Nero: The Man and the LegendThe author introduces a character with whom the reader is already familiar and about whom he probably has preconceived ideas. There is no intent here to moralize about the character of Nero, but merely the desire to present an honest biography in which truth is unravelled from the skein of myth and falsehood which has surrounded the fifth Emperor of Rome. Drawing mainly upon Tacitus, the author chronicles the life of Nero from his birth to his death, focusing on those personalities -- Agrippina, Seneca, Petronius, the unhappy Octavia -- close to the Emperor, and never sacrificing truth to sensationalism. The author has paid attention to the background of the persecution of the Christians in 64 A.D. and uses much material from the Epistles of the New Testament. The conclusion that the author reaches about certain aspects of the burning of Rome and the persecution of the Christians may well surprise many readers. [Book jacket]. |
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Page 57
... Plautus's father's family came from Tibur : to a people skilled in divination it was now quite clear that the comet had portended a change of ruler and that the thunderbolt marked out Plautus as the new emperor . Support for him was ...
... Plautus's father's family came from Tibur : to a people skilled in divination it was now quite clear that the comet had portended a change of ruler and that the thunderbolt marked out Plautus as the new emperor . Support for him was ...
Page 66
... Plautus , whose mother was Tiberius's granddaughter : both of them were abroad . Sulla could dazzle the armies of Gaul with the name of the great dic- tator : his apathy was only a sham , and he was now so poor that he had nothing to ...
... Plautus , whose mother was Tiberius's granddaughter : both of them were abroad . Sulla could dazzle the armies of Gaul with the name of the great dic- tator : his apathy was only a sham , and he was now so poor that he had nothing to ...
Page 67
... Plautus was unimpressed by these arguments and did nothing : there was even an improbable report that Lucius , after consulting two philosophers , Coeranus and Musonius , the latter the teacher of Epictetus , sent a second message ...
... Plautus was unimpressed by these arguments and did nothing : there was even an improbable report that Lucius , after consulting two philosophers , Coeranus and Musonius , the latter the teacher of Epictetus , sent a second message ...
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accused Agrippina alleged Antistius Antium appear Armenia army Augustus Baiae banished began behaviour believed Boudicca Britannicus Burrus Caligula chapter charge Christians Claudius Claudius's clear conspiracy conspirators Corbulo crime death Dio Cassius Domitian dramatic Empire entertainment Epicharis Epistles evidence exile fact Faenius Rufus fire Fire of Rome freedman friends future Emperor Galba Greece Greek historian honour Imperial knew legend lived loyalty Lucan matricide Messalina Milichus mother murder Naples Natalis Nero Nero's reign night Octavia once Otho Parthians passion performance perhaps persecution Piso Piso's Pisonian Conspiracy Plautus plot poison political Poppaea popular praetorian guard probably reader realized reason revolt Roman Rome rumours Scaevinus seems senate Seneca Silanus slaves soldiers sort sources stage story Subrius Suetonius suicide Tacitus Tacitus's tells temple Thrasea throne Tiberius Tigellinus Tiridates told took Vestinus villa Vologases wife woman young