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]. |
From inside the book
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Page 26
... died of dropsy and his father's brother Gaius appears to have run off with Nero's share of the family fortune . Nero was just four days under three years of age when his father died , and it was not for a while yet that he was to see ...
... died of dropsy and his father's brother Gaius appears to have run off with Nero's share of the family fortune . Nero was just four days under three years of age when his father died , and it was not for a while yet that he was to see ...
Page 112
... died Vestinus , a victim of his own honesty . Nero allowed his soldiers to keep Vestinus's guests under house arrest until near to midnight so that they too would expect a similar end to the evening's entertainment : but after spending ...
... died Vestinus , a victim of his own honesty . Nero allowed his soldiers to keep Vestinus's guests under house arrest until near to midnight so that they too would expect a similar end to the evening's entertainment : but after spending ...
Page 150
... died the last of a family that had vexed Nero throughout his reign . Another memory that Nero could not banish from his thoughts was the murder of Rubellius Plautus . Through the agency of a dis- loyal freedman accusations were laid ...
... died the last of a family that had vexed Nero throughout his reign . Another memory that Nero could not banish from his thoughts was the murder of Rubellius Plautus . Through the agency of a dis- loyal freedman accusations were laid ...
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Common terms and phrases
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