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May 7, 2024 · Nero (born December 15, 37 ce, Antium, Latium—died June 9, 68, Rome) was the fifth Roman emperor (54–68 ce), stepson and heir of the emperor Claudius. He became infamous for his personal debaucheries and extravagances and, on doubtful evidence, for his burning of Rome and persecutions of Christians. Upbringing
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 9, 2009 · Emperor Nero is best known for his debauchery, political murders, persecution of Christians and passion for music and the arts.
Apr 22, 2021 · Nero was the 5th emperor of Rome and the last of Rome's first dynasty, the Julio-Claudians, founded by Augustus (the adopted son of Julius Caesar). Nero is known as one of Rome's most infamous rulers, notorious for his cruelty and debauchery. He ascended to power in AD 54 aged just 16 and died at 30.
- Did Nero really 'fiddle while Rome burned'? This is the most famous story about him: as Rome blazed, the emperor enjoyed the spectacle while he played his lyre (his 'fiddle' as later ages put it).
- But what about the rumour that he actually started the fire? That is almost certainly false. It goes back to the fact that he used some of the parts of the city destroyed in the blaze to build himself a vast new palace, called his 'Golden House' or Domus Aurea, complete with a revolving dining room (archaeologists may have found traces of this) and a pleasure lake where the Colosseum now stands.
- Did he really murder his mother Agrippina? Almost certainly, yes. Agrippina, the fourth wife of the emperor Claudius, was one of those powerful women in Rome who were probably blamed for many more crimes than they actually committed.
- What about all the other family murders? There was his step-brother Britannicus who dropped down dead at dinner, said to have been poisoned by Nero. His first wife Octavia, the emperor Claudius' daughter, was put to death so he could marry his second wife Poppaea (who was sent, so it was alleged, Octavia's severed head almost as a wedding present).
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( / ˈnɪəroʊ / NEER-oh; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his death in AD 68. Nero was born at Antium in AD 37, the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina ...
1. Nero became Roman Emperor aged just 16. When he came to power in 54 AD, the Roman Empire was vast. It stretched from Spain in the west to Britain in the north, and Syria in the east. The...
