Nero

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

---

Nero (15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his death in AD 68.

Variants

• Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (/ˈnɪəroʊ/ NEER-oh)
• Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (born)

History

Most of what we know about Nero's reign comes from three ancient writers: Tacitus, Suetonius, and Greek historian Cassius Dio.  

Nero was born at Antium in AD 37, the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger, a great-granddaughter of the emperor Augustus. When Nero was two, his father died. His mother married the emperor Claudius, who adopted Nero as his heir. When Claudius died in AD 54, Nero became emperor with the support of the Praetorian Guard and Senate. In the early years of his reign, Nero was advised and guided by his mother Agrippina, his tutor Seneca the Younger, and his praetorian prefect Sextus Afranius Burrus, but soon sought to rule independently and rid himself of restraining influences. His power struggle with his mother was eventually resolved when he had her murdered. Roman sources implicate Nero in the deaths of both his wife Claudia Octavia – supposedly so he could marry Poppaea Sabina – and his step brother Britannicus.

Nero's practical contributions to Rome's governance focused on diplomacy, trade, and culture. He ordered the construction of amphitheaters, and promoted athletic games and contests. He made public appearances as an actor, poet, musician, and charioteer, which scandalised his aristocratic contemporaries as these occupations were usually the domain of slaves, public entertainers, and infamous persons. The provision of such entertainments made Nero popular among lower-class citizens, but his performances undermined the Imperial dignity. The costs involved were borne by local elites either directly or through taxation, and were much resented by the Roman aristocracy.

During Nero's reign, the general Corbulo fought the Roman–Parthian War of 58–63, and made peace with the hostile Parthian Empire. The Roman general Suetonius Paulinus quashed a major revolt in Britain led by queen Boudica. The Bosporan Kingdom was briefly annexed to the empire, and the First Jewish–Roman War began. When the Roman senator Vindex rebelled, with support from the eventual Roman emperor Galba, Nero was declared a public enemy and condemned to death in absentia. He fled Rome, and on 9 June AD 68 committed suicide. His death sparked a brief period of civil war known as the Year of the Four Emperors.

Assessment

Most Roman sources offer overwhelmingly negative assessments of his personality and reign. Most contemporary sources describe him as tyrannical, self-indulgent, and debauched. The historian Tacitus claims the Roman people thought him compulsive and corrupt. Suetonius tells that many Romans believed the Great Fire of Rome was instigated by Nero to clear land for his planned "Golden House". Tacitus claims Nero seized Christians as scapegoats for the fire and had them burned alive, seemingly motivated not by public justice, but personal cruelty. Some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources on Nero's tyrannical acts, considering his popularity among the Roman commoners. In the eastern provinces of the Empire, a popular legend arose that Nero had not died and would return. After his death, at least three leaders of short-lived, failed rebellions presented themselves as "Nero reborn" to gain popular support.

Residences

Outside of Rome, Nero had several villas or palaces built, the ruins of which can still be seen today. These included the Villa of Nero at Antium, his place of birth, where he razed the villa on the site to rebuild it on a more massive and imperial scale and including a theatre. At Subiaco, Lazio,[26] near Rome he had 3 artificial lakes built, with waterfalls, bridges and walkways for the luxurious villa. He stayed at the Villa of Nero at Olympia, Greece, during his participation at the Olympic Games of AD 67.

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Ethiopia....These are the names of places given as far as Meroë: but at the present day hardly any of them on either side of the river are in existence; at all events, the prætorian troops that were sent by the Emperor Nero⁷ under the command of a tribune, for the purposes of enquiry, when, among his other wars, he was contemplating an expedition against Æthiopia, brought back word that they had met with nothing but deserts on their route.

The Roman arms also penetrated into these regions in the time of the late Emperor Augustus, under the command of P. Petronius,⁸ a man of Equestrian rank, and prefect of Egypt. That general took the following cities, the only ones we now find mentioned there, in the following order; Pselcis,⁹ Primis, Abuncis, Phthuris, Cambusis, Atteva, and Stadasis, where the river Nile, as it thunders down the precipices, has quite deprived the inhabitants of the power of hearing: he also sacked the town of Napata.¹⁰ The extreme distance to which he penetrated beyond Syene was nine hundred and seventy miles; but still it was not the Roman arms that rendered these regions a desert.

---

7 Dion Cassius also mentions this expedition. From Seneca we learn that Nero dispatched two centurions to make inquiry into the sources of the Nile.

8 Dion Cassius calls him Caius Petronius. He carried on the war in B.c. 22 against the Æthiopians, who had invaded Egypt under their queen Candace. He took many of their towns.

9 Du Bocage is of opinion that this place stood not far from the present Ibrim.

10 Supposed by Du Bocage to have stood in the vicinity of the modern Dongola

नीरो

नीरो (15 दिसम्बर 37 – 9 जून 68) रोम का सम्राट् था। उसकी माता ऐग्रिप्पिना, जो रोम के प्रथम सम्राट् आगस्टस की प्रपौत्री थी, बड़ी ही महत्वाकांक्षिणी थी। उसने बाद में अपने मामा नि:परवाह सम्राट् क्लाडिअस प्रथम से विवाह कर लिया और अपने नए पति को इस बात के लिए राजी कर लिया कि वह नीरो को अपना दत्तक पुत्र मान ले और उसे ही राज्य का उत्तराधिकारी घोषित कर दे। नीरो को शीघ्र ही गद्दी पर बैठाने के लिए ऐग्रिप्पिना उतावली हो उठी और उसने जहर दिलाकर क्लाडिअस की हत्या करा दी गई।

रोम निवसियों ने पहले तो नीरो का स्वागत और समर्थन किया क्योंकि वह पितृ परंपरा से ही नहीं मातृ परंपरा से भी सम्राट् आगस्टस का वंशज था। शुरु में उसने अपने गुरु सेनेका से प्रभावित होकर राज्य का शासन भी अच्छी तरह से किया किंतु शीघ्र ही उसके दुर्गुण प्रकट होने लगे। सन्‌ 55 में उसने अपने प्रतिद्वंद्वी ब्रिटेनिकस को, जो क्लाडिअस का अपना पुत्र होने के कारण, राज्य का वास्तविक दावेदार था, जहर देकर मरवा डाला और चार वर्ष बाद खुद अपनी माता की भी हत्या करा दी। फिर उसने अपनी पत्नी आक्टेविया को भी मरवा डाला और अपनी दूसरी स्त्री पापीया को क्रोधाविष्ट होकर मार डाला। उसने एक तीसरी स्त्री से विवाह करना चाहा पर उसने इनकार कर दिया और उसे भी मौत के घाट उतार दिया गया। इसके बाद नीरो ने एक और स्त्री के पति को मरवा डाला ताकि वह उसे अपनी पत्नी बना सके। धीरे धीरे उसके प्रति असंतोष बढ़ने लगा। एक षड़यंत्र का सुराग पाकर उसने अपने गुरु सेनेका को आत्महत्या करने का आदेश दिया। इसके सिवा और भी कई प्रसिद्ध पुरुषों को मृत्युदंड दे दिया गया।

सन्‌ 64 में रोम नगर में अत्यंत रहस्यमय ढंग से आग की लपटें भड़क उठीं जिससे आधे से अधिक नगर जलकर खाक हो गया। जब आग धूधू कर के जल रही थी नीरो एक स्थान पर खड़े होकर उसकी विनाशलीला देख रहा था और सारंगी बजा रहा था। यद्यपि कुछ लोगों का ख्याल है कि आग स्वयं नीरो ने लगवाई थी पर ऐसा समझने के लिए वस्तुत: कोई आधार नहीं है। आग बुझ जाने के बाद नीरो ने नगर के पुनर्निमणि का कार्य आरंभ किया और अपने लिए 'स्वर्ण मंदिर' नामक एक भव्य प्रासाद बनवाया। असह्य करभार, शासन संबंधी बुराइयों तथा अनेक क्रूरताओं के कारण उसके विरुद्ध विद्रोह की भावना बढ़ती गई। स्पेन के रोमन गवर्नर ने अपनी फौजों के साथ रोम पर हमला बोल दिया जिसमें स्वयं नीरो को अंगरक्षक सेना भी शामिल हो गई। नीरो को राज्य से पलायन करना पड़ा। इसी बीच सिनेट ने उसे फाँसी पर चढ़ा देने का निर्णय किया। गिरफ्तारी से बचने के लिए उसने आत्महत्या कर ली।