Tyrants of the History: Nero

Nero Claudius Cae­sar Augus­tus Ger­man­i­cus, also named Nero Claudius Cae­sar Drusus Ger­man­i­cus, was the 5th and last Emperor of the Julio Claudian dynasty. He was the only son of Gnaeus Domi­tius Aheno­bar­bus and Agrippina Juventa, sis­ter of emperor Caligula. (The sickness was in the blood) Nero was adopted by his uncle to become heir to the throne. As Nero Claudius Cae­sar Ger­man­i­cus, he made it to the throne on Octo­ber 54, after Claudius’s death.

Nero reigned from 54 to 68, focusing much of his efforts on diplo­macy, commerce, and improving the cul­tural cap­i­tal of the Roman world. He instructed the build­ing of theaters and promoted sport games. His reign included a suc­ces­ful war and nego­ti­ated peace with the Parths, the sup­pres­sion of the British uprising and increasing rela­tions with Greece. The First War against Israel started dur­ing his rule. One year later a military coup drove Emperor Nero away from his throne. Facing exe­cu­tion, he cut his throat on 9 June 68.

Nero’s reign is associated with extreme tyranny and unimaginable extrav­a­gance. He is well known for ordering a great num­ber of exe­cu­tions, includ­ing those of his mother and foster brother, as the Emperor who “fid­dled while Rome burned”, and as an fierce per­se­cu­tor of the first Chris­tians. This image of him is based upon the main sur­viv­ing sources for Nero’s reign - Dio Cas­sius, Tacitus and Sue­to­nius. Very few sources paint Nero in a favor­able light.