Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (December 15, 37–June 9, 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also known as (50–54) Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth & survive Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In February 25, 50 Nero became heir to the then-Emperor, his gr&-great-uncle and adoptive father Claudius, as Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus, next to the potty in October 13, 54 with Claudius' death. Around 66 he added the prefix Imperator to his name. Around 68 Nero was deposed. His subsequent demise was reportedly a effect of suicide assisted by his scribe Epaphroditos.

Sources on Nero
Inside discussing Nero's life & reign, it should become noted that a primary sources may not exist as dependable. These works were primarily written per Roman historiographer Suetonius and Tacitus, both of whom were of Senatorial rank, & world health organization wrote half a century fallowing the cases it describe. Their description of the cases of Nero's reign come suspect because Nero was known to persecute elements of the Senatorial class.

Life
Family
Natural inside Antium (modern day Anzio), he was the lone boy of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the younger, sister and purported lover of Caligula.

His father was grandson to an older Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Aemilia Lepida through their son Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. He was besides dandy-grandson to Mark Antony and Octavia through their daughter Antonia Major.

His mother was a namesake of her have mother Agrippina the elder who was granddaughter to Octavia's brother Caesar Augustus and his wife Scribonia through their daughter Julia Caesaris and her husband Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. His enate grandpa Germanicus was himself grandson to Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia, adoptive grandson to her second married man Caesar Augustus, nephew and adoptive boy of Tiberius, son of Drusus through his wife Antonia Minor (sister to Antonia Major), and brother to Claudius.

For a complete picture of his relationship, these are utile to consult the article Julio-Claudian Family Tree.

Rise to power
Birth under Caligula
Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus was natural in December 15, 37. At a instance he was non potential to ever turn into Augustus. His enatic uncle Caligula had only began his have reign in March 16 of that year at a age of twenty-25. His predecessors Octavian & Tiberius experienced lived to turn into seventy-six & seventy-nine severally. Providing that Caligula lived long plenty to match the children, he may develop his have heirs.

Lucius would are to the attention of his uncle shortly when his birth. Agrippina reportedly asked her brother to title a tike. This would exist as an work of favor & would mark a infant as a imaginable heir to his uncle. Nonetheless Caligula lone offered to title his nephew Claudius after their lame & stuttering uncle, apparently implying that he wwhen when improbable to turn into Augustus as Claudius.

A relationship between brother & sister would before long apparently improve. The large scandal early in the fresh reign was Caligula's particularly close relationship to his triplet sisters Drusilla, Julia Livilla, and Agrippina. A lot tierce come featured by owning their brother within Roman currency of the time. A troika women seem to keep close at h& gained his favor and in all likelihood a few total of influence. A writings of Josephus, Suetonius, and Dio Cassius report on their supposed intimate relationship by owning their brother. Drusilla's sudden demise inside 38 would apparently only help to assure this belief: she was reportedly Caligula's preferred & was consequently buried by having a honors of an Augusta. Caligula proceeded inside with her deified, a number one woman inside Roman history to achieve this honor.

Lucius got so get a boy of an influential & ill-famed woman. However she would shortly lose her position by her brother. Caligula got remained childless. His nighest male relatives at a instance were his brothers-inside-law Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (husband of Drusilla), Marcus Vinicius (husb& of Livilla), and Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus (married man of Agrippina). It were a in all likelihood heirs should Caligula die early. All a same, fallowing the demise of his married woman, Lepidus apparently misplaced his chances, though non his ambitions, to succeed his brother-within-law.

Conspiracies
Around September 39 Caligula left Rome with his escort, heading northward to join his legions in a campaign against the Germanic tribes. A campaign got to become postponed for the charted month due to Caligula's preoccupation by owning the conspiracy against him. Reportedly Lepidus experienced managed to get lover to each Agrippina & Livilla, apparently looking their facilitate inside gaining a potty. Consequently, he was immediately executed. Caligula as well ordered a execution of Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus, the popular Legate of Germania Superior, and his replacement sustaining Servius Sulpicius Galba. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain whether he was attached to Lepidus' conspiracy. Agrippina & Livilla were presently exiled to the Pontian islands. Lucius was presumptively separated from either his mother at this point.

Lucius' father died of edema in 40. Lucius was at present profits an orphan with an uncertain fate under the more and more erratic Caligula. His luck would vary once more a below season. In January 24, 41 Caligula, his wife Caesonia Milonia, and their child girl Julia Drusilla were murdered by a conspiracy under Cassius Chaera. A Praetorian Guard helped Claudius gain a potty. Among Claudius' number 1 decisions was a recalling of his nieces from either exile.

Agrippina was before long remarried to the affluent Gaius Sallustius Crispus Passienus. He died between 44 and 47, and Agrippina was reportedly suspected of poisoning him sequentially to inherit his fortune. Lucius was a sole heir to his at present-wealthy mother.

Adoption by Claudius
Ten-season-old Lucius was however considered improbable to ever benefit a potty. Claudius, fifty-seven years old at this point, experienced reigned hanker than his predecessor & arguably further profits. Claudius got already experienced ternary marriages. He got married Plautia Urgulanilla and Aelia Paetina as a private citizen. He was married to Valeria Messalina as an Augustus. It got 2 toddlers, Britannicus (b. 41) and Octavia (b. 42). Messalina was however merely twenty-5 years old & in all likelihood to create supplementary heirs.

Messalina, yet, was executed within 48, accused of conspiring against her husband. A challenging Agrippina presently placed her sights upon replacing her at peace auntie. In January 1, 49 she became the 4th married woman of Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar Drusus. A marriage would go for 5 years.

Early in the season 50 the Roman Senate offered Agrippina the honorable title of Augusta, antecedently lone held by Livia (14-29). In February 25, 50 Lucius was officially adopted by Claudius as Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus (watch adoption in Rome). Nero was older than his adoptive brother Britannicus & profits became heir to a potty at the period of his adoption.

Claudius honored his adoptive boy around many ways. Nero was proclaimed an adult around 51 at the age of xiv. He was appointed proconsul, entered & foremost addressed a Senate, processed joint public appearances by using Claudius, and was featured around coinage. Within 53 he married his adoptive sister Octavia.

Emperor
Becoming Augustus
Claudius died in October 13, 54, and Nero wwhen shortly established as Augustus inside his place. He was seventeen years old, a immature Emperor however. Historiographer typically assume Nero to keep close at hand acted as a figurehead early inside his reign. Actual decisions were in all likelihood to use at times been left to the supplementary capable mitts of his mother Agrippina the younger (whom Tacitus claims poisoned Claudius), his tutor Seneca, and a praefectus praetorianus Burrus. A number one 5 years under Nero became called examples of ticket administration, potentially ensuant in the coinage of the term "Quinquennium Neronis".

the matters of a Empire were handled profits & the Senate enjoyed a period of renewed influence inside state affairs. Problems, yet, would before long arise from either Nero's individual life & a increasing competition for influence among Agrippina & them male advisor. Nero was reportedly unsatisfied by using his marriage & tended to negligence Octavia. He entered an affair by having Claudia Acte, a previous slave. Inside 55. Agrippina attempted to intervene pro Octavia & demanded that her boy forget about Acte. Burrus & Seneca, but then, chose to trend lines their charge's guide.

Nero resisted a intervention of his mother inside his family affairs. Her influence all over her boy declining, Agrippinthe turned to a immature candidate for the potty. Fifteen-month-old Britannicus was however legally a shaver under the charge of Nero however was approaching legal adulthood. Britannicus was the belike heir to Nero & ensuring her influence all over him can strengthen her position. Still, a youth died suddenly & suspiciously in February 12, 55. His proclamation as an adult experienced been placed for February 13. A timing suggests poisoning & Burrus is suspected to keep around been required in that slaying. When Nero grew angrier at Agrippina’s unofficial rule across him, he began to plot his have mother’s slaying, justifying his manoeuvre by claiming she was conspiring against him, which was non a outbreak. Agrippina's power shortly farther declined when Burrus & Seneca jointly became a virtually all influential men inside Rome. Nero was and so furious by owning his mother, Agrippina, because she was sharing a power by owning him, that he told soldiers to obliterate her. It was said that he was "haunted" by his mother's ghosts later.

A series of scandals
When his consultant took care of affairs of state, Nero surrounded himself using the circle of favorites. Roman historiographer report nights of drunken revelry & violence when further mundane matters of politics were neglected. Among his freshly favorites was Marcus Salvius Otho. By everthing accounts Otho wwhen when profligate as Nero however served as a serious & intimate friend to him. A bit of sources potentially assume the babies to become lovers. Otho early introduced Nero to 1 particular woman world health organization would marry number one a favourite (Otho) so a Emperor: Poppaea Sabina, described as a woman of great beauty, charm, & wit. Gossip of Nero, Otho, & Poppaethe to each one forming area of a love triangle may be encountered around many sources (Plutarch Galba 19.2-20.Two; Suetonius Otho [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Otho*.html#3 iii.1]-2; Tacitus two versions: Histories [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Hist.+1.13 1.13.3]-4; Annals [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+13.45 xiii.45]-46; and Dio Cassius [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/61*.html#11 lxi.11].2-Four).

By 58, Poppaea had be constituted inside her position when Nero's preferred mistress. A charted month (59) would mark a turning point in the emperor's reign. Nero and/or Poppaea reportedly machinated a slaying of Agrippina. Seneca attempted to convince a Senate that she was orchestrating a conspiracy against her boy, however the reputation of the Emperor was damaged beyond repair by this instance of matricide. Otho was before long too flushed from either a majestic court, & sent to Lusitania as governor.

A next turning point would exist as a season 62, for several reasons.

the number 1 would exist as a vary of guard amongst Nero's consultant. Burrus died & Seneca asked Nero for permission to retire from either public affairs. Their replacement when pretorian praefect & counselor was Gaius Ofonius Tigellinus. Tigellinus experienced been exiled inside 39 by Caligula on charges of criminal conversation by using each Agrippina & Livilla, just to become recalled from either exile by Claudius. Challenging, Tigellinus managed to get the special of Nero (&, reputedly, his lover). Along by having Poppaea he was considered to hang on to greater influence by owning a Augustus than Seneca ever may. 1 theory suggests that Poppaea attempted, in the quartet years anterior (58-62), to separate Nero from his counselors & friends; in that experience, what happened to Burrus & Seneca might not use been casual.

A 2nd important event of a season was the divorcement of the Emperor. Nero was nowadays twenty-5 years old, got reigned for eight years, & experienced however to make an heir. Whilst Poppaea became pregnant, Nero eventually decided to marry his mistress, however his marriage to Octavia got to become dissolved prior to doing and then. Ab initio he resorted to accusing her of criminal conversation. Still, Nero got already gained the reputation for this offense when Octavia was reputed to become an case of virtue. A select few testimony was required against her, however torturing one of her slaves sole produced a illustrious declaration of Pythias reporting a privates of Octavia to exist as cleaner than the mouth of Tigellinus. Nero proceeded to declare a divorcement in evidence of infertility, leaving him loose to marry Poppaea & hold off for her to give birth. But, a sudden dying of Octavia in June 9, 62 resulted in incidents of public protest.

One of a earliest results of Tigellinus' advancement was the introduction of a series of treason laws; numerous capital sentences were carried out. When you took a equivalent month, Nero executed deuce of his couple left over relatives:

Gaius Rubellius Plautus - his mother Claudia Julia was granddaughter to Tiberius and Vipsania Agrippina through their son Julius Caesar Drusus. She was as well granddaughter to Drusus and Antonia Minor through their daughter Livilla. Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix - grandson to Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus and Antonia Major through their daughter Domitia Lepida. He was besides enate half-half brother to Messalina. He experienced married Claudia Antonia, only girl of Claudius and Aelia Paetina.

Disturbed peace and major rebellions
Around 61 AD a major rebellion broke call at the fresh province of Britannia, centered upon the native tribal leader Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, who experienced been flogged & whose girl got been raped per Romans. the rebellion was finally crushed, however a war machine & civilian casualties & a number destruction of trio cities were a heavily toll to pay. A fault of Nero in that rebellion is debatable however there was sure an impact (each caring & negative) upon a prestigiousness of his regime.

Early within 63 Poppaea gave birth to a girl: Claudia Augusta. Nero celebrated a event however a infant died quaternary months late. Nero however lacked an heir.

Great Fire of Rome
On the nighttime July 18 to July 19, 64 the Great fire of Rome erupted. A fire began inside densely urban area rather a Suburra, in which got been built a insulae, wooden dwellings, build upon leash or even quaternion floors. Nero was reportedly vacationing inside his native Anzio but had to link to hurriedly. the fire burned for a week. Hearsay circulated that Nero got played his lyre and sang, on top of Quirinal Hill, while a city burned. (Tacitus, Ann. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+15.1 xv]; Suetonius, Nero [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html#38 xxxvii]; Dio Cassius, R.H. [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/62*.html lxii].) On top the years, this turned to a legend that Nero experienced fiddled when Rome burned, an impossible act as a violin experienced non however been invented. A equivalent accounts depict him opening his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless and arranging for food the diapers to become delivered sequentially to halt starvation among the survivors. All the same, Nero wasted his chances at delivering his reputation whenever he immediately produced plans of rebuilding Rome within the monumental –& less flammable – style.

the confused people searched for a scapegoat and soon hearsay held Nero responsible. A motivation attributed to him was intending to immortalize his title by renaming Rome to "Neropolis". Nero got to locate inside scapegoating of his have & chose for his target the little Eastern sect known as Christians. He ordered known Christians to become thrown to the lions in arenas, while others were crucified in large prices.

Gaius Cornelius Tacitus, the Roman historiographer, has preserved a record of this affair. I quote a resulting from either his Annals ([http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+15.44 xv.44]):

These are totally unknown world health organization or even what was a stimulate of the fire. Although my ancient sources (& scholars) favor Nero when a firebug, these are worth pointing out that fires were park within ancient Rome. His famed Domus Aurea ("Golden House") was a share of his rebuilding project.

Nero the artist and the widower

Within 65 Nero was involved in another scandal, considered thomas more good per population of that era than it would exist as nowadays. It was considered shameful for the Roman emperor to come out as a public entertainer, acting, singing, and swimming his lyre.

Detested by numerous citizens, by having an increasing listings of political enemies, Nero began to appreciate his loneliness, when in 65 he discovered a Pisonian conspiracy (named fallowing Gaius Calpurnius Piso, who designed to require his place) & a involvement of old friends such as Seneca in the plot. Machinator were forced into suicide.

Additionally, Nero ordered that Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, a popular & worthful general, commit suicide because of the mere suspicion of recently threats. This guide moved military commanders, locally & in the provinces, to begin planning the revolution. As well at all about this period, based on data from tradition, Nero personally ordered a crucifixion of Saint Peter and, later, a beheading of Paul of Tarsus.

Inside 66 Poppaea died, supposedly per hand of Nero himself. A emperor left for Greece in 67, where he amused his hosts using more artistic performances, spell within Rome Nymphidius (a colleague of Tigellinus, ingesting a place of one of a Pisonian plotter) was collecting a trend lines of praetorians & Senators.

Suicide
Back inside Rome when a tournée, Nero discovered quite cold atmosphere; Gaius Julius Vindex, the governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, revolted, and this brought Nero to a paranoid hunt for eventual threats; in that state of mind he ordered the elimination of any patrician with suspect ideas. His (it used to be that) close servant Galba, governor of Iberia (Portugal and Spain), was one of those unsafe nobles, so he ordered his demise. Galba, lacking an guide selection, declared his loyalty to a Senate & the Humans of Rome (Senatus Populusque Romanus: SPQR), no protracted recognizing Nero's power. What is more, he began organizing his have campaign for the empire.

Following, Lucius Clodius Macer, legate of the legion III Augusta in Africa, revolted and stopped sending grain to Rome. Nymphidius corrupted a royal guard, which turned against Nero on the promise of fiscal reward by Galba.

A Senate deposed Nero, world health organizatiin committed suicide on June 9, 68. These are said that he uttered these go words prior to stabbing himself in the neck: "What an artist the world is losing in me!"/"What an artist dies in me!" By having his demise, a Julio-Claudian dynasty came to an end. Chaos ensued in the Year of the four emperors.

Depictions of Nero
Depictions in later legends
The Jewish legend contained in the Talmud (tractate Gittin 56B) claims that Nero shot 4 arrows to the four corners of the globe, & it fell around Jerusalem. So he realized that a Lord had decided to allow the Temple to be destroyed. He as well requested a Jewish religious student to show him the Bible verse most appropriate to it situation, & a immature son scroll through to Nero Ezekiel's prophecy about God's retaliation on the united states of Edom ([http://av1611.com/kjbp/kjv-bible-text/Eze-25.html Ezekiel 25]) for their destruction of Jerusalem. Nero thus realized that a Lord would punish him for destroying his Temple, so he fled Rome & converted to Judaism, to avoid such retribution. Therein telling, his descendent is Rabbi Meir, a large supporter of Bar Kokhba's rebellion against Roman rule.

Depiction in the New Testament
Virtually all scholars think that a Total of the Animal, 666, featured in the Book of Revelation is a reference to Nero. scorned & despised for his persecution of a Christians, Nero would become the in all probability target at the instance Revelation was written. A letters of Nero's title, whilst transliterated into Hebrew, add to six hundred sixty-six. For the extra elaborate discussion, watch Number of the Beast (numerology).

Depictions in fiction
Actor Peter Ustinov played Nero in the movie Quo Vadis (1951). Nero appears inside Robert Graves' books I, Claudius and Claudius The God (and a BBC miniseries adapted from a book), which occurs as fancied autobiography of the Emperor Claudius. Anthony Burgess' book The Kingdom of the Wicked covers a similar time including Nero's reign & his relationship by having a early Christians. Actor Jonathon Cake played Nero in the made for TV movie Riverworld (2003). Nero was depicted inside of these episode of the "Peabody's Improbable History" segments of the Rocky and Bullwinkle animated series. The 1940s comic book title Leading Comics featured an anthropomorphic fox named "Nero Fox," who was shown swimming the saxophone instead of a violin (when more made-up parodies of Nero typically indicate). Nero Coyote down the road appeared once again in the 1980s comic series Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew, when many members of the Zoo Crew superhero team were sent back eventually to ancient Rome. Hans Matheson portrayed Nero in the second episode (Nerone) of the mini-series Imperium (2004).

Depictions in Culture
Nero Burning ROM is a popular CD-RW burning program; the title occurs as play on the traditional idea of him burning Rome. One of a icons for a program shows the Colosseum within Rome sustaining flaming about it. It should become noted that this is historically erroneous when a Colosseum was built per emperors Vespesian, Titus, & Domitian in top of the dismantled Domus Aurea. In a third book of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the evil school principal is called Nero. He occurs as coarse & inflexible tyrant world health organization forces his students to listen to his fiddle concerts; the clear allusion to the fiddle-swimming emperor myth. In a classic British toddlers's television program, Danger Mouse, the nefarious Baron Greenback has the downlike white pet caterpillar known as Nero.