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 gladiatorial, chariot races and stage plays at the Juvenal and Circensian games. Tacitus sums his up thus, although is was a poor speaker.. Nero from early boyhood turned his lively genius in other directions; he carved, painted, sang, or practised the management of horses, occasionally composing verses which showed that he had the rudiments of learning

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 extoling 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. He also suggested building a 160 mile long canal that was wide enough for five ships having bgeen told that the excavation would uncover the lost treasures of Dido. The treasures were never found and he soon ran out of money and defered the payment of soldiers.

Nero - Sex and Sexual Perversions

See also Caligula - Sex and Sexual Perversions

According to Suetonius, 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

• Suestonius is a little more circumspect over his supposed incestuous relationship with his mother Agrippina saying onlyn that he harboured incestuous thoughts.

he entertained an incestuous passion for his mother, but was deterred by her enemies Tacitus quotes Cluvius when he says that Agrippina offered herself to a drunken Nero as a way of maintaining her influence but goes on to say that it is unlikely that she would have initiated such a deed. she presented herself attractively attired to her half intoxicated son and offered him her person 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 He started his murderous journey early, starting with the involvement of Claudius' poisoning at seventeen. Later he tried to poison Britannicus on account of him having a better voice. He attempted to poison (362) Britannicus, as much out of envy because he had a sweeter voice The woman he employed for this deed (Locusta, who accordinging to Tacitus poisoned Claudius' mushrooms) only gave Britannicus enough for him to vomit. She tried a stronger dose on a goat and a pig. After the successful trials she tried it on Britannicus who after one bite died on the spot.

It is well known or at least alleged that he had murdered his mother. See The Death of Agrippina but he also murdered his aunt. Already frail, when he visited her she said she wished to live as long to see him one day shave his boyish beard. He accommodated that wish by leaving the room and saying he would shave and then ordering the doctors to give her an overdose. He then seized her estate "May I but live to see the day when this is shaved for the first time, and I shall then die contented." He turned, however, to those about him, made a jest of it, saying, that he would have his beard immediately taken off, and ordered the physicians to give her more violent purgatives

• 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 Statilia Messalina, whose husband he had killed.

Nero and his Suicide

Preceded by Claudius

Nero AD54-69

Succeeded by Galba