How many times did Nero rule? Roman emperors. Nero

NERO Claudius Caesar (Nero Claudius Caesar, 37–68 AD), Roman emperor from 54 1124 Oh, if only I could not write! It’s as if Nero exclaimed when he signed his death warrant for the first time (Suetonius, “Nero”, 10, 2; Seneca, “On Moderation”, II, 1, 3). ? Svet., p. 200; Alekseev V. A. Selected latin quotes and

TIBERIUS Claudius Nero (Tiberius Claudius Nero, 42 BC - 37 AD), Roman emperor from 14 AD. e. 141 Insulting the gods is the concern of the gods themselves. Regarding the charge of insulting the shrine of Augustus, brought against one of the Romans ca. 15 AD e. (Tacitus, Annals, I, 73). ? Tacitus, p. 50. Even earlier - at

NERO Claudius Caesar (Nero Claudius Caesar, 37–68), Roman emperor from 54 127 Oh, if only I could not write! It’s as if Nero exclaimed when he signed his death warrant for the first time (Suetonius, “Nero”, 10, 2; Seneca, "On Moderation", II, 1, 3). ? Svet., p. 200; Alekseev V. A. Selected latin quotes and

TIBERIUS Claudius Nero (Tiberius Claudius Nero, 42 BC - 37 AD), Roman emperor from 14 44 Insulting the gods is the concern of the gods themselves. Regarding the charge of insulting the shrine of Augustus, brought against one of the Romans ca. 15 AD e. (Tacitus, Annals, I, 73). ? Tacitus, p. 50. Even earlier - in Titus

Of all the Roman emperors, it is Nero who is most often the subject of scholarly discussions and the object of depiction among writers. However, historians still do not come to a consensus regarding his identity. It may seem that in our days they pay more attention than their predecessors to the positive and constructive traits of his character - this approach is followed, for example, by Star, whose translation of Tacitus we have already mentioned above. We ourselves will not repeat the opinions of others, but will try to carefully study all the evidence in the light of modern sexology and thereby identify a sound grain of truth among the contradictory traditional ideas about this emperor. If, when considering the character of Nero, we use the terms and ideas of psychoanalysis, it is precisely because his character, as we believe, is best revealed by the methods of psychoanalysis. There is no need to repeat that our sketch of the personality of this emperor will be, so to speak, purely subjective.

Of course, Nero inherited many of his vices from his ancestors. In addition, he was capable (like every man and woman) of deviating from sexual norms in any direction. Psychoanalysts call all people "polymorphically perverted" (that is, potentially abnormal in many respects), and this description fits Nero better than anyone else. We will see that young Nero, growing up in the peculiar circumstances of the imperial family, developed so many conflicting sexual inclinations that it is simply incredible to find them all in one person. The preliminary result will be this: Nero was good husband, however, with strong homosexual tendencies; in addition, he had many extramarital affairs with women; Sadistic elements also appear in his character, although they are less significant than modern researchers usually believe.

Cruelty, as we have already demonstrated, was a trait deeply rooted in the Roman national character, but Nero, as a result of his origin, was distinguished by a special tendency towards sadism. His grandfather was a cruel and heartless man. He organized animal fights, which were a popular entertainment at that time, not only in circuses, but in every possible part of the city; he loved bloody gladiatorial games and conducted them with such cruelty that Emperor Augustus banned them by special decree. Nero's father was even worse. According to Suetonius (Nero, 5), this man, accompanying Caligula on a trip to the East, once ordered the death of one of his freedmen because he did not want to drink as much as he was ordered. On the Appian Way, he deliberately ran over a child by whipping up his horses. He was capable of gouging out the eye of a person arguing with him. He was also guilty of greed, adultery and incest. These were the ancestors of Nero on his father's side. On the mother's side things were little better. His mother was Agrippina the Younger, who is described as being as wildly ambitious as she was wildly depraved, having countless affairs. She was the daughter of Julia the Younger, exiled by Augustus for debauchery, and was marked by vices from birth. One can understand why Nero's father, when he was congratulated on the birth of his son, replied that any of his children from Agrippina would turn out to be a monster and a curse for the state.

So, Nero inherited from his ancestors rudeness, ambition, lust and natural cruelty. These qualities only developed in him as a result of the lack of control at a crucial time in his growing up. At the age of three he lost his father; soon after this, his mother went into exile, and therefore he was raised by his aunt Lepida and two “uncles” - a dancer and a barber (Suetonius, 6). When his mother returned from exile, Nero found himself under her vicious influence until the age of eleven. Suetonius says that “thanks to the influence and power of his mother ... he reached such a position that there was even a rumor that Messalina, the wife of Claudius, seeing him as a rival to Britannica, sent assassins to strangle him during his midday nap.”

Messalina was quite capable of such an act. So, it is clear that the family ties and environment in which Nero grew up were exceptional. He was deprived of the control and guidance of a prudent father, but, on the contrary, found himself under the influence of two women - an aunt and a mother, a woman whose power was not inferior to any man - and in early childhood also two men, a dancer and a barber, who themselves, obviously did not have a high level of development. Of course, it is possible that a close relationship with a dancer at a young age awakened in Nero an innate passion for the stage and sports, while his relationship with his mother ultimately led to a tragic ending - Agrippina, still given to sensual pleasures, died from son's hands.

We must not ignore the remark of Suetonius (7) that “even in childhood, not even reaching the age of adolescence, he performed in the circus at the Trojan Games, many times and with great success,” that is, he appeared publicly on stage, as he did later , when he shocked the aristocratic senators.

In the eleventh year of his life, when he was adopted by Emperor Claudius, Nero was given to be raised by the philosopher Seneca. Seneca saw his duties in a very interesting light: the very next night he dreamed that Caligula was his student. If Nero had been a well-behaved and meek boy, we would not understand why Seneca, the great expert human soul, thus imagined my task. “Soon Nero,” continues Suetonius, “discovering his cruel temper at his very first actions, showed that the dream was prophetic.” It's hard to imagine him being raised very strictly. For example, it was strictly forbidden (as we know from other sources) to apply corporal punishment to the heir of the imperial house, although it was common in the education of other young Romans. We know little about how the few years of his life passed before his ascension to supreme power. Suetonius says that “along with other sciences he studied music,” that (22) he had an immense passion for horse racing and that “he never tired of talking about them, although he was forbidden to do so. Once, when he and his comrades were mourning the death of the “green” driver, whom the horses threw off and dragged across the arena, the teacher reprimanded him, but he pretended that they were talking about Hector.”

We know almost nothing more about his childhood. In Suetonius we find an important, in our opinion, remark (7) - the biographer says that Nero tried to convince Claudius of the illegitimacy of Britannicus (Britannicus was Nero's half-brother, three years younger than him). It is quite possible to imagine that his mother Agrippina, at every opportunity, inspired him that one day he would become the ruler of the world. Regarding the good or bad influence of Seneca, we can say the following: historians of past centuries called Seneca almost a saint. Yes, he was a sophisticated and well-read man, but at the same time a weak-willed hedonist; his true motto was “Live and let live.” Therefore, we can understand how it happened that, according to Tacitus, Seneca not only tolerated Nero’s love affairs, but sometimes even assisted them.

What do we know about sex life Nero in his youth? Firstly, it should be noted that, barely reaching the age of sixteen, he was married to his antipathetic half-sister Octavia, and this marriage from the very beginning could not help but be unsuccessful in the most important respect: in the discrepancy between the sexual demands of the spouses. It is easy to understand that Nero, with his highly developed sexuality, could not find satisfaction in such a marriage. Perhaps his ambitious mother forced him into this marriage for her own purposes, knowing that Octavia would not be able to reduce her influence on her son. One gets the distinct impression that Nero and his mother, perhaps unconsciously, were in an erotic relationship. Between them there was no man who could be called true father Nero, and the unprincipled Agrippina, perhaps, hoped to satisfy her insatiable ambitions once and for all by receiving similar power over my son. This may explain the persistent rumors of an incestuous relationship between Agrippina and Nero. And, accepting this hypothesis, we will understand why the first relationship that really brought Nero satisfaction after his painful marriage awakened the wildest rage in the heart of his mother. She instinctively felt that she was losing power over her son. Tacitus speaks with the insight of a great psychologist (Annals, xiii, 13): “But Agrippina, with feminine fury, attacks her son, saying that some freedwoman is challenging him, that yesterday’s slave is her daughter-in-law, and much more in the same kind; and the more furiously she showered him with reproaches, not wanting to wait for him to come to his senses or become fed up, the more passion inflamed him, until he abandoned his mother’s obedience and trusted the leadership of Seneca.”

But already in his youth, Nero must have become acquainted with another type of love - homosexual. In those days there was nothing particularly shocking about this. From Catullus we know that it was a widespread custom among young Romans to enter into sexual relations with a handsome young slave (he was called concubinus). Why should such a sensual man as Nero be an exception? The only striking thing is the message of Cassius Dio (61, 10) that the taste for favorite boys was instilled in Nero by his mentor Seneca, who himself had similar inclinations. These words can be considered one of the unkind fabrications of later authors who slandered emperors they did not like. But on the other hand, it is likely that Cassius Dio is telling the truth. As we know, soon after coming to power, Nero poisoned his half-brother Britannicus. Naturally, Nero did not trust this unfortunate boy, barely fourteen years of age, as a possible contender for imperial power. But other sources say that he was a handsome and well-mannered boy, and Tacitus (Annals, xiii, 17) recounts a rumor that Nero, before poisoning him, entered into a sexual relationship with him, which disgraced a free man, but was quite acceptable in relation to slaves and at the same time did not violate the moral standards of that time. Moreover, all sources are unanimous that Nero entered into immoral relationships with freeborn boys, and the emphasis is on the word “free.” Tacitus also mentions that Nero had homosexual feelings for the actor Paris. Finally, all the authors give a story - so absurd from a modern point of view - about the “marriage” of Nero with his favorite (different sources call him either Pythagoras or Sporus). It is unknown how true these claims are, but one thing is clear: Nero was naturally bisexual, like Horace, Catullus and many other famous Romans.

Here it is appropriate to quote from Suetonius (29): “From some I heard that he was firmly convinced that there is no chaste person in the world and at least in some way pure and that people only conceal and cleverly hide their vices.” This statement reveals such a deep knowledge of the human heart that there is a great temptation to attribute its authorship to Suetonius himself rather than to Nero, who died at 31. Doesn't it remind us of Schopenhauer's sayings?

Regarding Nero's homosexual tendencies, readers may be reminded of Freud's suggestion that the homosexual element in a child's personality is enhanced if his mother reveals masculine traits in herself. (So ​​Freud states in the essay “From the Childhood of Leonardo da Vinci.”)

We believe that another, extremely strange inclination of his, which is noted by all sources, is connected with this side of Nero’s character. Tacitus says (Annals, xiii, 25): “During the consulate of Quintus Volusius and Publius Scipio [that is, in 56], peace and tranquility reigned on the borders of the Roman state, and in Rome itself there was disgusting licentiousness, for dressed so as not to be recognized, in slave rags, Nero wandered through the streets of the city, lupanars and all sorts of dens, and his companions plundered goods put up for sale and inflicted wounds on random passers-by, so ignorant of who was in front of them that Nero himself sometimes received blows in brawls and the marks they left could be seen on his face.” This curious kind of double life is characteristic of many modern homosexuals. It is not entirely clear whether we can be satisfied with Nero's diagnosis of schizophrenia, but it is obvious that something similar was rooted in the depths of his personality.

We are told about Nero that “his impudence, lust, licentiousness, stinginess, and cruelty at first appeared gradually and imperceptibly, like youthful hobbies” (Suetonius, 26), but, the authors add, it was clear to everyone that these vices were from nature, and not from upbringing. Without a doubt this is true. In some historical works, even in our time, there is an image of Nero as a “good” emperor at the beginning of his reign, who at the end turned into an incredible monster, but this picture is not based on any historical facts. Nero was the same throughout his life, and this is proven to us by information about his youth. However, his mother, and then Seneca, obviously knew how to curb him, so that for some time the bulk of the Romans could be deceived about him. Having thrown off the shackles imposed on him by his mother and Seneca, who acted as a teacher and adviser, Nero more and more clearly revealed his character, which we are sometimes told about with wild exaggeration, and sometimes with terrifying certainty.

Nowadays, Nero is regarded as a skillful and cautious politician (especially in the foreign policy sphere), but we are not interested in this now. Let's move on to consider his sex life in adulthood.

We have already said that Nero had a wife and a mistress, and in addition to this, he also showed homosexual tendencies. It was also noted that the first years of his reign were free from tyranny and cruelty. It was during this period that his famous words came: “I wish I had learned to write,” uttered when he had to sign his death warrant. According to Tacitus, the previously unspoiled Nero quickly degenerated into licentiousness, cruelty, and lust as he was overcome by passion for the famous Sabina Poppaea. She was several years older than Nero and already married. This extremely beautiful and sophisticated woman was at the same time completely immoral. This is how Tacitus describes her (Annals, xiii, 45): “This woman had everything except an honest soul. Her mother, revered as the first beauty of her time, passed on beauty to her along with nobility; she had means corresponding to the dignity of her family; Her speech was kind and courteous, and in general she was not short of natural talent. Under the guise of modesty, she indulged in debauchery. She rarely appeared in public places and always with her face half-covered, either so as not to saturate the gaze, or perhaps because it suited her. She never spared her good name, equally disregarding either her husbands or her lovers; She never obeyed either her own or someone else’s feelings, but where benefit was foreseen, there she carried her lust.” One of her sayings is known: “I would rather die than see my beauty fade.” And legends tell about her beauty. She was married to a Roman horseman, but she was apparently surrounded by young admirers, among whom was the cheerful hedonist Otho, who later became emperor.

This man spared no effort to infiltrate Nero's inner circle. Nero, still very young and unfamiliar with In a similar way life seems to have found in Otho the same person whom Dorian Gray found in the person of Henry in Oscar Wilde’s novel. According to Suetonius, in the company of Otho, Nero indulged in debauchery and drunkenness. It was Otho who opened his eyes to the beauty of Poppea, who had already managed to marry him. And he became the rival whom Nero eventually eclipsed in the eyes of Poppaea; Otho's reward was the loss of his beloved woman, selected by a more powerful contender.

His behavior towards Nero is noteworthy. Although passionately in love with Poppea, he extremely recklessly began to praise his wife to his friend and, naturally, awakened vanity and desire in Nero. Poppea, from the very beginning, had one goal, to which she was led by cold calculation - to become the Roman Empress. For such a price, she was ready to surrender to Nero's mercy. And her tactics were no less skillful. Sometimes she portrayed a devoted and submissive mistress, sometimes an arrogant and unapproachable lady; when Nero tried to keep her with him, Poppaea indignantly exclaimed that she was a married woman and would not allow her honor to be played with, and also that her heart belonged to Otho, since no one could compare with his ability to live (Tacitus. Annals, xiii, 46). Another time she pretended that she did not approve of Nero's visits, and declared that she would receive him only in the presence of her husband. Such treatment naturally fanned the fire in the heart of the young emperor.

Otho was not going to voluntarily give up his wife to Nero, and therefore was removed from the court and eventually sent to govern a distant province. Now Nero had one goal: to break the chains that prevented him from marrying Poppaea. These chains were, first of all, his unhappy marriage with Octavia, and secondly, his own mother, who understood that no woman other than Poppea could no longer influence the emperor. Star in his wonderful book “Agrippina, Mother of Nero” says: “And again a life-and-death struggle broke out between the two daughters of imperial Rome - and one threatened to lose everything, and the other sought to achieve everything. One defended, the other attacked.” It is easy to guess which of these women should have won - the one whose allies were youth, beauty, seduction skills, intelligence, sophistication and clear calculation. When Poppea contemptuously called Nero “a dispossessed orphan, submissive to the commands of others” (Tacitus. Annals, xiv, 1), she used the best tactics, since Nero had long rebelled against the tutelage of his mother, to whom he had previously obeyed in everything. And if, as we have already said, Nero's affection for Agrippina rested on an unconscious erotic basis, it is easy to understand that when he finally met true love, his disgust for his incestuous mother was fully manifested. But what is curious is that Poppea, in every sense a woman to the core, was older than Nero, and therefore was for him nothing more than a reflection of the mother he hated. This explains the enormous influence of Poppea on Nero’s personality, as well as the fact that his royal wife Octavia (a completely different type of woman) did not arouse practically any sexual emotions in him. We see how significant the influence of his mother was in Suetonius’ remark that Nero chose a prostitute as his concubine who reminded him of his mother (Suetonius, 28).

Nero's murder of his mother must be seen in the light of these facts. The veracity of historians' accounts of this murder has never been disputed, although it is likely that the romantic details with which Tacitus equips his version are nothing more than pure fiction. All biographies of Nero agree that his true nature was revealed only after the death of his mother: until then, even if he did not feel love for her, she at least inspired him with fear. It is also quite likely that Nero had so many filial feelings left that the bloody crime weighed heavily on his consciousness, which is why it seemed to him “that trumpet sounds could be heard among the surrounding hills, and sorrowful lamentations were heard over the grave of his mother.” (Tacitus. Annals, xiv, 10).

He divorced Octavia not as hastily as he killed his mother. However, this too terrible story. Neither persuasion nor threats could force the unfortunate woman, who had never actually been Nero’s wife, to divorce. Therefore, she was falsely accused of adultery with a flute player. However, her servants did not confirm the accusations even under torture. One of her faithful slaves, who was tortured for a long time by the prefect Tigellinus ( chief assistant Nero, who replaced Seneca after his resignation), exclaimed in the midst of torture that Octavia had a purer body than Tigellinus had a mouth.

After this unsuccessful attempt, Octavia was expelled from Rome and kept in Campania under armed guard. But then something unexpected happened: the common people began to openly express displeasure with the emperor’s behavior. When rumors spread that Octavia was returning from exile, people rushed to the Capitol, began to make thanksgiving sacrifices to the gods, threw down statues of Poppaea, and decorated the sculptures of their beloved Octavia with flowers. This only increased Nero's hatred for his wife. His soldiers cleared the streets of people and nipped the rebellion in the bud. And Poppea, realizing all the dangers that threatened her and her ambitious plans, used all her influence on the weak and cowardly emperor to put an end to this unbearable situation. Octavia was doomed to death. Her enemies fabricated a story that she had committed adultery with the murderer of Agrippina, and he, under threat of death, confirmed this falsehood. The people were presented with the so-called evidence of Octavia’s guilt. She was exiled to the deserted island of Pandateria, which played such an ominous role in the destinies of her family, and there she was brutally killed.

Now Nero could make Poppea empress without any delay; he did just that. However, this ambitious and heartless woman did not enjoy the fruits of success for long. She died three years later, it was rumored, because Nero, in a fit of anger, kicked her while she was pregnant. We cannot unconditionally believe in this version.

Previously, we almost did not talk about Nero’s artistic passions. This side of his nature is very significant in assessing his sexual character, and therefore it should be discussed separately. As already mentioned, Nero received a good education, was knowledgeable in all sciences and arts and, therefore, possessed famous talents. Suetonius says (52): “He turned to poetry, composing verses willingly and without difficulty. Those who think that he passed off other people’s works as his own are wrong: I held in my hands tablets and notebooks with his most famous poems, written by him with my own hand, and it was clear that they were not copied from a book or voice, but were written immediately as they were invented and composed - there were so many erasures, corrections and insertions in them. He also practiced painting and sculpting with considerable diligence.”

It is known that he also had a passionate interest in everything related to horse racing and chariot racing in the Greek style. And no matter how exaggerated the stories of ancient historians may be, it is appropriate to mention his public appearances as an actor, singer, charioteer, wrestler and gladiator. Psychologist Stekel boldly admits that “an emperor, distinguished by such artistic ambitions, could not be bloodthirsty, possessing the power of poetic creativity.” According to his theory, Nero was a neurotic, “a talented man who failed to realize his gifts.” This idea seems to confirm the opinion expressed above that Nero did not get rid of his complexes associated with his mother until the end of his life. All of Nero’s amateurism, all of his amateur attempts to become famous in one area or another can be explained very simply: he involuntarily became a great criminal because he could not achieve the sublimation of his impulses when creating great works of art. And this was the tragedy of his life.

The modern Italian poet Pietro Cossa tried, like many other poets before him, to embody the image of Nero on stage. It was he who expressed Nero’s nature in one line: “He had the heart of a Roman and a Greek mind.” These words convey the entire tragic conflict in the soul of this person. It is easy to imagine how delighted Nero was with everything Greek, especially Greek competitions, even if imbued with the crude spirit of Roman pomp and boasting; how flattered his immoderate vanity was by thousands of spectators who applauded him as a singer, actor or winner of competitions, but deep down he remained a pathetic weakling who was eaten up by a feeling of guilt. History knows other examples of rulers in the guise of majestic despots, but with a soul oppressed by despair. All information about Nero's homosexuality (true or exaggerated) fits very well with the Hellenism in his character. People of his type are never thrifty and far-sighted financiers; they are not able to save money, but spend it without measure on magnificent festivities and all kinds of excesses. Nero indulged in excesses to the extreme. And none of his sexual sins damaged him so much in the eyes of the people as his extravagance, because he was forced to replenish his treasury, which at that time was practically not separated from the state treasury, by all sorts of dubious means, such as defacement of coins and even open robbery of the provinces.

I am tempted to explain the fact that the famous fire of Rome was attributed to him from a purely aesthetic point of view. It is likely that, looking from his palace at the burning city, Nero allowed himself shameless remarks about the terrible beauty of this spectacle, and these remarks were understood as evidence that he himself set fire to the city, either in order to admire the fire or to build himself a new one. palace in ruins. Personally, I would not blame Nero for burning Rome.

And if he is not responsible for this, the reliability of the famous chapter from Tacitus (Annals, xv, 44) about the execution of Christians after the fire is in great doubt. Not a single Christian author mentions this execution, which only confirms the assumption that this chapter is a later invention of Christian authors who wanted to prove the existence of Christ as a historical figure. But that's by the way. True, Suetonius also mentions the execution of Christians at about the same time, but speaks about this briefly and without any details. The details given by Tacitus are unknown to him. And the fact that he, the greatest gossip of all historians, says nothing on this topic is very significant.

It may also be said that Nero's aestheticism was a factor in the hatred of the still powerful Senate - such hatred that the senators hatched one conspiracy after another and finally abandoned him to his fate when the frontier armies rebelled. We read from Cassius Dio: “It was unbearable to hear, much less to see, that a Roman, a senator, a patrician, a pontiff, a Caesar, an emperor, added his name to the list of competitors, exercised his voice, performed all sorts of songs, appeared with long hair, with a shaved chin, in open clothes and almost no retinue, he looked at his opponents with rage, insulted them with abusive words, bribed judges and spectators at games for fear that he would be reproached and crossed out from the lists - all in order to win a prize playing the lyre... and lose the imperial honor! It should be added that the same author says (62, 10): “The common people and the troops looked at this spectacle, not in the least indignant, but, on the contrary, praising the emperor.”

Nero's weak-willed aestheticism and love of pleasure manifested itself in shameful behavior as his power began to crumble. IN in this case we can accept Suetonius's story on faith, since it is fully consistent with the true character of Nero. Suetonius writes (47): “Meanwhile, news came that the rest of the troops had rebelled. Having learned about this during the feast, he tore up the report, overturned the table, smashed to the ground two of his favorite cups, which he called “Homeric”, since the carvings on them were from Homer’s poems, and, taking poison from Lukusta in a golden casket, he went to Servilievo gardens. He sent the most reliable freedmen to Ostia to prepare ships, and he himself began to beg the praetorian tribunes and centurions to accompany him in flight.” When they refused, he began to think about the most crazy plans - in fact, any, except for the only obvious one: defense. So, it occurred to him to go to the Forum in mourning dress and, with the help of all his eloquence, awaken pity among the people. But even he had to admit that such a plan would leave him defenseless in the hands of his enemies. As a result, he fled to the country estate of one of his freedmen and hid there in a remote corner, constantly bemoaning his pitiful fate. Finally, he ordered everything necessary for his funeral to be prepared, and at every stage of the preparations he sobbed and exclaimed: “What a great artist is dying!”

However, being a coward, he was not capable of suicide. Then a messenger arrived with the terrible news that the Senate had declared Nero an outlaw and that he was ordered to be brought to Rome and flogged to death. Nero was horrified. He couldn't stand it physical pain, which thousands of other people coldly condemned. But even when he heard the soldiers sent to arrest him approaching, this esthete could not resist quoting Homer:

The horses galloping rapidly, the stomping sound amazes my ears.

Finally he managed to die. With the help of his secretary (who fled with him), he pierced his throat with a dagger.

His corpse was not desecrated, as he feared. His concubine Acta and two faithful nannies gave him an honorable burial and even took his body to the family tomb. Obviously, the common people did not hate him, since flowers were laid on his grave for a very long time, and soon after his death the false Nero appeared, making many believe that he was the true emperor.

We can sum it up as follows. Nero was the victim of terrible hereditary vices. The development of his personality was strongly influenced by his chaotic upbringing in childhood and the long-term care of his overbearing mother. To these factors should be added his many-sided talents and artistic inclinations, which he was never able to properly develop, despite his amateur attempts in many areas of art.

So, he appears neurotic, weak and cowardly at heart (which is quite typical for aesthete people). In a sexual sense, he received satisfaction from the most different ways, since nothing prevented him from fulfilling any desires. He was, of course, bisexual by nature, but he was not at all a sadist to the core, as he is often portrayed. First of all, he was a person who never completely got rid of his mother’s will.

He always opened up to different people from different sides. This can be seen in the variety of works that illuminate his personality and his era - sometimes Nero appears as a cold cynic and a heartless esthete (as in Cossa’s play), sometimes as the devil-antichrist (as in Sienkiewicz’s famous novel “Who Are You Coming?”), and sometimes (as in Wilbrand's book) a tyrant who was destroyed by the madness of despotic power. It seems to us that it is impossible to recreate the image of Nero using art, because we still don’t know what he really was like.

The fate of Agrippina the Younger (Nero's mother) in her youth was not easy. Her father Germanicus, mother and two older brothers fell victim to criminal machinations; her third brother, Emperor Caligula, first made her his mistress, and then sent her into exile in the Pontic Islands. Claudius, her uncle, becoming emperor, returned her to Rome, where she had to endure a lot from Messalina.

Agrippina the Younger was given by Tiberius in marriage to Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, the grandson of Mark Antony and Octavia the Younger, about whom Suetonius says that he was “the most vile man at every time of his life.” When Agrippina the Younger gave birth to a son, her husband “in response to the congratulations of his friends, exclaimed that from him and Agrippina nothing could be born except horror and grief for humanity.” This son was Nero, and the words of his father, who died soon, turned out to be prophetic.

Little Nero was not interested in military affairs and did not dream of exploits on the battlefield. He was taught music, painting and other noble sciences. At one time he was interested in coinage and also became involved in poetry. But his main hobby was horse racing.

Arrogant and cruel, hypocritical and greedy, Agrippina the Younger was possessed by a true passion for power. They said that once Agrippina asked the soothsayers about the fate of her son and they answered that he would reign, but would kill his mother, to which she said: “Let him kill, as long as he reigns.”

Although Roman laws prohibited the marriage of uncle and niece, an exception was made for Claudius, and in 49 Agrippina the Younger became empress. Agrippina took power into her own hands and wanted to maintain it. Therefore, she ensured that Claudius adopted Nero. But she wanted Nero to be a toy in her hands. Perhaps it was Agrippina who organized the murder of Claudius. There were different stories about how he was poisoned, but no one doubted the fact of poisoning.

Immediately after the death of Claudius, Nero was presented as the rightful heir, and cash gifts of 15,000 sesterces were distributed to the praetorians. The Praetorians carried him to their camp and proclaimed him princeps. Their choice was confirmed by the Senate. Claudius was deified, and Nero was proclaimed emperor with the cumbersome official name - Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.

17-year-old Nero, the great-great-grandson of Augustus, began his 14-year reign. Naturally, an inexperienced young man, prone to artistic pursuits, capricious and spoiled, could not govern the state himself and left this difficult task to his tutor, the great philosopher and noble nobleman Annaeus Seneca and the experienced politician, commander of the Praetorian Guard Afrannius Burru. Seneca and Burrus, who highly valued the authority of the Roman Senate, pursued a policy of harmony between the actions of the princeps and the senate.

Nero's rise to power passed quietly, and the masses of the population greeted the new princeps with enthusiasm. The legions and provincials hoped for the continuation of Claudius' policies, and the senators expected a softening of the autocratic tendencies of his rule. Immediately after coming to power, the new princeps began a liberal course. Nero proclaimed his program. He promised to rule in the style of Augustus, not to deal with all matters personally, to make “the house and the senate separate” and “to restore the ancient duties of the senate.” In the management of the provinces, Nero promised to clearly separate the imperial and the senate.

The year 54 was marked by a mass of senatus consultations. Almost all issues of government, from the preparation of war with the Parthians to the issue of attorneys' fees, were decided in the Senate. The answer was honors provided by the Senate: prayers at which the princeps could be present in triumphal clothing, his statue in the temple of Mars the Avenger made of gold and silver, and even a change in the order of the months of the year (it began in December - the month of Nero's birth). The emperor refused all this, as well as the title of father of the fatherland. To top it all off, the princeps quashed two lèse-majesté cases.

The next year, 55, passed in mutual curtseys, and in 56 some special events of a pro-aristocratic nature were held, clearly reflecting the interests of the Senate elite. In 58, many senators received financial assistance from Nero. Finally, the old custom of executing all slaves who were in the house at the time of the murder of the owner was resumed, in addition, freedmen were added to them. In 61, the most brutal manifestation of this senatus-consult was noted. When a slave murdered the prefect of the city of Pedania Secunda, a prominent senator and lawyer, Gaius Cassius Longinus, proposed executing the 400 slaves who were in the house at the time of the murder. The decision shocked even some senators, and the masses tried to openly prevent the reprisal. Nevertheless, the Senate made a decision, and Nero ensured its implementation by placing military guards along the way.

At the same time, against the backdrop of “general agreement,” there were also some alarming symptoms. Around the young princeps, who came to power at the age of 17, two court groups fought - one was concentrated around Agrippina, the center of the second was Burr and Seneca. Agrippina, as the emperor's mother and empress dowager, sought to play a special role in government. Burr and Seneca chose a different line - opposing Agrippina to the emperor himself.

From the very beginning of her reign, Agrippina began to remove former and potential opponents, ensuring the security of the throne. The intervention of Seneca and Burra stopped the killings, but Agrippina's position was very strong. She became a priestess of Claudius, sometimes the woman secretly attended Senate meetings.

The first clash occurred on personal grounds, when Nero fell in love with the freedwoman Claudius Acte and even wanted to marry her. This caused the discontent of Agrippina and the support of Seneca and Burrus. Seneca's friend Annius Serenus provided his house for meetings between Nero and Acte. The relationship between son and mother deteriorated, the empress was forced to change tactics, but disgrace turned out to be inevitable. Agrippina began to look for allies in Octavia and Britannica. Finally, the mother found it necessary to remind Nero that he received power from her hands through a crime, but 14-year-old Britannicus, the legal heir of Claudius, was still alive. In response to these actions, Nero took away Agrippina's bodyguards and removed her from the palace to Antonia's house. Convinced of the danger of Britannicus, Nero decided to poison him and carried out the decision.

A new conflict began in 58 after the meeting of Nero with Poppaea Sabina, socialite and the wife of Emperor Salvius Otho's friend. Otho was sent to Lusitania as governor, and the princeps began preparations for a divorce from Octavia and marriage to Poppaea, which met fierce resistance from Agrippina. The struggle between son and mother has entered a decisive stage.

The first years of his principate, Nero did not actually rule, and his actions showed that the sensual artistic nature of the princeps, passionate about games, shows and theater and at the same time participating in orgies, of which even senators became victims, in the future promised a reign similar to the regime of Caligula. 59 was a turning point. Under pressure from Poppaea, the princeps decides to kill Agrippina.

Nero ordered the construction of a ship, which fell apart on the open sea, but Agrippina managed to swim out. Having learned about this, the princes sent soldiers led by the prefect of the Misenian fleet, Aliket, who dealt with the empress who had fled to one of the villas.

After the murder, Nero claimed that Agrippina had orchestrated the conspiracy. Seneca, on behalf of the princeps, wrote a message in which he accused Agrippina of seeking to seize power, indignating the Senate and the people, and, finally, of attempting to assassinate Nero. Formally, Nero managed to gain public support. The Senate appointed prayers, public games in honor of the Quinquaters and erected a golden statue of Minerva. The Princeps, who returned from Bahia, was given a solemn meeting with congratulations. Many of Agrippina's victims also returned to Rome.

A terrible and unnatural crime could not but spoil general attitude to the emperor. It was from this moment that a person who broke one of the eternal human values ​​began to be considered capable of anything. But Nero did everything possible to make society his accomplice, and out of fear everyone was forced to welcome the murder.

Nero experienced a severe psychological shock and could no longer rule in the old way, realizing that his reputation was completely undermined. On the other hand, general external passivity led him to the idea of ​​permissiveness and confidence that the power of the princeps could suppress everything. With the death of Agrippina, Nero also felt a certain liberation from control, and it was this contradictory complex of fear, permissiveness, and exaltation of his own personality that created the terrible image of Nero in the second period of his reign.

After the events of March 59, the emperor began attempts to reorganize life. Most likely, there was no constructive idea in this, and the emperor, carried away by shows and games, simply wanted to force the Roman elite to become his audience. Nero was especially fond of singing and playing the cithara, and although his voice was weak and hoarse, he was irresistibly drawn to the theater and to the public. This was an emperor for whom the laurels of an actor were more desirable than power. He cared more about success with the public than about maintaining his power.

Nero longed to perform in public. This was truly unheard of, because the Romans treated theater and actors with contempt. For the first time, Nero dared to sing in front of an audience in Naples. It was at this time that the earthquake occurred; according to some reports, the theater was shaken, but this did not stop Nero, and he sang to the end; according to other reports, the theater collapsed after the performance, when there were no more spectators left in it.

In 60, new games were established - Neronia, which were to be held every 5 years in the manner Olympic Games The competition was of a sports and poetic nature: they competed in music, chariot racing, gymnastics, oratory and poetry. It is significant that the program did not include gladiator fights, traditional for Rome. The games were presided over by the consulars, the Vestals were present, and the princeps himself competed in oratory competitions.

Nero wanted to be a contender for the award along with other actors. Tacitus talks about this as follows: “Even before the five-year competition began, the Senate, trying to prevent national disgrace, offered Nero a reward for singing and, in addition to it, a wreath for the winner in eloquence, which would save him from the dishonor associated with performing at theatrical "on the stage."

But Nero, answering that he does not need indulgences, first appears in front of the public with a recitation of poetry, then, at the request of the crowd, who insisted that he show all his talents (it was in these words that she expressed her desire), he again goes on stage. Not being present at all at this performance was even more dangerous, since many spies secretly remembered the names and faces of those entering, their friendly or hostile mood. According to their reports, small people were immediately condemned to execution, and noble people were subsequently overtaken by the emperor’s hidden hatred at first.

The games became the second reason for Nero's unpopularity, especially among the nobility. Greek and Roman traditions collided, and games in the Greek style with the participation of the noblest people were in the minds of the Romans only orgies and “outrages” of the emperor.

In 60, a comet appeared, after which persistent rumors began to circulate about the imminent end of the reign, especially since the princeps really fell ill. Attitudes towards him became increasingly negative.

Even more dangerous was the onset of a crisis in the provinces and foreign policy. In 61, a major uprising of the Iceni led by Queen Boudicca began in Britain. True, in a decisive battle Suetonius defeated the rebels, and Boudicca committed suicide, but the uprising dealt a strong blow to the Roman province. The second setback was the turn for the worse in the war with Parthia.

The events of 59-61 prepared a turn in domestic policy, which manifested itself in the second period of reign. Burr died in 62. Of course, rumors spread that Nero poisoned him. The new prefects were Zephanius Tigellinus and Fenius Rufus. Tigellinus turned out to be the main figure in Nero's entourage and the conductor of authoritarian policies. The death of Burra also caused the resignation of Seneca, who asked the princeps to let him retire. Soon the last dynastic opponents were eliminated - Cornelius Sulla and Rubellius Plautus.

In 62, Nero incurred universal hatred by reprisal against his first wife, the virtuous Octavia, daughter of Claudius and Messalina. Octavia, who enjoyed great love among the people, was accused of adultery, expelled from Rome and killed. These events served as the plot for the tragedy "Octavia", which has survived to this day, the composition of which is attributed to Seneca. Nero's wife was Octavia's rival Poppaea Sabina, who, according to Tacitus' apt description, "had everything except an honest soul." Beautiful, depraved, cruel and hypocritical, she was a match for Nero, who loved her madly.

Nero's reign began to acquire features characteristic of the Caligula regime. The lèse-majesté trials have resumed.

In 63, Nero and Poppaea had a daughter. This was the princeps' first child, and the occasion was celebrated with prayers and games. The entire senate went to Antium to congratulate the emperor. After 4 months the child died and was deified.

In July 64, a fatal event occurred for the princeps. On the night of July 18-19, a strong fire started in Rome, which lasted 6 days, and then resumed 3 days later. Of the 14 districts of the city, 4 were completely destroyed, and only 3 were untouched by the elements. The rest were badly damaged. Nero, arriving in Rome from Antium, began an energetic fight against the fire. Literally immediately after the fire was extinguished, a grandiose restoration began, which was carried out with obvious consideration for the defects of the fire safety organization. The neighborhoods became more isolated, the streets were wide, the height of houses was limited, and they tried not to build up courtyards. Fire safety and waste disposal systems have been improved. There were more stone buildings in the new city.

Nero's bad reputation led to the fact that the masses of the population were confident that Rome had been set on fire on the orders of the emperor. Contemporaries were confident in the guilt of the princeps, even despite the execution of Christians accused of involvement in the fire, and the restoration and reconstruction of the city only convinced of Nero's involvement in the fire . Another consequence was the need for large expenditures, which may have become the starting point of the conflict with the provinces.

Probably the first reaction to the fire was the so-called Piso conspiracy. The composition of its participants was very diverse. Senators and equestrians were dissatisfied with the autocratic course and lese majeste trials. The Praetorians were outraged not only by Nero, but also by Tigellinus, and in addition, Agrippina was very popular in the guard at one time. Finally, many of the conspirators had personal motives.

All the conspirators agreed on the need to kill Nero, and almost everyone believed that he should be replaced by another princeps. The attempt was thwarted several times, and finally it was decided to kill Nero on April 12, 65. Literally on the eve of the assassination attempt, Libert Scevina Mnlikh denounced Scevina and Natal. The arrested Scevinus and Natalus soon handed over Piso, Lucan, Quintianus and Glitius Gallus. Seneca was also named among those involved in the conspiracy. The city was declared under siege, and guards were posted everywhere. Tigellinus led the investigation. The civilian part of the conspirators was
Destroyed. Piso, Lucan, Senecion, Quintianus and Scevinus committed suicide, and Seneca was forced to do the same. In addition to the participants in the conspiracy, Nero also destroyed other people he disliked, including the consul Atticus Westinus, the husband of his mistress Statilia Messalina, who allowed himself independent behavior.

After the defeat of the core of the conspirators, mass expulsions and exiles began. Many intellectuals went into exile. Thus, Nero eliminated many senators and equestrians and a significant part of the Praetorian command staff. The son of the Greek courtesan Nymphidius Sabinus became the second praetorian prefect, the guard received 2,000 sesterces per person, and the Senate decided to pray to the gods. April was named Neronius, and the frightened Senate even wanted to declare the princeps a god, which he refused.

In the same year, Neronia was celebrated again, and the emperor acted as cithared. During one of the family quarrels, Nero accidentally killed Poppea by kicking the pregnant empress in the stomach. Poppea was deified, and her body, according to Eastern custom, was embalmed and transferred to the mausoleum of Augustus.

In 66, a new conspiracy was organized against Nero, led by Corbulo's adopted son Annius Vinician. Judging by the sacrifices made by the Arval brothers on June 19, the conspiracy took place in the summer. Vinician wanted to kill Nero at Benevento. The leaders of the conspiracy were executed, and among the victims was Claudius' daughter Antonia.

On September 25, 66, Nero left for Greece. The day before, he married Statilia Messalina, but the empress remained in Rome, and on the trip he was accompanied by his new mistress Calvia Crispinilla and the eunuch Sporus. Nero wanted to take a break from the bloody events in the capital and perform on stage again, hoping to find understanding spectators among the Greeks. The princeps traveled all over Greece, indeed meeting with an enthusiastic reception, and at the end of November 67, with great pomp, he declared freedom for the provinces of Achaia, which meant the removal of taxes from the Greeks.

The fire of Rome, the embezzlement of the treasury due to Nero's colossal expenses, and the corruption of his entourage led to a difficult financial situation. In 66, a major uprising began in Judea, called the Jewish War. 3 legions led by Titus Flavius ​​Vespasian were sent to suppress it.

Nero returned from Greece only at the beginning of 68. His return was framed as the arrival of an Olympian. On coins, the emperor was depicted as Apollo Cyfared, and 1808 victory wreaths were carried in processions. At this moment the uprising began. In March 68, the legate of Lugdunian Gaul, Julius Vindex, who considered himself to be a royal family from Aquitaine, convened a meeting of his province and rebelled against Nero. Vindex had no regular troops, but he was supported by the Arverni, Sequani and Vienna, and, according to Plutarch's information, most likely exaggerated, the rebels had 100,000 people.

Vindex turned for help to the governor of Spain, Servius Galba, a prominent Roman aristocrat and distant relative of Livia. Having learned that Nero decided to get rid of him, Galba joined the uprising, freed the prisoners and made accusations against Nero at the meeting, rejected the title of emperor offered to him, declared himself “legate of the Senate and the Roman people” and established something like his own Senate from local residents.

At the end of March, Nero learned of the Vindex uprising. He ignored the news and remained inactive for 8 days, after which he reported this to the Senate. Suetonius writes about the complete passivity and inaction of the emperor. However, he took some measures. It is unclear whether instructions were given to the Rhine legions; it is possible that the princeps considered them unreliable. After the withdrawal of the Rhine legions from the game, Nero had quite a few troops. 3 legions in Britain, 4 in Syria, 2 in Egypt and 3 in Judea were far away, and even the arrival of 4 legions from Dalmatia had to wait. The governor of Africa, Clodius Macrus, had 1 legion, in addition, he recruited another one, but took a wait-and-see attitude, and Nero’s negotiations with him ended in vain.

Nero began a new recruitment among the urban plebs, but the core of his army was a legion recruited from the sailors of the Misenian fleet. At the end of April, Galba's actions became known, and it was at this point that Nero became afraid. The reasons are quite clear: Galba's army was Roman, Galba was more authoritative than Vindex, and, finally, Nero's forces were little more than a rebel army.

At this time, the praetorian prefect Nymphidius Sabinus, considering that power was not on the side of the emperor, decided to organize a coup. The Praetorians rebelled and swore allegiance to Galba, after which the Senate declared Nero an enemy of the fatherland. The princeps fled, but the pursuit overtook him, and Nero committed suicide.

Nero's death made Galba the official ruler. He was recognized by the Senate and was the most noble and honored of the rebel governors.

At the beginning of his reign, the Emperor of the Roman Empire Nero reduced fines and taxes, tried to fight corruption, and was fond of poetry. But most of all Nero became famous for his cruelty and unusual habits...

Cruelty

1. Emperor Nero, according to the historian Suetonius, ordered the death of his aunt Domitia with an excessive dose of laxative.

2. After the fire 64 AD. e. In Rome, Emperor Nero placed all the blame for what happened on Christians. He carried out terrible persecutions against believers, tortured and killed them. Methods of punishment include crucifixion, sewing into animal skins and baiting with dogs.

Living torches of Nero.

Besides all this, Nero loved “natural light.” He ordered a man to be crucified on a cross and doused with oil, then the oil was set on fire, and the man burned alive, illuminating the gardens opposite the palace with the bright light of the flame.

Most of the atrocities are unconfirmed, but historians still agree that Nero was the first in the world to begin a total persecution of Christianity.

3. Nero ordered his mother Agrippina to be lured onto a magnificent ship, which was built in such a way that part of it would fall off and crush or drown the woman. But the plan failed: Agrippina received only a slight wound and was saved.

Nero was in despair from failure. But he did not give up trying to get rid of his mother. A chance helped: one of Agrippina’s freedmen was arrested, and a dagger was found under his clothes. This served as evidence of intent to kill the emperor.

Nero's close associate Anicetus, with reliable people, went to the villa where Agrippina was, burst into the bedroom and killed her. Having received a blow to the head with a stick, she opened her body in front of the centurion’s sword raised at her and said: “Stab here.”

4. Nero decided to end his brother’s life so that his mother would not transfer the rank of emperor to him. Britannicus, to whom the poison was served at the imperial dinner, immediately fell to the floor and, having made only a few convulsive movements, died.

The dinner party, including Agrippina and Octavia (Nero's first wife), looked in stupefaction for several minutes at this terrible incident. But Nero said that Britannicus's death was a natural result of epilepsy, and the feast continued.

Rubens. "The Death of Seneca"

5. Nero's teacher Seneca died when he was about 70 years old, maintaining a strong spirit. He could have lived longer, but Nero sentenced him to death by suicide. Seneca coldly opened the veins in his arms and legs.

As the blood flowed slowly from the old man's body, he dipped his feet into the warm water while the slaves wrote down the philosopher's last words. He spoke until death took him away.

Debauchery.

6. The Roman Emperor Nero married a man - one of his slaves named Scorus.

7. Nero appeared publicly as a master of driving horses at races in a circus, rode through the streets in a fantastic costume and, stopping, showed the people his art of singing and playing musical instruments.

He set up a theater in the palace for games, which he called juvenalia (games of young people), and with gifts he persuaded impoverished noble people to participate in these performances, that is, to share with him the craft of an actor, which, according to Roman concepts, was shameful.

8. Having a wife, Nero, in front of the amazed public, started an affair with the plebeian Acte and even wanted to marry her.

9. Drunken orgies were very common: Nero dressed in animal skin, then jumped out of the cage and took turns raping naked men and women tied to poles. It was rumored that his sexual partners were not only women, but also young men.

Nero and his wife, daughter Claudia.

10. Having decided to change his wife once again, Nero executed his first wife Octavia. He accused her of adultery. The second official wife of the emperor was the wife of his best friend. But she didn’t last long either. He killed his second wife, Poppaea Sabina, by kicking her, sick and pregnant.

Habits.

11. Emperor Nero took baths in a tub of fish. This is due to the fact that the fish were not simple - they emitted electrical discharges, and the emperor was treated in this way for rheumatism.

12. Doctors advised the short-sighted Emperor Nero to look more at green to strengthen his eyesight. Nero began to wear green clothes, decorated his bedroom with chrysolite, covered the arena for gladiator fights with malachite, and looked at the fights themselves through a polished emerald.

Portrait of Emperor Nero

13. The Roman Emperor Nero celebrated his anniversaries of his reign with the holiday “Quinquinalia Neronia”. At the festival one could hear poetic recitations by the emperor himself.

Wastefulness.

14. Talking about the Roman emperor Nero, the historian Suetonius mentioned the wonderful features of his life. Including the amazing banquet room in which he held orgies and lavish feasts. They say the room “was round and rotated continuously day and night, imitating the movement of celestial bodies.” And the ceiling, made of Ivory, and also moved apart.

Flower petals fell into the resulting cracks. Or incense was sprayed. According to the historian, the floor in the banquet room was wooden, supported by pillars and stone spheres. It was he who rotated, driven by water. The diameter of the room was approximately 15 meters.

During excavations of the Golden House of Nero in the area of ​​the Colosseum and Palatine Hill, a team of archaeologists led by Maria Antonietta Tomei appears to have discovered the very same room. Several supporting columns and stone balls were found.

15. Citizens condemned Nero's extravagance in buildings, and especially in the construction of the huge Golden Palace, from the Palatine to the Esquiline itself.

In the Golden House, he ordered the erection of his own statue, which was taller than the famous Colossus of Rhodes (about 37 meters high).

In the chambers of the house everything was decorated with gold, precious stones and pearl shells. Salty and sulfuric waters flowed in the baths. The emperor also began to build a grandiose bathhouse with a 160-mile-long canal so that ships could approach it directly.

To carry out the work, he ordered exiles from all over Italy to be sent, demanding that the courts sentence criminals to the construction site of the century. link

Name: Nero

Age: 30 years

Place of Birth: Lazio, Italy

A place of death: Rome, Italy

Activity: Roman Emperor

Family status: was married

Nero - biography

Full name - Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus is known as Nero. Birth name: Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus.

When the news of Nero’s birth was reported to his father, he exclaimed: “From me and Agrippina nothing can be born except horror and grief for mankind!”

Agrippina was the sister of Emperor Caligula, who did not hesitate to visit her bedroom. So the biological father of the newborn, who later received the name Nero, could well have been the cruel madman himself. And as we know, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree...

Having conceived a plot to kill her brother and put her son on the throne, Agrippina did not know about the traitor. Her accomplices were executed, and Caligula sent her sister into exile. Nero remained in Rome with his father Guy Domitius, and when the old man died, the boy was sent to be raised by his aunt, where he fully experienced poverty and deprivation.

When Caligula was finally killed, his uncle, Claudius, took the throne. He returned his niece to Rome. The emperor's depraved wife, Messalina, suspected that Agrippina could achieve the transfer of the throne from Claudius to Nero, bypassing their own son Britannicus. She sent assassins to little Nero, but they never decided to carry out the “delicate” assignment.

When Nero was 10 years old, his mother began to approach Claudius. After Messalina’s unsuccessful attempt to overthrow her husband, Afippina seduced Claudius - and achieved her goal: the emperor married her, and a little later adopted her and declared 13-year-old Nero as his heir. Four years later, the young man stood at the head of Rome.

However, the 17-year-old young man could not drive. He indulged in feasts and orgies, having sex with boys and married women. Once he raped a vestal priestess, which would have been unacceptable. The historian Suetonius wrote: “His impudence, lust, licentiousness, and cruelty were at first invisible, like youthful hobbies, but even then it was clear that these vices were from nature, and not from age.”

In the early years, the empire was actually ruled by Agrippina and Nero's mentors - Seneca and Burrus. The young ruler’s mother began to clear the courtyard of old and new enemies. Realizing that they too might fall under the next “purge,” Seneca and Burr persuaded the emperor not to approve Agrippina’s “death lists.” They used the former slave Acte as an instrument of influence on the young man - Nero fell in love with her so much that he was ready to do anything.

Then the mother threatened that she would return the throne to Claudius’s own son, Britannicus. In response, Nero ordered Britannicus to be poisoned. Then he ordered his poisoner Locusta to be brought to the amphitheater. The woman was stripped and tied to a pole, where, to the amusement of the crowd, she was raped by a specially trained giraffe and thrown to the lions.

The young emperor himself liked to pretend to be a beast. According to Suetonius, “in animal skin, he jumped out of the cage, pounced on naked men and women tied to pillars and, having satisfied his wild lust, gave himself to the freedman Doryphorus...”

One day Nero saw the beautiful Poppaea Sabina - and lost his head. He ordered her husband to divorce her and gave her in marriage to his friend, forbidding her to share a bed with her.

On his orders, they tried to poison Agrippina three times, but she took the antidote. Then Nero invited her to go on a pleasure boat trip. According to the plan, in the room where the woman was sleeping, a lead ceiling was supposed to fall on her. However, the racks withstood the deadly load.

Upon learning of the failure of the “operation,” Nero panicked, but Seneca advised accusing his mother of attempting to kill him and executing her. Seeing the executioner with a knife, Agrippina asked to stab her in the stomach. By this, the woman made it clear: she bitterly regrets that she gave birth to a scoundrel. The next morning it was explained to the Senate that the emperor had almost died at the hands of his mother’s killer. Rome pretended to believe...

Now no one could stop Nero from indulging in lust and vanity. And the fame of an actor and singer meant even more to him than power. Having a hoarse and weak voice, the ruler played the lyre and sang for hours. The Romans treated singers and actors with contempt, but Nero did not care. Subsequently, he collected thousands of theaters. The guards closed the doors, and no one could leave his performances.

When Poppea became pregnant, Nero decided to get rid of his legal wife Octavia. Accusing her of infertility, he divorced her and married his mistress. Octavia was sent from Rome to the island of Pandateria, where she was killed by cutting her veins. As proof of her death, Poppea was brought the head of the unfortunate woman.

Soon Poppea gave birth to a daughter. The emperor's happiness knew no bounds; he even awarded the mother and baby the title of Augusta. The joy was short-lived: four months later the child died.

And the next year there was a huge fire in Rome. The city burned for six days, but the emperor only calmly played music. Due to his bad reputation, he was suspected of organizing the fire. Nero himself “appointed” Christians as guilty. Thus, on his orders, the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down. Other followers of Christ were nailed to the cross and set on fire. Nero ordered the installation of living torches to illuminate his feasts. Amid heartbreaking screams, the murderer calmly talked with the guests and drank wine. It was for the murder of Christians that Nero was nicknamed the Antichrist. By the way, the sum of the serial numbers of the letters in his full name gives the number bbb. And in the Book of Revelation it is said that “the beast will reign for 42 months” - Nero reigned for the same amount of time after that terrible fire.

During her next pregnancy, Poppea's psyche began to malfunction. The emperor was not going to tolerate hysterics and “shut up” her with a kick to the stomach. The woman fell, started bleeding, and had a miscarriage. A few hours later, Poppea died. From grief, Nero seemed to lose his mind. Noticing the young man Spor's resemblance to the deceased, he ordered him to be castrated and married him. Nero later married two more men, but did not castrate them, because for them he was the “wife”.

Of course, Nero's style of government could not help but turn society against him. Riots occurred regularly, but they were suppressed. And in March 1968 the situation changed in a fatal way for him. The governor of Gaul, Gaius Vindex, opposed Nero. For help, he turned to the governor of Spain, Servius Galba, offering him the title of emperor. Legions of rebels marched towards Rome.

At first, the Senate declared Galba an enemy of the people, but then he was supported by the emperor's personal guard. Left without cover, Nero disappeared into his luxurious palace on Palatine Hill. And when the messenger reported that the Senate had already declared him an enemy of the people, he decided to die. With the help of his secretary, he cut his own throat, exclaiming: “What a great artist is dying!”

None of the nobility wanted to bury the emperor, and only the former slave Akte, having wrapped the body of her 30-year-old lover in a shroud, set him on fire.