Nero

Introduction

From almost the first sentence we know that author::Suetonius is not going to write a positive biography of Nero when he says

It appears to me proper to give a short account of several of the family, to show that Nero so far degenerated from the noble qualities of his ancestors, that he retained only their vices; as if those alone had been transmitted to him by his descent

But before Suetoniuas and author::Tacitus sink their teeth into Nero they at least describe in earlier years as enlightened. He was able to converse in Greek and Latin to the people of Rhodes and Bolognese. He was instructed in music, wrote verse and loved singing and acting. He likewise sang tragedies in a mask; the visors of the heroes and gods, as also of the heroines and goddesses, being formed into a resemblance of his own face, and that of any woman he was in love with. He promised to reign in the manner of Augustus and reduced many penalizing taxes as well as increasing the allowances of Senators. For the people he put on many galditorial, chariot races and stage plays at the Juvenal and Circensian games.

In his dispensing of justice he seemed thoughtful. Never giving a ruling straight away but discussing with assessors and then delivering the verdict the next day without giving an indication as to whether this was the majority verdict. He had an enlightened view on architecture dictating that piazzas be built in front of houses to forestall the spread of fire, which is iroinc given the later events of AD64

It is not long before Suetonius and Tacitus in particular start xtoling us with his vices. Suetonius sets this up beautifully Petulancy, lewdness, luxury, avarice, and cruelty, he practised at first with reserve and in private, as if prompted to them only by the folly of youth; but, even then, the world was of opinion that they were the faults of his nature, and not of his age

He would wander the streets in disguise, assault people, rob businesses and even got involved in a rock throwing spat in the theater where he seriously injured a praetor.

Like his predessor Caligula he squandered the money in the treasury for his own purposes. Examples are numerous yet Suetonius details one particular extravagance and one hopes that he was exaggerating in his description of the Golden House, which had a statue of Nero in the porch that was 120 feet high. The triple portico's were a mile in length and the eating rooms inlaid with ivory. The main banqueiting hall was circular and revolved in sync with the stars

Nero - Sex and Sexual Perversions

See also Caligula - Sex and Sexual Perversions

According to Suetomius, Nero believed that all men were lewd and crude and conducted a whole host of depravites, except they were succesful at concealing their vices. He would often forgive those who openingly admitted gross sexual impetunity. Examples of these acts can be found below

• He would banquet in public in the Naumachia, waited on by prostitutes, and for his boat parties, he would have booths set up with

prostitutes, including noble women. He often supped in public, in the Naumachia, with the sluices shut, or in the Campus Martius, or the Circus Maximus, being waited upon at table by common prostitutes of the town, and Syrian strumpets and glee-girls. As often as he went down the Tiber to Ostia, or coasted through the gulf of Baiae, booths furnished as brothels and eating-houses, were erected

• It was rumored that he and his mother Agrippina had an incestuous relationship When they rode in a litter together, they would get out with their clothing stained.

• Nero also married three men (Cass. Dio. 62.13.1–2; Orosius, Hist. 7.7.2). In 64, as the “wife” to a certain Pythagoras, Nero wore a bridal veil, took the auspices, gave a dowry,and, after a torch-lit procession, had a special wedding bed prepared (Tacitus, Ann.

15.37.4).

• Nero castrated a boy, Sporus, had him don the bridal veil and provide a dowry, and married him as his husband, giving rise

to a popular joke: it would have been better for us all had Nero’s father taken a similar wife. . He dressed him up as a princess and was often seen kissing him at the games. Another man he married as his “wife” was a freedman Doryphorus; on their wedding night Nero imitated the screams of a maiden being deflowered.

• The next example is equally at home in the Torture section below. Nero invented a new type of sexual gratification whereby be would don an animal skin and then taking on the pretense of a wild animal enter the arena and attack the genitals of men and women tied to stakes.

[He was]..let out of a den in the arena, covered with the skin of a wild beast, and then assail with violence the private parts both of men and women, while they were bound to stakes

Nero - Atrocities and Tortures

See also Caligula - Atrocities and Tortures

• Nero’s first wife was Octavia, whom he divorced for barrenness, banished, and finally had put to death for adultery by bribing his praetorian prefect to confess to raping her

• He then married Poppaea Sabina, but kicked her when she was pregnant. She and the daughter she bore both later died. He then proposed to Antonia, daughter of Claudius, but she refused, and he had her killed.

Finally, he married [[roman::Statilia Messalina, whose husband he had killed

Preceded by Claudius

Nero AD54-69

Succeeded by Galba