Nero's Rise To Power

1542 Words4 Pages

Nero’s infatuation with building and acting was the mark of a man that exploited his role of emperor to pursue his passions and desires. It is possible that the ancient sources had sensationalised aspects of Nero’s life. However, the way his eccentricities were documented and seemingly affected his reign will be discussed. It will be argued that Nero was much more than an extravagant fantasist but an astute individual that used his power for his own gain. Yet, when analysing Nero’s decline it can be attributed to his eccentricities as well as a culmination of poor decisions that he had made. Moreover, the limited success that Nero had achieved will also be noted. Firstly, his rise to power will be stated to show that Nero was determined and …show more content…

He often sang at events and performed on the lyre. Nero ordered for public games to be held in Rome every five years. He is also said to have trained as an athlete to compete as a charioteer. It is unusual for the leader of an empire to compete with athletes or act in theatre productions (Champlin, 1998: 98). According to Suetonius while Nero was singing no one could exit the theatre even for the most urgent and legitimate of reasons. Salaciously Suetonius states that women gave birth during Nero’s performance and some died as they were tired of listening to him sing and secretly jumped from the walls as entrances were closed (Suet. Life of Nero. …show more content…

This led to complications as well as unrest in Africa and Spain. The governor of Galba declared himself legate of the Senate and Roman People. This was the beginning of Nero’s downfall. Soon the Praetorian Guard declared allegiance to Galba. This was followed by the Senate and they declared that Nero was an enemy of the people. It is documented that Nero attempted to escape and flee. However, once Nero learnt that his capture and execution was likely he committed suicide. It is reported that Nero’s last words were “What an artist dies in me!”. This demonstrates that if this quote is true Nero was more concerned with being remembered as an artist in contrast to a great emperor. (Champlin,

Open Document