Nero: The Artist Emperor

Q: What was Nero’s full name, and when did he reign?

Nero's full name was Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but after Agrippina married Claudius, he became Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus and reigned from 54 to 68 CE.

Q: Who was Agrippina?

Agrippina was Nero's mother, the daughter of Agrippina the Elder, and the great-granddaughter of Emperor Augustus.

Q: What were some of the major catastrophes of Nero’s reign?

Some of the major catastrophes of Nero’s reign were the Piso Conspiracy, an unsuccessful plot to kill Nero. The failed Boudicca rebellion in Britain and the Great Fire that began on the 19th of July 64 CE and lasted for six days.

Q: What did Nero do after the fire?

After the fire, Nero had to raise taxes to finance the rebuilding of Rome by constructing residential districts, wider streets, brick buildings, and colonnades to shelter residents from the sun. The new Rome also included Nero's Golden Palace.

Q: How did Nero die?

Nero died by suicide. The Senate declared him an enemy of the public and named Galba as the new emperor. Realizing his days were over, Nero attempted suicide while in his villa, but failed, and needed help to take his own life.

Harrison W. Mark

Definition

Nero (37-68 CE) was the fifth Roman emperor, who reigned from 54 to 68 CE. The last emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, he came to power at the age of 16 with the help of his mother, Agrippina the Younger. Initially a popular ruler, his reign was characterized by both artistry and tyranny. He loved singing and playing the lyre, enjoyed chariot races, and often acted in tragedies. But he also murdered his mother, killed two of his wives, and purged his opponents in the army and the Roman Senate. He lost much of his popularity after the Great Fire of 64 CE and committed suicide in 68 CE after being declared a public enemy by the Senate. His death was followed by a brief civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

More about: Nero

Timeline

37 CE
Birth of Nero.
50 CE
Adoption of Nero by Roman emperor Claudius.
53 CE
Roman emperor Nero marries Octavia.
54 CE
Nero becomes Roman emperor.
13 Oct 54 CE - 11 Jun 68 CE
Reign of Roman emperor Nero.
11 Feb 55 CE
The murder of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus by poison at a banquet in Rome one day before his 14th birthday, orchestrated by his stepbrother, Nero, to remove him as a rival for the seat of power. Britannicus' death secured Nero's ascension as Roman Emperor.
60 CE
Boudicca revolts in Britain.
62 CE
Emperor Nero marries Poppaea Sabina.
64 CE
Emperor Nero visits Pompeii.
64 CE
Nero reduces the weight and percentage of precious metal in Roman coins, a trend continued by several subsequent Roman emperors.
64 CE
Rome burns during the reign of Nero.
65 CE
Piso Conspiracy against Nero.
c. 65 CE
The Baths of Nero are built in Rome.
19 Apr 65 CE
The Pisonian Conspiracy, a plot to kill Roman Emperor Nero, is betrayed by the freedman Milichus who was hoping for a handsome reward for informing on his former master and the others involved. Nero ordered the conspirators to either commit suicide or be executed, including the philosopher Seneca the Younger, while others were exiled, such as the stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus.
c. 67 CE
Emperor Nero competes at the panhellenic Games of Olympia and Delphi.
67 CE
Under Nero excavation of the Corinth Canal begins but is abandoned after three months.
68 CE
Death of Emperor Nero.
9 Jun 68 CE
Roman Emperor Nero commits suicide after being declared a public enemy by the Roman Senate. His death ends the Julio-Claudian dynasty and leads to the Year of the Four Emperors.