter Claudia.
Octavia's betrothal to Lucius Junius Solanus dissolved with
the aim of having Nero marry herinstead, but her own marriage
would come first. Engaging the assistance of
Vitalius, the long standing friend and colleague of
Claudius. The issue of their marriage was
brought before the Senate. Unions between uncle and niece

(07:51):
were considered incestuous by Roman standards, but Vitalius
extolled the union and the Senate voted to allow the
marriage and to the apparent joyof the people and senator like
Claudius gave his consent when he met the crowds in the forum,
and supposedly they were marriedthat same day early in January
49 AD. The betrothal of Nero and

(08:13):
Claudia Octavia quickly followed, as well as the recall
of Seneca from exile. This was seen as a reversal of
fortune for Seneca, who had beenexiled some years earlier on
the. Trumped up charge of adultery
with one of Claudius's relatives, Nero was formally
adopted by his now stepfather Claudius in 50AD, and in the

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following year, still only 13 years old, he took the toga
virilis or toga of manhood in March of that year.
But this wasn't the only honor bestowed upon him.
In the same month, he was designated to hold the
consulship in the year 56 AD, aswell as being granted pro
Consular Imperium or special command outside the city and

(08:57):
given the title of Prince EPS Juventutis or First in Order.
At the same time as promoting the advancement of her son,
Agrippina sought to isolate Claudius's natural son
Britannicus, and began systematically removing those
tutors, confidants and sympathizers that had surrounded
the young man, as well as convincing Claudius to revert

(09:17):
the office of Praetorian Prefectto a single position.
With the appointment of AfraniusBurruss, Nero's assumption of
the Toga Virilis marked his stepinto a public career, and in the
same year he made his first appearance in the Senate, giving
a speech of thanks to Claudius. In 52 AD, when Claudius was ill,

(09:39):
Nero once again spoke in the Senate, making vows for the
recovery of the aging emperor and promising to hold games
should he recover. Then in 53 AD, he appeared
before the Senate and Claudius to make petitions, some spoken
in Greek, on behalf of towns andcities throughout the empire
that required help to recover from disasters that had befallen

(10:01):
them, as well as pleading the case for roads to have their
freedom returned, which Claudiushad stripped.
In 44 AD, when Claudius left thecity to attend the annual Latin
Festival, Nero was appointed as prefect of the city, but 53 AD
also saw the of Agrippina's master plan when Nero married

(10:21):
Claudia Octavia, Claudius's daughter.
As Nero by this time had been adopted by Claudius, before the
marriage could take place, it was necessary for his daughter
to be adopted into another family, as once again the union
would otherwise have been considered incestuous.
But after the formalities of adoption were completed, the
marriage went ahead, and the games that Nero had promised for

(10:44):
Claudius was celebrated following the ceremony. 54 AD
opened with I'll Omens when a comet appeared in the sky.
Early in the year, charges of practicing magic and failure to
control her slaves were brought against Demetia Lepida, possibly
engineered by Agrippina, and so Nero's aunt was executed after

(11:04):
Nero himself gave evidence against her.
But hers was not the only prominent death that year, as on
the 13th of October it was announced that the Emperor
Claudius had died. The exact nature of his death is
unknown, but some sources suggest he was murdered either
by Agrapina using poisoned mushrooms, or her allies to

(11:24):
ensure Nero's succession. Although this cannot be
conclusively proven, the lead upto the announcement of
Claudius's death saw feverish preparations to secure Nero's
position. The Praetorian Prefect Boris had
already returned from camp that morning to prepare the guard and
following the announcement accompanied the 16 year old Nero

(11:45):
out of the palace, where he was greeted by the Pretorians at the
foot of the steps and hastily escorted to their camp.
At the Viminal Gate in the camp,Nero gave a speech to the
soldiers prepared by Seneca and was hailed as emperor, taking
the name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, before
promising A generous gift for each man of the God matching the

(12:09):
sun promised by Claudius on his own ascension.
Nero was then escorted to the Senate, where they granted him
the Tribunation power and Pro Consular Imperium, although as
with his predecessors, he initially declined the title of
Pater Patriai or Father of the Nation, only accepting it later
in 56AD. It was likely at this time that

(12:30):
Seneca received the title of Amicus Principus or Friend of
the Prince Apps, while the freedmen Beryllus and Anesthetus
were rewarded with the positionsof Secretary for Greek
Correspondence and Prefect of the Mycenium Fleet respectively.
It was expected that Claudius's will would be read at the Senate
meeting, but it was suppressed, and while a lot of conjecture

(12:53):
has been put forward, the contents remain a mystery.
It's unknown whether Britannicushad in any way been named in the
will. Laudius's funeral was an
elaborate affair arranged by Agrapina, taking place five days
after his death to allow for a period of lying in state before
processing to the Campus Martiusand the funeral pyre.

(13:14):
Nero gave the eulogy, the speechitself written again by Seneca,
and a short period of mourning was declared on the 19th of
October. The day after the funeral, Nero
went before the Senate and askedthat Claudius be deified, which
they granted, and preparations for the establishment of his
cult and temple construction were made.

(13:35):
Following the deification, Nero didn't hesitate to use the title
Divi Philius, or son of a God. Agrapina was granted honors from
the Senate, including the use oftwo lictors or bodyguards, and
made a priestess for Claudius's newly founded cult, and for a
time she appeared on imperial coinage both alone and in tandem

(13:57):
with her son. She is purported to have been
left to deal with much of the day-to-day running in the
beginning of Nero's reign. Her son even went so far as to
have Senate meetings held in thepalace so that she could listen
in on the proceedings, but she still had her eyes set on
dealing with potential rivals, although we cannot be completely

(14:17):
certain that she played a part. A short time after Nero's
ascension, Marcus Junius Solanus, governor of Asia and
brother to the deceased Lucius Junius Solanus, was killed while
at dinner, possibly by the equestrian procurator Seller and
Friedman Hellius, though no one was held to account for the
crime. By the end of the year,

(14:38):
Claudius's loyal Friedman Narcissus would also be dead.
In his first years as emperor, Nero swiftly gained a reputation
for generosity, sharing power ofthe Senate and ending closed
door political trials, though hewould also pursue his own
interests and largely left, ruling up to three key advisors,

(14:59):
his tutor the philosopher Seneca, the prefect Borus, and
also his mother Agrippina. In 55 AD, however, Agrippina's
face was taken off the coinage. Seneca had encouraged Nero's
independence from his domineering mother, which
prompted her to turn against himand promote her stepson
Britannicus as the true heir to the throne.

(15:20):
She also protested against Nero's affair with Papaya
Sabina, the wife of a friend, although Nero had openly praised
Claudius in his speech to the. Senate, he made some efforts to
distance himself from his adoptive father, repealing acts
such as the requirements that Questor designates public

(15:41):
officials should fund games fromtheir own pocket, and reviving
the Sincian law so that advocates receive no fee at all
from defendants rather than the 10,000 sisterses sent by
Claudius. Agrippina was aggrieved by these
actions, but Nero was undeterred.
He also began to emphasize linksto his natural father, Demitius

(16:03):
Sahino Barbos, asking the Senatethat a statue be granted to him
and having his birthday commemorated outside his house
each year. As a further sign of tension
between Nero and his mother, in 55 AD, he began an affair with a
former slave, Claudia Acte, and threatened to divorce Octavia.
While he didn't get that far, hedid live openly with Claudia

(16:26):
Acta, much to his mother's dismay.
Supposedly, Nero was assisted ininitially hiding his affair by
Seneca, who recruited the prefect Serenas to pretend to be
the woman's lover. While this may have worked in
public, Agrippina knew better and was unable to contain
herself from doling out abusive comments to the woman.

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But to further add to her anger,the former slave palace, who had
long been her ally, was dismissed from his post by Nero.
In that same year, Neros adoptedbrother Britannicus died.
Sources suggest that Nero had engaged the services of a
poisoner, Locusta, after the emperor had become suspicious of

(17:08):
Britannicus. Locusta was supposedly the same
poisoner who had supplied the toxin to dispatch Claudius,
echoing Claudius's final hours. The poison was said to have been
administered during a dinner party, and when it took effect,
Nero announced that Britannicus was suffering from one of his
epileptic seizures and would recover.

(17:29):
But after being removed on a stretcher, he died and was
hastily cremated the following day.
The murder. Was supposedly prompted by
Agrippina's threats to champion Britannicus over her own son
when the relationship began to deteriorate.
However, as with the charge of with murder, neither can be
conclusively proven. Despite ancient accounts

(17:49):
agreeing on murder, modern skepticism surrounds the events,
and as it is known that Britannicus did indeed suffer
from epilepsy, it remains possible that he did in fact die
as a result of his condition rather than foul play.
Following Britannicus's death, Agrippina sought to shore up her
position, finding an ally in hissister Claudia, Octavia, as well

(18:13):
as other wealthy and influentialindividuals and those among the
lower ranks of the Praetorians, having earlier lost Baras's
support when she insulted him. But Nero realized what she was
doing and sought to do the same,winning over the Praetorians
with an allotment of free grain.Nero went further still by
banishing his mother from the palace on the pretext that her

(18:36):
morning salutation or formal greeting was too disruptive.
Agrippina moved to her grandmother Antonio's house on
the Palatine. Then, in an effort to further
isolate her from the guard, Neroreformed their duties, which
culminated in Agrapina losing access to the guards assigned to
her and those around the palace.The reforms however, were made

(18:58):
in such a way that they couldn'tbe seen to be directly targeting
his mother, instead simply as making sure the Praetorians were
to be used purely for military purposes as well as the
Praetorians Nero. Also saw to it.
That Agrippina lost the use of the Germanic bodyguards assigned
to her shortly after his accession.

(19:21):
Perhaps seizing the opportunity of Agrippina's estrangement from
Nero and with scores to settle the ex-wife of Gaius Silas,
Junior Solana and Nero's aunt Demetria the Elder joined forces
against her. Nero was still on good terms
with his aunt and it was one of her former slaves, the actor

(19:41):
Paris, who supposedly presented charges to Nero of Maestas or
crimes against the emperor, targeting Agrippina and
rebellious. Plausus Tiberius's great.
Grandson Nero panicked and ordered the immediate execution
of his mother, but Burruss agreed only if the charges
against Agrippina could be proven, and so she was granted a

(20:04):
hearing, interrogated the following day by Boris in the
presence. Of Seneca and a number of freed
men as witnesses, Agrippina argued her case and was
subsequently heard by Nero, who concluded the matter by
dismissing the charges against her while showing clemency to
his mother. Nero was not so merciful to
those who had acted against her,and Junior Selana was exiled

(20:27):
while others were condemned to death away from the family
turmoil and day-to-day ruling ofthe empire, much of which
certainly at this time may have been designated to his advisors,
Seneca and Burris among them. Nero continued to indulge his
love for the arts and sports, continuing with his daily
lessons on the Sitara, a type ofliar, as well as writing songs

(20:49):
and learning poetry. While he was a great fan of the
chariot racing, he was not fond of gladiatorial combat, only
forcing himself to watch the competence as they fought to the
death. At nights, he would go out into
the streets in disguise, frequenting bars and causing
trouble among his friends. Although perhaps harmless at
first, these events would descend further into violence

(21:12):
and when the senator Julius Montanas apologized for
unknowingly hitting Nero during one of the attacks, he was
shamed to suicide, while another, Faustus Sulla, received
the punishment of exile when Nero wrongly suspected him of
trying to ambush him on another one of his jaunts. 56 AD saw a

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new piece of legislation come before the Senate looking at the
rights of freed men. It proposed that a law should be
passed giving patrons the right to re enslave disrespectful
freed men, which met with much support.
However, they did consult Nero on the matter before voting.
Nero, most likely guided by his advisors, wrote to the Senate

(21:54):
suggesting that as freedmen played roles throughout society,
their rights as a whole should not be diminished, but each
individual case should be assessed on its own merits,
which the Senate accepted. Nero held his second consulship
in 57 AD and embarked on the expensive construction of an
Amphitheatre in the Campus Martius.

(22:16):
The stone built foundations werefaced with marble, while the
main structure was constructed of wood and shaded with a sky
blue awning decorated with stars.
Construction projects were not his only target for spending and
ever willing to increase his support using his wealth, he
made a gift of 400 sistersies toeach citizen of Rome.

(22:37):
In the following year, when he held his third consulship,
complaints from farmers and those in the harbors about the
indirect taxes collected by the publicani or tax collectors
reached the emperor. Initially, Nero suggested
abolishing all indirect taxes throughout the empire.
However, it seems he was dissuaded from this action and

(22:57):
instead issued an edict to all the provincial governors and the
urban prater of Rome that all cases brought against the public
county were to be given priority.
In another show of generosity, Nero also improved the lot of
three senators who had fallen below the minimum wealth
requirement for membership of the Senate, granting them each a
generous gift, thereby satisfying the requirements.

(23:21):
Perhaps in part because of his generosity and good standing
with the Senate, they offered him the consulship for life,
which he declined. It was in the same year that the
notorious prosecutor Suelius Rufus faced charges relating to
his activities as a prosecutor during Claudius's rule.
Indeed, it was his string of prosecutions that prompted Gaius

(23:42):
Cecilius to raise the issue of reviving the Sincian Law, which
banned defendants paying oratorsto plead their case.
Rufus argued his position in front of Nero, stating that what
he had done had been on the orders of the late emperor.
But Nero found no mention of anyorders in Claudius's records,
and so Rufus changed tack, arguing that the orders had come

(24:05):
from Mesalina. But this claim, while it wasn't
challenged, didn't save him, andhe was exiled.
Of all the events in 58 AD, likely the one that occupied
nearer the most was his infatuation with Papaya Sabina,
a noble woman married to a member of the Roman aristocracy.
Some sources suggest her marriage to a man called Otto

(24:25):
was a sham to disguise their affair until such time as Nero
could divorce Claudia Octavia. Whatever the truth of the
matter, Otto was appointed as governor of Lusitania, located
in present day Portugal and Spain, where he was to remain
until the end of Nero's rule, leaving Nero free to continue
his affair with Papaya. Nero's mother, Agrippina

(24:47):
strongly opposed the idea of divorce, which was frowned upon
in Roman society. Angered by his mother's
intransigence and in the belief that she was plotting to murder
him, he ordered his mother to bekilled, but killing his mother
was not. To prove easy, Nero employed the
services of the Freedman Anesthetus who was in charge of

(25:08):
the Mycenum fleet, who also had a dislike for Agrippina.
Supposedly, the first plan Anesthetist devised involved a
mechanism placed into the ceiling of Agrapina's room,
which would loosen the supports and cause the ceiling to fall on
her while she slept. However, it seems the plan was
leaked and was scrapped. It was then that the idea of the

(25:29):
trick boat was conceived that would sink with Agrapina on
board. However, it should be noted that
given the implausibility of sucha craft, it is possible that
there was some confusion in the ancient sources when describing
the murder. The ACT was planned to take
place during the Festival of Minerva while Nero was at the
resort of Baye, and to this end,feigning A wish for

(25:53):
reconciliation, Nero invited Agrippina to join him, which she
accepted. Travelling by ship from Antium.
On the night that Agrippina dined with Nero, he showed her
much outward affection and when the banquet was concluded,
walked her down to the shore where the ship was waiting.
Agrippina is said to have casually reclined on board with

(26:14):
her friend Aseronia until the weighted canopy above them
collapsed, killing another companion instantly.
However, the crucial section failed to work.
Even so, Agrippina and Aseronia ended up in the water, and when
Aseronia called out for help, help claiming to be Agrippina,
she was quickly killed. Here the sources differ.

(26:36):
In one account, Agrippina swam to shore unaided but injured,
but in another she swam to some fishing boats who took her to
shore, and she made her way backto her villa at Baoli where,
feigning ignorance, she sent a messenger to her son reporting
the terrible accident. Nero was horrified to discover
she had survived the murder attempt on the boat and sent

(26:58):
three men to her villa to kill her.
Agrapina is said to have died looking her killers in the eye.
Before the fatal blow. She was said to have bared her
stomach and told her executionerto strike the womb that had
borne Nero. Officially described as a
traitor, she was denied a state funeral and was hastily cremated

(27:19):
and buried in an unmarked grave at the age of 43.
The incident damaged near his popularity, which he was never
to recover. Supposedly haunted by his deed,
Nero moved to Naples where he sent a letter to the Senate
written by Seneca, in which he outlined his complaint that
Agrippina had sought to bring power to herself and subvert the

(27:41):
loyalty of the Praetorians, people and Senate, and blamed
her for the scandals of Claudius's reign, culminating in
her attempt on Nero's own life following the accident on the
ship. Far from condemning Nero, it
seems that the Senate reacted with relief and sought to offer
their gratitude at her undoing, including voting annual games to

(28:02):
mark the Festival of Minerva to celebrate the foiling of
Agrippino's alleged conspiracy. Nero returned to Rome in June to
scenes reminiscent of a triumph and proceeded to the capital
where sacrifices were made to the Triad, Jupiter, Juno and
Minerva, as well as to Mars altar symbolizing a victory over

(28:23):
Rome's enemies. There seemed little I'll feeling
in Rome for Nero's deed, and thefew instances such as graffiti
and a farce performed by Datos were treated leniently.
Those that have been exiled during Agrippina's time as
Claudius's wife were allowed to return, and the ashes of Lolia
Paulina, the wife of former Emperor Caligula, were returned

(28:45):
to Italy and buried in a newly constructed tomb.
Free from the restraint of his mother, Nero was now able to
indulge his passions. He began spending extravagantly
and giving public performances as a poet and lyre player, and
encourage members of the upper classes to take dancing lessons.
Although this was regarded as unseemly, the Guyanam built by

(29:07):
Caligula on the far side of Romewas adapted so he could drive
Chariots away from public view. It has been suggested that this
concession was advised by Senecaand Burris to steer him away
from openly pursuing his other interests, which were considered
less masculine. However, it soon became known
what Nero was doing, and crowds gathered to cheer on the young

(29:30):
emperor. Perhaps buoyed by his apparent
support, Nero instituted the Juvenalia, or youth Games to
mark the shaving of his first beard, for which he had a
private theatre constructed in gardens across the Tiber.
Entrance to the games which followed.
The dedication ceremony in the Temple of Jupiter, where his
shown hair was gathered into a golden box and presented in the

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temple, was strictly by invitation only, so Nero could
be assured of a warm reception of his performances of song,
poetry and the lyre. But Nero was not the only one to
perform, as a number of the invited members of the nobility,
men and women alike, also took to the stage.
The same year, a group of equestrians was established, who

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became the emperor's companions,known as the Augustiani, who
would praise and applaud Nero's actions as they followed him.
It may also be around the time of the Juvenalia that Nero's
Ludi Maximi, a series of plays dedicated to the eternity of the
Empire, took place. It was at this event the tokens
were thrown into the crowd, which could be exchanged for a

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number of prizes, including jewels, slaves, horses and in
some instances even houses. 60 AD, The year in which Nero held
his fourth consulship, saw the establishment of more games,
Greek in style, when the inaugural Neronian Games came
into being, loosely modelled on those founded by Augustus in

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Greece after the victory at Actium, the festivities included
recitations and music, as well as athletics competitions that,
in keeping with Greek tradition,were performed naked.
Although Nero didn't perform in the games himself, he was still
awarded a number of first prizesfor Latin poetry and rhetoric,
only declining the prize for best performance on the lyre,

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instead placing it at the foot of a statue of Augustus as a
mark of respect to the first emperor.
Following the success of the games, construction of a large
public bathhouse and adjoining gymnasium began, but all was not
well with Nero, and purportedly in this year, as with the year
of Claudius's death, a comet appeared in the sky.

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It's been suggested that Nero may also have suffered from a
bout of ill health, raising the question of the succession.
Such was the speculation that Nero felt obliged to exile
rebellious Plautus quietly to his estates in Asia Minor,
seeing him as a rival given his descendancy from Augustus and
Tiberius. Rome saw both victories and

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defeats in the same year in Armenia and Britain.
General Corbulo was successful in conquering the Armenian
capital Artaxata which led to the installation of the pro
Roman Tigranis as King of Armenia.
But in Britain there was a very different story.
In the previous year the king ofthe Iceni, a client ruler of the

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Romans, Prasutagas died naming Nero as Co heir along with his
daughters in his will. However, in claiming the Kingdom
for the emperor, the heavy-handed tactics of the
financial procurator Catas Dessianas in plundering the land
and confiscating the weapons of the tribe did not go down well
with the widowed Queen Budoka, who tried to resist, but her

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efforts were futile and resultedin her being flogged and both
her daughter's being raped. Outraged by the conduct of the
Romans, the Iceni made common cause with the Trinovantes tribe
to the South, who had their own grievances against the Romans,
uniting against them. With the Governor Paulinus
engaged against the Druids in Anglesey, Buddeca defeated a

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special force which had been sent against them before
marching on Camela Dunam, sacking the town and removing
the head of a statue of Claudiusfrom Kamala Dunam.
They marched onto Londonium and then Verulamium, raiding both
towns and putting many citizens to the sword.
But in their fervor the tribes wasted the opportunity to cut

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off the under strength Paulinus who had returned ahead of the
bulk of his main force, allowinghim to join up with the men
marching down from Anglesey. Despite less in number, Paulinus
now had the advantage and proceeded against Buddhist army.
Unable to bring their numbers tobear against the Roman line, the
tribes were pressed against the Roman Shields, losing the

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advantage of the greater reach their swords provided, but
putting them in range for the Roman short swords designed for
stabbing to do their work. The tribal warriors fell in
droves until their resolve broke, but were hindered in
their retreat by a line of wagons they'd drawn up behind
them, overconfident in their ability to prevail against the

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legionaries. Following the defeat, Buddka
took poison to avoid falling into the hands of the Romans,
and the legionaries subsequentlytook retribution on much of the
area of eastern England that hadbeen involved in the rebellion,
causing a famine among the beleaguered communities.
The freed man Polyclitus was sent to assess the situation in

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Britain, and soon Paulinus was replaced as governor.
Archaeological evidence can be found in all three towns for the
raids by Buddhist forces. However, although the site of
the final battle between the twoarmies has never been
identified. In 62 AD, the way was now clear
for Nero to divorce Claudia Octavia, as Burris, who had

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always been staunchly opposed tothe idea, had died.
Nero rapidly pressed the case that Claudia Octavia had failed
to provide him with an air, However, as she had supplied the
link to Augustus that legitimized his claim as emperor
and also given her personal popularity.
The imperial bodyguard Tigalinassuggested the removal of two

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figures who could be seen as rivals.
Fausta Sulla, who was married toClaudia Antonia Claudius, other
daughter and rebellious plotterswho were both already in exile,
was summarily executed without trial, with Nero portraying them
as agitators. In less than two weeks, Nero
concluded his divorce and had married the pregnant Papaya.

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Demonstrations soon arose, however, when Claudia Octavia
was exiled to Campania. To quell the growing unrest,
Nero once again utilized the services of Anicetus, convincing
him to confess to adultery with Claudia Octavia, which he did.
For his services, he received a comfortable exile in Sardinia.
Claudia Octavia, on the other hand, was transferred to the

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island of Pandataria and executed a few days later, the
veins being opened to make it appear as a suicide, having not
produced an heir with Claudia Octavia.
The birth of Nero and Papaya's daughter Claudia in January 63
AD at the Imperial Villa in Antium was a joyous occasion for

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all. The Senate lavished honors upon
both Papaya and the infant, including the title of Augusta
for both of them, and a great many of the senators, upon
reaching the villa, were duly received into Claudia's
presence. However, the happiness wasn't a
last. When only a few months later
their daughter died, Nero's outpouring of grief was only
matched by the joy he had shown at her birth.

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Following Claudia's death, she was darefied.
But there were to be no more children for Nero and Papaya.
This same year, the gymnasium was said to have been struck by
lightning and destroyed by fire,burning so hot that a bronze
statue of Nero melted, although some place this event in the
previous year. By 64 AD, as the influence of

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Tigolinus and Papaire grew, there was a feeling of
discontentment among the nobles of Rome, but this didn't stop
Nero from pressing ahead and taking the leap to make his
debut artistic performance to the masses.
However, he chose not to performin Rome, instead selecting the
former Greek colony of Naples, as he believed that those of
Greek culture would appreciate his skills.

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It may have been due to his plans to perform, but his
Augustiani entourage was increased to 5000.
Individuals Demand to see his performance was huge and so the
event, which ran over several days, was held in an open air
arena rather than a theater to accommodate all those who wish
to see the emperor perform. Nero appeared for several days

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on end before the performances were cut short by an earthquake,
although it is said that Nero continued his act through the
1st tremor, not wishing to leaveit unfinished.
Only later that day, after the performers and audience had
vacated the structure, did it collapse.
Nero, unlike some, took this as a good omen and composed a poem

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giving thanks to the gods that no life was lost.
Following his performance in Naples, Nero then planned to
sail on to Greece, stopping at Beneventum where he was
presented with the news of the suicide of Decimus Yunus Solanus
Torquatus, brother to the deceased Marcus Yunus Solanus.
Nero had arranged for Torquatus to face charges of harboring

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imperial ambition before his departure for Naples.
Upon receiving the news, Nero lamented that had Torquatus only
forestalled his suicide in advance of condemnation, he
would have been spared by Nero'sown clemency.
Nero now changed his mind about the trip to Greece.
Although no explicit reason was given, it has been suggested

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that growing suspicions in the young emperor, coupled with
Torquatus's suicide, may have played a part.
It was on his return to Rome when he first started thinking
about making a trip to the East,in particular Egypt, and when he
reached the city, he assured thepeople that his trip wouldn't
keep him away for long and everything would continue to
operate as normal in his absence.

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Seeking to find the most favourable time for the journey,
Nero ascended the Capitol line, the smallest of the hills of
Rome, to venerate and make sacrifices to the gods, paying
particular attention to Jupiter and Apollo.
All seemed to be in his favor until he descended to the temple
of Vista and was overtaken by a seizure, which he interpreted as

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a poor omen from the guardian ofthe Roman people and promptly
cancelled the trip. Publicly, Nero gave the excuse
for the cancellation that he couldn't bear to be away from
his beloved people and instigated lavish celebrations
to demonstrate his feelings for his subjects.
Reportedly culminating in an orgy organized by Tigalinus and

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the mock marriage of Nero as thebride to Friedman Pythagoras,
which some among society considered to be an immoral
excess. The overindulgence of the
imperial court was soon to end, however, when on the 18th of
July 64, ADA fire started in theCampus Martius and quickly
spread through the shops and stalls surrounding it.

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It wasn't long before the blaze,driven by the wind, was
spreading up the Palatine Hill, engulfing everything in its
path, soon overtaking Nero's palace.
The emperor, however, wasn't in residence that night, but
staying in Antium, and was only made aware of the fire in the
early hours of the morning when a messenger arrived to convey
the news. Nero reacted immediately, riding

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for Rome. Rome had had a fire brigade
since 21 BC, and when Nero finally arrived in the city, he
set about organizing their efforts to help the population.
He opened up the buildings and temples on the field of Mars and
his own gardens, providing a safe space for the survivors to
rest, escape the flames, and tend to their wounds.

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Nero threw himself into the firefighting efforts for six
days until it seemed they had finally brought the situation
under control. Exhausted, those who had fought
the fire sought sleep, but it soon flared up again in the area
of Tigelina's property, raging for a further 3 days.
Of the 14 districts of Rome, only four escaped the ravages of

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the fire, with 75% of the city destroyed.
Popular legend claims Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
However, although he did allegedly weep copiously and
recite poetry at the disaster, if he had played an instrument,
it would most likely have been one similar to a liar.
In the aftermath of the fire, despite Neros efforts to bring

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in extra grain supplies and slash prices to provide the
populace with much needed food, he and his associates, including
Tegolinus, were blamed for the blaze.
In the days that followed, Nero went about the city to plan the
rebuilding and issued a number of reforms to regulations in an
attempt to make it a safer place.

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But suspicions grew when he tookfor himself a huge parcel of
land on which his massive new palace.
The 100 acre Domus Auria or Golden House, would be built at
the same time as planning for his new palace.
In response to the difficulties in supplying Rome with much
needed grain. A canal was planned to be dug

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from the Avenus Lake to Ostia, but the work was later
abandoned. Although it is unknown who
instigated it. The blame for the fire was
shifted onto the burgeoning sectof Christians who refused to
acknowledge the Roman gods, bringing the ire of the gods
down on the city. The number of Christians killed
is unknown, but they were subjected to cruel executions

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such as wearing garments soaked in pitch and burned alive, as
well as being torn apart by dogsor crucified.
But there was another serious outcome of the fire.
In 62 AD, shortly after his withdrawal, Seneca had been
linked with the senator Naeus Calpurnius Pisa in accusations
laid against him by the informerRomanus.

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Seneca successfully rebutted theaccusations, and little
attention was paid to them goingforward.
Piso, however, nursed serious resentments against Nero while
openly playing the role of his friend and in the aftermath of
the fire, with many seeing Nero as taking extravagant liberties
in his proposed rebuilding of the city and his own residence,

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he began recruiting other disenchanted senators to his
cause. Hiso attempted to recruit
Seneca, but was initially rebuffed, although seemingly not
out of loyalty to the emperor. Seneca was purported to have
only become involved when his nephew Anais Lucanus, better
known as the poet Lucan, joined the plot.
At the same time, a small numberof officers within the

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Praetorians, including the second prefect, Phineas Rufus,
were also talking of conspiracy.The two groups met, but what
discussions they had ended in stalemate, with neither able to
act without the support of the other.
But the decision was taken out of the hands of both sides by
the freedwoman Epicarus, the lover of Lucan's father Enes

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Mehler, when she tried unsuccessfully to recruit a
captain of the Mycenium fleet, Volusius Proculus, who betrayed
her to Nero. Epicarus was held in custody as
Nero was holidaying in Bai, but fear of what would be said once
she passed into the hands of Tigolinus prompted action by the
conspirators. The initial plan of Piso

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murdering Nero as he visited hisvilla was rejected, likely out
of fear that another would supplant him as candidate for
emperor with his absence from the city.
The conspirators finally settledon the festival of series in
April 65 AD to eliminate Nero with Piso thereafter to be taken
to the Praetorian camp by the prefect Rufus to be hailed as

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emperor. But the plot was betrayed by one
of the conspirators. Nero didn't hesitate in ordering
the execution without trial of Pisa, who for his part did not
resist committing suicide when the Praetorians sent to deal
with him arrived at his door. But when it came to Seneca, this
seems to have been some reluctance on the emperor's
part, even after he was joined by Papaya and Tigalinas, who

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both had reasons to wish for Seneca's death.
And instead of ordering his execution, he sent the
Praetorian tribune Sylvanus, whowas among the conspirators, to
find out what he had to say. But.
And by the time Sylvanus returned to Nero with Seneca's
response, the situation had evolved.
And when Lucan's part in the conspiracy was revealed,
Sylvanus was sent back to Senecawith a warrant for either his

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arrest or suicide. Despite the tribune's delay in
seeking the advice of Rufus on whether to present the warrant,
he did go to Seneca in order to keep the Praetorian's complicity
in the plot secret. On receiving the warrant, Seneca
is supposed to have lamented that Nero murdered his mother
and brother. Now he has nothing worse left to

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do than kill his foster father and mentor.
Seneca's involvement in the plotis attested in various sources,
but many modern historians view his involvement as unlikely.
Of the approximately 40 conspirators, at least 17
received the death penalty, while others were pardoned or
exiled. Rufus was beheaded and replaced

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in his position as prefect by Nymphidius Sabinus for his part
in revealing the conspiracy. The Freedman Milicus was
rewarded with wealth and the title of savior.
One of those who died was Epicarus, who committed suicide
to escape the torture she was subjected to now.
Nero turned on those who sought to vote him honors after the

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foiling of the conspiracy and had his agents actively search
out possible conspiracies against him.
In the years that followed, bothfriends of the emperor and those
who opposed him would face death.
Among the victims would be Claudia Antonia, the last
surviving child of Claudius, whowas denounced and sentenced to
death for a supposed part in theconspiracy after refusing Nero's

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offer of marriage. To add to Nero's woes, 65AD also
saw the death of his beloved wife, Papaya.
It has long been said that in a fit of rage, Nero kicked the
pregnant Papaya to death after she chastised him for returning
late from the races. There is nothing to suggest this
is more than a malicious rumor. The likely true 'cause of her

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death is natural, as early into her pregnancy she miscarried and
began hemorrhaging and couldn't be saved.
Rejecting traditional Roman riteof cremation, Nero instead chose
to have prepare embalmed in the style of Egyptian royal women
and delivered her eulogy himself.
Nero married for the third time in 66 AD to Statilia Messalina,

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the widow of the consular Vestinas Atticus, who had been
forced to commit suicide in the aftermath of the Piso
conspiracy. In the same year, Nero finally
embarked on his postponed trip to Greece.
Making his feelings towards the Senate clear, Nero appointed the
Freedman Helius and Polyclitus to manage affairs in his
absence, with assistance from the prefect Nymphidius.

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The thin ranks of senators did not oppose his decision, and
Nero and his huge entourage tooktheir leave of the city in
September, sometime after Nero'sarrival in Greece.
He invited Corbulo to join him in Corinth in 67 AD, and the
general duly accepted his offer.But instead of being welcomed by
the emperor, he was met by a warrant for his suicide, likely

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for his connection to Venecianus.
Corbulo didn't resist and ended his life shortly after.
The commanders of the Rhine armies, the brothers Rufus and
Proculus Scribonius, who may have been in correspondence with
Corbulo, received similar warrants and both committed
suicide. Before leaving Rome, Nero had
sent word ahead to the Greeks that he wished to participate in

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all of their festivals, and so the timetable was changed to
accommodate the emperor. He spent his time travelling
around the country performing atvarious festivals and was
awarded in the region of 1800 prizes, even receiving a prize
for his driving of a 10 horse chariot, which ended in an
accident which he was lucky to survive.
However, supposedly still haunted by the memory of his

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mother and the avenging deities,the Furies, he refrained from
visiting either Athens or Eleusis.
It was during this trip that he met the slave Sporus, who was
sent to resemble his wife Papayaso much that the boy was
castrated and married to Nero. Calvia Crispinilla, a woman of
noble birth, was placed in charge of Sporus's wardrobe with

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instructions to dress him in only the finest clothing, the
fitting of Papaya, and to ensurehis hair and makeup made him the
very image of his deceased wife.His tour culminated in N67 AD in
his giving Greece its freedom inthe sense that the entire
province was released from the burden of taxes due to the
empire. As a further gesture, Nero laid

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plans and dug the first shovel full of earth for the proposed
canal through the Corinth Isthmus.
However, as with the earlier Avenus Canal, the work was not
to be completed, but Nero's actions in Greece were viewed as
favoritism and proof of his Hellenic leanings.
As well as making yet another show of his lavish spending
habits and only caused further resentment towards him. 67 AD

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not only witnessed Nero's achievements in Greece, however,
as trouble had been brewing in Judea and other areas of the
Jewish diaspora during the previous year, including the
massacre of a Roman Garrison at Masada early in 67 AD, it
descended into full scale war following the murder of the
Syrian governor. A new governor was installed and

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Vespasian was put in command of three legions in order to quell
the violence. Vespasian was successful in his
campaigns, reaching Jerusalem inthe summer of 68 AD, but victory
would not be achieved until two years after Nero's death in 70
AD, with some resistance continuing in 73 AD.
His visit to Greece was supposedto have lasted 2 years, but

(51:33):
matters were declining in Rome. Helius attempted several times
to persuade Nero to return to the imperial capital, but the
emperor ignored him. It was only when he travelled to
Greece to meet Nero in person that he was persuaded of the
gravity of the ill feeling back in Rome and at last agreed to
return. But Nero still made time to

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enjoy a triumph in Naples and again upon reaching Rome, where
he drove Augustus's own triumphal chariot.
But he didn't remain in the cityfor long and spent the spring of
68 AD in the Bay of Naples. His break was interrupted by
news that the governor, Gaius Julius Vindex, A Romanized Gaul,
had rebelled and was raising an army of Gauls, but it seems that

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the news did little to trouble him, and he delayed in forming
the Senate for some time. Again.
He showed little concern when hefinally met the Senate in a
completed section of the Domus Auria in the heart of Rome,
preferring to discuss the engineering of his new palace
rather than the rebellion. But Moore was to follow when on

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the 2nd of April, Galba proclaimed loyalty for the
Senate instead of Nero and beganbuilding up his strength by
recruiting a second legion underhis command.
And quickly he found support among other governors, including
Otto, who was still in Lusitania.
Nero's response was to name himself as sole surfact consul

(52:59):
and instruct 3 legions on the Rhine to March on the rebels
besieging Lugdunum, while those legions in Italy were sent N
dividing the forces between the defence.
Of the river PO and sending someinto Gaul, Nero supposedly
considered accompanying the Italian legions, but not in a
military capacity, instead having musical instruments

(53:20):
loaded into wagons for the entertainment of troops.
As well as. Providing them with concubines
who were to play the part of Amazon warriors at a safe
distance from any battle. But it seems he gave up on the
idea. However, things quickly grew
worse when the commander of the Rhine legions, Virginias,
supposedly allied himself with Vindex, although the alliance

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unravelled the next day. When the legions slaughtered
20,000 of the Gauls, leading to Vindex's suicide, Virginias,
despite being hailed as Imperatorepeatedly by his troops,
refused to lead them into Italy and instead wrote to the Senate
to state his intention. Of waiting for their orders.

(54:03):
As the week's wore on, Nero seemed to have been planning to
move a number of legions and wasmaking arrangements to travel to
Alexandria to bring a large enough force back to act in the
protection of Italy. But behind the scenes,
Nymphidius was making his own plans for Nero's downfall in
concert with an agent of Galba. An advance party was sent ahead

(54:25):
to Alexandria, likely on the advice of Nymphidius, comprising
many of Nero's freed men and Germanic bodyguard, leaving only
the Praetorians under the prefect to guard the emperor,
and when he instructed them to escort him to Ostia, they
refused. Nero went to bed that night,
still guarded, but waking in thenight he found both the

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Praetorians and many of his servants gone.
Finding the palace almost deserted, he fled with two
freedmen, Phaeon and Dipaphroditis and Sporus, making
for Phaeon's villa outside Rome.Later that night, news reached
the villa that Nero had been deposed in favour of Galba and
declared a Public Enemy, and would face the ancient

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punishment of being paraded through the streets naked and
beaten to death with staves. Epaphroditus suggested suicide.
At dawn on the 9th of June, Nerowent outside the villa and with
Epaphroditus helped stab himselfthrough the throat just as
soldiers arrived to take him into custody.
Supposedly shortly before he died, he uttered the words What

(55:29):
an artist dies here. His body was claimed by Claudia
Acte and prepared by her and twoof his nurses from childhood
before being quietly cremated. His ashes were placed in the
Domitian family tomb. With Nero's death, the Julio
Claudian line came to an end, but soon Rome would be plunged
into turmoil with the civil war in the following year that has

(55:51):
become known as the Year of the Four Emperors.
Nero's reign was divided into two parts by the ancient
historians, the good and bad years, the turning point
beginning with the death of Agrapina.
Ascending to the Principate at ayoung age through the
maneuvering of his mother, he was assisted in his rule
extensively by his advisors. Much of what he did in these

(56:15):
early years was undoubtedly influenced by Seneca and Boras,
and less and less by Agrapina astime went on, and so it is
difficult to truly assess Nero as an independent ruler in his
own right. In the beginning he was popular
and enacted a number of reforms and decrees that benefited the
people of the empire from all ranks.

(56:35):
From the outset he chose to workwith the Senate and banned the
much feared Maestas trials whichhad caused the deaths of many.
His love of the arts provided the grateful masses with popular
entertainment, although gladiatorial combat was somewhat
reduced in favour of the theatreand chariot races which Nero
preferred. His building projects as well

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initially were to the benefit ofall and included a market and
the large public baths and gymnasium, as well as continuing
with the construction of the Ostia harbour begun under
Claudius. He also took steps to ensure the
grain supply, although his canalproject would be later abandoned
after the murder of his mother, followed by the loss of Boris

(57:18):
and the withdrawal of Seneca. Those that were close to him
were of the more malign in influence and the lavishness of
his court was resented by many. Even more so after the fire for
which he was blamed when he claimed a huge parcel of land to
build the 100 acre Domus Oria Golden House palace complex.

(57:38):
Taxation for the rebuilding of Rome and the subsequent reform
that allowed him to confiscate the wealth of those who hadn't
made provision for him in their will only served to make him
more unpopular. With the restraint of his former
advisors gone, Nero was free to indulge his follies, and while
others of the nobility took to the stage, many despised Nero

(58:01):
for his assault on Roman virtues.
Although the prosecutions under Nero did not amount to the
numbers seen under previous emperors, in the later years no
one was safe as his suspicions deepened and took hold, even his
old tutor Seneca, who had been held in high regard for years.
Ultimately, Nero's Hellenic leanings and lavishness sealed

(58:23):
his downfall when, after surviving 2 senatorial
conspiracies, he was brought down by the very man he relied
upon for his protection. What do you think of Emperor
Nero? Should he be remembered and
vindicated for the good years ofhis rule, or does he deserve the
reputation of the man who fiddled while Rome burned that

(58:44):
has come down to us through the ages.
Please let us know in the comments section and in the
meantime, thank you very much for watching.