Nero 37-68 A.D.
Background Information on Nero

Nero (Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar) was the fifth Roman emperor, in succession to his stepfather Claudius I. His weakness of character and his incompetence resulted in the first civil war for a century, and the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (the dynasty founded by Augustus or Auggie!). He is famous among other things for having carried out the first persecution of the Christians (AD 64). Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, and was, through his mother Agrippina the Younger, the only surviving direct male descendant of Augustus

In 49 Agrippina married the emperor Claudius (her uncle), and immediately set about promoting her son's claim to succeed Claudius, at the expense of Britannicus - the son of Claudius - who was three years junior to Domitius (Nero)...still with us?, okay. She had her own supporters appointed to important positions: Seneca was recalled from exile and made tutor to Domitius, and Burrus was appointed Praetorian Prefect ( I held a similar position whilst at school). In 50 Agrippina persuaded Claudius to adopt Domitius - who now took the name Nero - as his son, and in 53 she arranged Nero's marriage to the emperor's daughter Octavia. When Claudius finally began to talk of promoting Britannicus, she poisoned the former with a nasty dish of mushrooms, and the 16-year-old Nero became emperor. Agrippina clearly wished to rule through Nero, and her portrait briefly appeared on the coins alongside his. But the new emperor paid more heed to Seneca and Burrus, and the result was five years of exemplary government (the so-called 'quinquennium of Nero' praised by the second-century emperor Trajan) - a welcome change from the unpopular Claudius.

Britannicus was poisoned by Nero, at dinner, a year into the new reign. Agrippina resented her loss of influence over Nero, and her opposition to his mistress Poppaea (the wife of the future emperor Otho- a hard to come by Emperor for the collector) was to prove her downfall: in 59, encouraged by Poppaea, Nero first tried unsuccessfully to kill Agrippina in a faked accident at sea, and then had her clubbed to death, ostensibly for plotting against him. Seneca and Burrus smoothed over the public outcry. At this point Nero began to give freer rein to his interests in acting and chariot-racing, activities deemed unsuitable for an aristocrat and deeply offensive to a conservative senate - particularly when forced to participate themselves.

In 62, with the death of Burrus and his replacement by the unsavoury Tigellinus, the last restraining influences on Nero were removed; Seneca prudently retired. Nero now murdered his wife Octavia, to public outcry, and married Poppaea (62). Trials for treason, a hated feature when Claudius was emperor, were resumed. These helped to recoup the financial losses caused by Boudicca's revolt in Britain (60-61) and the war with Parthia over Armenia (58-63). In 64 much of Rome was destroyed in a nine-day fire ( but you already know that bit, right?). Nero set about the necessary rebuilding, but also appropriated much of the centre of the city for a new palace for himself. This was the architecturally and artistically innovative 'Golden House' (Domus Aurea), which still survives. Nero was accused, implausibly, of having started the fire, and also, less implausibly, of having 'fiddled while Rome burned' by using the burning city as a backdrop for an impromptu performance of his 'Sack of Troy'.

To divert blame from himself, he accused the Christians - a minor, unpopular religious sect - of having started the fire. His unfortunate victims were killed by being burned as human torches,not very nice, a punishment deemed appropriate for incendiaries. In 65 an extensive conspiracy was uncovered, centred on Gaius Calpurnius Piso. In the purge that followed, the poet Lucan, Seneca and the novelist Petronius were among those who lost their lives. Poppaea died too, from a kick from Nero while she was pregnant (65). Are you starting to get the full picture of how bad this fellow was? Then, in 66-68 Nero went on a tour of Greece, (nice country great food) where his cultural interests and philhellenism were more appreciated than at Rome. He competed in the Olympic and other games (all held, unusually, in the same year, for his benefit), and won all the prizes; the Greeks were rewarded with immunity from taxation. He planned to continue into Asia, but the Jewish Revolt (66-70) drove him back to Rome. Back in Italy, he received news of the revolt of Vindex in Gaul (68).

This was quickly crushed, but in Spain Servius Sulpicius Galba (see my Galba Denarius) announced his intention of deposing Nero in the name of the senate and people. The Praetorian Guard, who despised their unmilitary emperor, defected to Galba on the promise of a donative, and the senate declared Nero a public enemy. The situation might have been recoverable, but Nero chose suicide. He was childless, and had made no plans for the succession. His death (aged 30) he considered above all as a loss to the arts, exclaiming, 'What an artist the world is losing by my death!' (Qualis artifex pereo!) before he died. Afterwards Rome was convulsed in civil war, with a rapid turnover of emperors (Galba, Otho, Vitellius) until in 69 Vespasian restored stability.

ROMAN IMPERIAL DYNASTIES:
Julio-Claudian

The words above have been edited from various sources and have a few of my own interpretations!

 

The period of my collection

• The Twelve Caesars That's the main men to you and I

The Julio Claudian Dynasty Augustus I Claudius I Nero I Agrippa

The Flavian Dynasty Vespasian I Titus I Domitian

• The Adoptive Emperors or so we're told!
• The Civil War some serious falling out between 193-197 A.D.
• The Severan Period Only five emperors in this family including the nasty Caracalla
• The Collapse of Order almost 50 years of trouble up ahead
• The Secessionist Empire it was that Postumus who set things going
• The British Secessionist Empire Carausius goes it alone
• The Tetrarchy time for the great reform
• The Constantinian Dynasty a military dictatorship and the tale of three sons
• The Waning of the Empire the last century and the end of an era
• The Western Puppet Emperors oh dear! more trouble
• The Eastern Emperors slightly more peace

I might include othe pages as I progress. Plus if you would like to share a reciprical link, please email me at info@dadscoins.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
In 49 Agrippina married the emperor Claudius (her uncle), and immediately set about promoting her son's claim to succeed Claudius, at the expense of Britannicus - the son of Claudius - who was three years junior to Domitius (Nero). She had her own supporters appointed to important positions: Seneca was recalled from exile and made tutor to Domitius, and Burrus was appointed Praetorian Prefect. In 50 Agrippina persuaded Claudius to adopt Domitius - who now took the name Nero - as his son, and in 53 she arranged Nero's marriage to the emperor's daughter Octavia. When Claudius finally began to talk of promoting Britannicus, she poisoned the former with a dish of mushrooms, and the 16-year-old Nero became emperor. Agrippina clearly wished to rule through Nero, and her portrait briefly appeared on the coins alongside his. But the new emperor paid more heed to Seneca and Burrus, and the result was five years of exemplary government (the so-called 'quinquennium of Nero' praised by the second-century emperor Trajan) - a welcome change from the unpopular Claudius. Britannicus was poisoned by Nero, at dinner, a year into the new reign. Agrippina resented her loss of influence over Nero, and her opposition to his mistress Poppaea (the wife of the future emperor Otho) was to prove her downfall: in 59, encouraged by Poppaea, Nero first tried unsuccessfully to kill Agrippina in a faked accident at sea, and then had her clubbed to death, ostensibly for plotting against him. Seneca and Burrus smoothed over the public outcry. At this point Nero began to give freer rein to his interests in acting and chariot-racing, activities deemed unsuitable for an aristocrat and deeply offensive to a conservative senate - particularly when forced to participate themselves. In 62, with the death of Burrus and his replacement by the unsavoury Tigellinus, the last restraining influences on Nero were removed; Seneca prudently retired. Nero now murdered his wife Octavia, to public outcry, and married Poppaea (62). Trials for treason, a hated feature when Claudius was emperor, were resumed. These helped to recoup the financial losses caused by Boudicca's revolt in Britain (60-61) and the war with Parthia over Armenia (58-63). In 64 much of Rome was destroyed in a nine-day fire. Nero set about the necessary rebuilding, but also appropriated much of the centre of the city for a new palace for himself. This was the architecturally and artistically innovative 'Golden House' (Domus Aurea), which still survives. Nero was accused, implausibly, of having started the fire, and also, less implausibly, of having 'fiddled while Rome burned' by using the burning city as a backdrop for an impromptu performance of his 'Sack of Troy'. To divert blame from himself, he accused the Christians - a minor, unpopular religious sect - of having started the fire. His unfortunate victims were killed by being burned as human torches, a punishment deemed appropriate for incendiaries. In 65 an extensive conspiracy was uncovered, centred on Gaius Calpurnius Piso. In the purge that followed, the poet Lucan, Seneca and the novelist Petronius were among those who lost their lives. Poppaea died too, from a kick from Nero while she was pregnant (65). Then in 66-68 Nero went on a tour of Greece, where his cultural interests and philhellenism were more appreciated than at Rome. He competed in the Olympic and other games (all held, unusually, in the same year, for his benefit), and won all the prizes; the Greeks were rewarded with immunity from taxation. He planned to continue into Asia, but the Jewish Revolt (66-70) drove him back to Rome. Back in Italy, he received news of the revolt of Vindex in Gaul (68). This was quickly crushed, but in Spain Servius Sulpicius Galba announced his intention of deposing Nero in the name of the senate and people. The Praetorian Guard, who despised their unmilitary emperor, defected to Galba on the promise of a donative, and the senate declared Nero a public enemy. The situation might have been recoverable, but Nero chose suicide. He was childless, and had made no plans for the succession. His death (aged 30) he considered above all as a loss to the arts, exclaiming, 'What an artist the world is losing by my death!' (Qualis artifex pereo!) before he died. Afterwards Rome was convulsed in civil war, with a rapid turnover of emperors (Galba, Otho, Vitellius) until in 69 Vespasian restored stability.