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 105
... political or judicial murder of a philosopher is bound to echo the famous scene in the condemned cell in 399 B.C. ? Certainty is impossible , but there is no denying that as the story proceeds stock features from the " death of a ...
... political or judicial murder of a philosopher is bound to echo the famous scene in the condemned cell in 399 B.C. ? Certainty is impossible , but there is no denying that as the story proceeds stock features from the " death of a ...
Page 188
... political manoeuvring in the capital . We must not take his envy too seriously : he was quite happy with his subject matter . The proelia that he does describe he describes with a complete dis- regard of military probability or even ...
... political manoeuvring in the capital . We must not take his envy too seriously : he was quite happy with his subject matter . The proelia that he does describe he describes with a complete dis- regard of military probability or even ...
Page 195
... political signi- ficance , which was heightened after 42 B.C. when Octavian ( the future Augustus ) and Mark Antony organized some 8,000 soldiers of the veteran class into personal bodyguards of this type . After the defeat of Antony ...
... political signi- ficance , which was heightened after 42 B.C. when Octavian ( the future Augustus ) and Mark Antony organized some 8,000 soldiers of the veteran class into personal bodyguards of this type . After the defeat of Antony ...
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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