Nero 37 68 AD Presentation by Sam Sweck

Nero (37 -68 AD) Presentation by: Sam Sweck

Family Ties � Born as Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus � Only son of Gneaus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Aggrippina the Younger � Great-grandson of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor on Gnaeus’ side � Great-grandson of Mark Antony and Octavia Minor on Agrippina’s side � Agrippina married three times; poisoned her second and is postulated to have murdered her third, Emperor Claudius.

Younger Years � Father was employed by Caligula as a praetor � Emperor Tiberius charged Gneaus with treason, adultery, and incest � Gneaus died of edema when Nero was 2 � Agrippina is exiled by Caligula after Gneaus’ death and Nero is raised by his aunt for 2 yrs. � Claudius allows Agrippina to return from exile after Caligula’s murder

Gearing up for the Throne � In 49 AD Claudius marries his niece Agrippina and adopts Nero, officially naming him Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus � Nero was proclaimed an adult at age 14 � In 51 Nero was made proconsul, entered and addressed the senate, and was featured on coins � 2 years later he married his stepsister Claudia Octavia

Early Years of Reign � In 54, Emperor Claudius died and rule was passed to Nero � Many say Agrippina murdered Claudius using poisonous mushrooms � Due to being only 17 when made Emperor, Nero was highly influenced by others � Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Sextus Afranius Burrus, and Agrippina � Agrippina turns her support to Britannicus, Nero’s younger stepbrother

Nero’s Power Builds � Nero rid himself of his advisers and opponents � In 58 AD, Nero became involved with future Emperor Otho’s wife, Poppaea Sabina � Nero killed Agrippina in 59 AD � Burrus, Nero’s adviser, dies in 62 AD and Seneca retired after being charged with embezzlement again � Octavia is exiled, and then killed, due to infertility and Nero marries Poppaea

Issues in the Government � In 62 AD, accusations of treason were made against the Senate and Nero � Nero executes anyone who criticizes the Senate or himself in 62 and 63 AD ◦ ◦ Fabricius Veiento Pallas Rubellius Plautus Faustus Sulla � Nero gradually stole power from Senate while promising to give them powers equivalent to that of Republican rule

Nero’s Loss � Poppaea Sabina dies in 65 ◦ Some say Nero killed her ◦ Most blame it on childbirth complications � Nero gives her a state funeral and buries her in the Mausoleum of Augustus � Becomes involved with Statilia Messalina in 65 and marries her in 66 AD ◦ Statilia’s husband was driven to suicide shortly before Statilia’s marriage to Nero � In 67, it’s said that Nero ordered a freedman, Sporus, to be castrated and then married him

Nero’s Domestic Policies � Nero often aided the lower class throughout his reign due to their great number � The 1 st yr. , Nero ultimately ignored his duties ◦ Even forbidding people to refer to him about laws � Consul 4 times from 55 to 60 AD � Positives for lower class: ◦ Restricts bail and fines ◦ Limits fees of lawyers ◦ Prevents Senate from allowing patrons to revoke a freedman’s freedom ◦ Taxes from the poor were collected from lower commissioners

Nero’s Domestic Policies Cont. � Many impeachments of gov’t officials and arrests for extortion and corruption � Tax cuts and tax records are made public � Nero spent great amounts of money on the construction of gymnasiums and theatres � Established the Quinquennial Neronia-festival including games, poetry, and theatre � Constructed the Domus Aurea, attempted to dig a canal at the Isthmus of Corinth, and filled the marshes of Ostia

Great Fire of Rome � Erupted in the night of July 18 -19 64 AD � Only account of the fire comes from Tacitus � 3 of 14 districts were destroyed while 7 were severely damaged � No certainty of what caused the fire; many blamed Nero, but the Christians confessed � Nero organized a relief effort from his own funds, searched for survivors in the rubble, and opened his palaces to the homeless � To deflect blame, Nero targeted Christians

Parthian War � In 54 AD, Armenia received a Parthian prince � Nero sent the military under Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo � In 58 AD, full-scale war broke out ◦ Corbulo repelled the Parthian army and was appointed gov. of Syria as a reward ◦ Nero installed Tigranes as the ruler of Armenia � In 62 AD, Tigranes invaded the Parthian province of Adiabene; Nero worked for peace � In 63 AD, Tiridates again became the Armenian king but was crowned in Rome by Emperor Nero

Other Major Power Struggles � British Revolt of 60 -61 (Boudica’s Uprising ◦ While gov. Paullinus was busy, the southeast tribes led by queen Boudica of the Iceni attacked the province of Britannia ◦ 3 cities were destroyed before rebellion was stopped ◦ Nero then replaced Paullinus with Turpilianus � The Pisonian Conspiracy of 65 ◦ Gaius Calpurnius Piso led conspirators wishing to “rescue the state” and restore the Republic ◦ A freedman, Milichus, told Nero’s secretary ◦ Nero killed all the conspirators and forced Seneca to commit suicide for discussing the plot

More Major Power Struggles � The First Jewish War of 66 -70 ◦ Jewish revolt in Judea from religious tensions ◦ Nero sent Vespasian to resolve but never saw the results as the revolution ended in 70 AD ◦ The Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple of Jerusalem

Nero’s Final Days � In March of 68, Vindex-gov. of Gallia Lugdunensis-rebelled against Nero’s taxes � Verginius-gov. of Germania Superior-was ordered by Nero to stop the rebellion � Vindex called for help from Galba-gov. of Hispania Tarraconensis � Battle of Vesontio � Galba gained support so Nero fled Rome ◦ Originally Nero was to flee to one of the eastern provinces but contemplated begging for mercy from both Galba and the people of Rome

Nero Falls � Nero returned to Rome to find the palace guard left in the night � Nero searched for anyone adept with a sword to kill him when he realized all his friends had abandoned him ◦ “Have I neither friend nor foe? ” � 4 loyal freedman took Nero to one’s villa � A courier reported that the Senate had declared Nero a public enemy and wished to execute him in the Forum ◦ The Senate actually had not decided yet � Nero forced his private secretary to kill him ◦ “Too late! This is fidelity!”

After Death � Senate declared Nero a public enemy to pacify Galba and then proclaimed him the new emperor � The year of the Four Emperors followed this proclamation � The upper class and Senate celebrated Nero’s death while the lower class mourned him ◦ Soldiers had mixed feelings � Many portraits of Nero were reworked to resemble someone else and some monuments had Nero’s name removed