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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
- Nero was adopted by his great-uncle, the emperor Claudius. Nero’s father, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, died when he was only 2 years old. After Nero’s mother married Emperor Claudius, Nero was adopted to become his heir and successor.
- Fearing his younger step-brother might claim the throne, Nero had him murdered. Shortly after Claudius’s death, Nero’s 13-year-old step brother Britannicus died suddenly.
- According to ancient texts, Nero killed his own mother. Three ancient writers, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, dictate most of what the modern world knows about Nero’s reign.
- There is no proof Nero actually played the fiddle while Rome burned. The Great Fire of Rome broke out one night between July 18 and 19 in the year 64 AD.
Nov 9, 2009 · Emperor Nero is best known for his debauchery, political murders, persecution of Christians and passion for music and the arts.
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 ...
- 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).
Jun 9, 2020 · The future Nero, born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus on 15 December AD 37 in Antium, near Rome, had not been destined to be emperor. Nor did his personal ambition drive him to the throne. It was his mother, Agrippina the Younger, who became the overbearing influence on him, especially as his father had died.
Nero established Armenia as a buffer state against Parthia (Iran), but only after a costly war. There were revolts - in Britain (60 AD - 61 AD), led by Boudicca, and Judea (66 AD - 70 AD).
