Nero
| Nero was the fifth and final Roman emperor from the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was adopted by his uncle Claudius, who was the emperor at the time. Once Claudius died, he immediately became emperor. However, he would eventually be deposed, and his death was a result of suicide. He feared that he would be executed if he did not take his own life. Next to Caligula, Nero is one of the most infamous members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was known for living an extravagant lifestyle, and while he enjoyed himself, he failed to take care of his responsibilities as emperor. The zenith of these failures was the great fire in Rome, an event that some say was started by the emperor himself. |  |
Much like Caligula, many of the criticisms made against Nero were by those who were his enemies. Much of his life was documented by those who were not favorable of him. One notable thing about Rome is that it was fairly peaceful during his reign. In fact, the reign of Nero was considered to be the zenith of Pax Romana. Unlike past emperors, Nero spent a lot of his time dealing with trade and diplomatic issues. He was known for promoting athletic games, and he also prohibited the practice of killing gladiators. He was successful in creating peaceful relations with the Parthian Empire.
Once the British revolt occured in the year 60, he was able to put a stop to it in about a year. He also stopped a revolt that occured in Gaul. Rome's relationship with Greece was very strong throughout his rule. However, Nero's rule was not without a number of failures, and the historians of his day were quick to record them. He failed to stop the revolt that occured in Hispania, and this led to the civil war that some believe was the cause of him committing suicide. When Nero was born, he was named Lucius. No one though that he would become emperor when he was a child. Everyone thought that Caligula would have a son, but his assassination destroyed any chances of this happening.
Once his father died, Lucius had the status of an orphan. Once Caligula and his family were murdered, Claudius became emperor. He adopted Lucius and this allowed him to becom an heir to the throne. Before he became emperor, he achieved the rank of proconsul, and he made a number of appearances with Claudius. He would become emperor upon the death of Claudius in 54, and his own death marked the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
Original Authors: Stephen Palmer
Edit Update Authors: RPN
Updated On: 02/02/2007
