December 15, 37 Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus was born. That was the name of the future emperor Nero when he was born. He was of noble origin and belonged to the Domitian family. Many representatives of this family in former times held significant positions, in particular, they were consuls. Two of them were even censors.
Family
Nero's great-grandfather was a contemporary of Julius Caesar and even tried to bring him to trial for abuse of power. True, nothing came of it. Grandfather served Emperor Augustus, was a famous military leader and was honored with a triumph.
Nero's father Gnaeus Domitius was also consul in 32. The then emperor Tiberius initiated his marriage to Julia Agrippina. It was from this couple that Lucius Domitius was born.
Childhood
Nero was born six months after the death of Emperor Tiberius. After him, the throne was taken by Caligula. He was the brother of Agrippina, and therefore the uncle of Nero. The child lived with his father near Antium in the suburbs of Rome, at that timehow the mother remained in the capital and was at the court of her brother. Caligula was distinguished by a depraved disposition and indulged in adultery with his sisters (the eldest was Julia Livilla). In 39 they were accused of participating in a conspiracy against the emperor. Allegedly, they wanted to overthrow Caligula, after which the young Nero would take the throne.
After a short trial, the sisters were sent to the Pontine Islands. All their property was confiscated, and contact with relatives was banned. However, Nero and his father did not fall under repression and continued to live in their own villa in Italy. Gnaeus Domitius died in the year 40 due to an outbreak of dropsy.
Under Caligula
Despite his paranoia and desire to see a conspiracy in everything, Caligula could not save himself. In 41, he became a victim of a conspiracy arranged by the Praetorians - the court guard. Caligula was killed, and the throne was given to his uncle, Claudius. He was known for his dementia and tyrannical nature. The newly-appeared emperor declared himself a god, carried out repressions in the Senate.
However, he returned his nieces (including Nero's mother) from exile back to Rome, dropping charges of treason. In addition, Claudius decided to arrange a second marriage for Agrippina, since her husband had died shortly before. Gaius Sallust, a famous nobleman, who had previously become consul twice, became his husband. He moved the mother of Emperor Nero and the child himself to his house in Rome, where they lived in the highest society.
From that moment on, the child forgot about a quiet life. The capital was full of conspiracies and conflicts of interests of the nobility. The main threat to the Agrippina family was Messalina, the wife of Emperor Claudius. She believed that her husband's niece was a threat to her own power. Nero in her eyes was a pretender to the throne who could overthrow her son Britannicus in the future.
Messalina tried to get rid of the child by sending assassins to Sallust's house. However, they failed to fulfill the delicate task. Most likely, they just got scared, although, as is usually the case, rumors gave rise to a legend that the messengers were frightened by the snake that guarded Nero's dream. The tense situation continued.
In 47 Gaius Sallust died, and many gossips said that Agrippina poisoned her husband in order to inherit his we alth. A few months later, Messalina tried to organize a conspiracy against her husband, but was exposed and executed. As a result, both Claudius and Agrippina were left without a mate. Approximate emperor advised him to marry an influential and beautiful woman. He agreed, and the wedding was played in 49. After that, Nero became the heir to the throne.
Heir
Claudius arranged the engagement of his new adopted son and Claudia's real daughter Octavia. The future emperor Nero received a famous mentor - the philosopher Seneca, whom Agrippina returned from exile. Faithful people of mother and son surrounded the emperor in order to strengthen their positions. For example, the former mentor of Nero, Gaul Sextus Burr, became a prefect.
However, the crazy emperor constantly changed his plans. He soon becamecooler attitude towards his wife and Nero. In addition, Claudius again brought his own son Britannicus closer to him. It seemed that he was about to appoint him heir again. But Agrippina decided to act proactively. It is believed that in 54 she brought her husband a plate of poisoned mushrooms, because of which he died. Emperor Nero became the owner of the throne. A photo of his bust can give an idea of how the ruler looked then. He was a handsome young man, not yet corrupted by tyranny and bad habits, which included taverns and brothels.
Conflict with mother
The reign of Emperor Nero began. At first, he was under the complete control of his mother, who even participated in official ceremonies with her son. However, every day the young man got used to power more and more and became uncontrollable. The bone of contention was his preferences in women. He became close to the former slave, which the mother could not stand. She even began to form a bond with Britannicus, who could also be emperor. But Nero was not going to give up power. Britannic was poisoned in 55.
Soon Agrippina was removed from the court. The son began to make attempts to assassinate her, but failed each time. In the end, he openly ordered that Agrippina, who had been stabbed, be disposed of. After that, Nero began to have mental he alth problems. He began to feel the ghost of his mother. In an attempt to find relief, he resorted to the fruitless help of magicians and soothsayers.
Foreign and domestic policy
In the first years of his reign, when the ruler still showed interest in state affairs, he proved himself to be a good administrator. For example, the Senate adopted laws against corruption, the author of which was the Emperor Nero. In short, he also initiated tax cuts for ordinary people. Under him, the custom of regular colossal festivities and festivities appeared. Arena battles have become a constant, proving to be a favorite spectacle of the crowd.
By the time of Nero's accession, the Roman Empire had almost reached its historical limits. It surrounded the Mediterranean Sea, was the center of culture and trade. External enemies did not threaten her. Therefore, there were no wars initiated by Emperor Nero. A brief biography of his military leaders said that this class needed conflicts like air. As a result, when a dispute broke out between Rome and Persia, in the center of which Armenia turned out to be, the advisers convinced the ruler to start a war. It lasted from 58 to 63. As a result, the ruler of this buffer state agreed to become a vassal of the emperor.
Great Fire
In the year 64 there was a terrible fire in Rome, which was immediately called the Great. It is believed that the emperor Nero was its initiator. Some chroniclers and historians tell about an episode when the ruler, having learned about the disaster, went to the suburbs, from where he watched what was happening. At the same time, he dressed in a theatrical costume, recited poems about the destruction of Troy and played musical instruments.
The fire destroyed most of the city. At thatAt that time, Rome was divided into 14 districts, of which only 3 survived. Enormous resources were required to restore the city. Therefore, the emperor imposed huge taxes on the provinces in order to put the capital in order. A new palace was founded, which became one of the largest residences of monarchs in world history. Emperor Nero did not forget to find those responsible for the disaster. They were recognized as Christians. This gave rise to mass executions of heretics, which were held in the form of popular spectacles. The accused were fed to lions, hung on crosses, etc.
Private life
Nero's marriage to Octavia, arranged by Claudius, did not last long. She could not get pregnant, which is why her husband accused her of infertility. After that, he married twice more: Poppaea Sabina and Statilia Messalina. The first wife of Emperor Nero even gave birth to his daughter, but she died in the fourth month of her life. Poppea's second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage due to her husband kicking her in the stomach during one of the quarrels.
Like other Roman emperors of that era, Nero was known to have intimate relationships with men. Homosexuality was considered the norm, and the emperor openly held numerous orgies.
Rebellion and death
Over the years, Nero was losing popularity, both among ordinary residents of the state and in the highest Roman circles. This was due to his terrible temper turning into madness, huge taxes for the provinces, depraved lifestyle, etc.
OnAgainst this backdrop, in 68, an uprising broke out in Gaul. The local governor Gaius Julius Vindex raised his own legions against the central government. He was supported by Galba, who ruled Tarracan Spain. Between them there was an agreement that the latter would proclaim himself emperor in the event of a victory over Nero. The rebellious legions did not even have to break through to Rome with a fight. The people, the troops, and even the Praetorians also opposed Nero, even though the Senate initially declared the rebels to be criminals. The news of the betrayal of the guards brought the ruler into disarray. It became clear that his days were numbered.
The country villa was the last place where Emperor Nero stopped in his flight. Biography did not give him any chance at the mercy of the winners. The Senate has already declared him an enemy of the people. At first he did not dare to commit suicide, but when he heard the clatter of horse hooves in the street, he finally took up the knife. With the help of a faithful servant, Nero cut his own throat. According to legend, at that moment he said: “What an artist is dying!”. This phrase has become catchy.
His body was burned by the last few associates, and the urn was buried in the family estate. With the death of Nero, the first Roman imperial dynasty, the Julio Claudii, came to an end. After that, the country was shaken by civil war for a long time.
Meaning
Nero's personality has remained extremely controversial for many generations of historians. Under him, the empire flourished, but this was hardly the merit of the emperor. He himself was distinguished by an insane character (for whichbecame most famous) and indulged in all sorts of pleasures, while the state apparatus, by inertia, did its job. It was the golden age of ancient society.
In Christianity, Nero is depicted as a torturer, on whose orders numerous believers who were recognized as outlaws were tortured and executed.
