...Adrienne Cormier World Civilizations Kara Patton March 22, 2016 Emperor Nero Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, aka Nero as he is more widely known was the 5th emperor of Rome in the first century. Nero was also the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty taking the thrown at age 17. This eccentric tyrannical ruler was born in 37 A.D. to Agrippina who was the great granddaughter of the emperor Augustus. After Nero’s bio father died his mother married the emperor Claudius who just happened to be her uncle! Claudius ended up naming Nero as his successor over his own son with a little persuasion from Nero’s mom, as part of the deal Nero would take Claudius daughter as his wife! Nero adopted the name Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus and took the thrown in 52 A.D. His mother was a very domineering factor in his life and tried to steer the way of his rule as well as his person affairs. Nero was quite the womanizer that went on to have several affairs including an open affair with a slave woman. Agrippina protested heavily on all of them. He first banished her from the palace and eventually unsatisfied with this had her murdered. At first Nero was considered a good reasonable leader it wasn’t until the later years of his reign around 59 A.D that he went insane. He had put in many good reforms such as lowering taxes and did away with capital punishment. Nero supported athletics and art culture above gladiator events. Although he was known for his wondering eye and...
Words: 495 - Pages: 2
...Nero * Became emperor at age 17 in AD54 * Became emperor thanks to Agrippina’s efforts and push for his succession * Adopted son of Claudius * Had a bloodline connection to Augustus * Burrus (PP) and Senaca (tutor) instrumental influence in the transfer of power “highly experienced men” Tacitus * Nero was only an adolescent, the early part of his reign was characterized by direction from these older figures, including Agrippina herself who assisted him in his dictatorship * Agrippina’s involvement diminished over time > eventually into turmoil * Agrippina in beginning: positive relationship, appeared on coins, password optimum mater ‘best of mothers’ to tribune * Declared Claudius a god * Marriages: Octavia – obedient and unhappy wife. Divorced for Poppaea Sabina – controlling and influencing, encouraged death of Agrippina, kicked to death by a drunken Nero. * Early years = good relationship with Senate with efficient functioning – possibly thanks to the assistance of Burrus and Senaca * Early years = positive * Sought to follow the Augustan model * Empire enjoyed a sound government thanks to the guidance of Senaca and Burrus * Improved aqueduct system, ensures grain supply, ensures justice in the provinces, reduced tax, immense variety of entertainment (parties, chariot races, stage + gladiatorial plays) * “introduced his own style of architecture” Suetonius * “generous” Suetonius * Shift in character...
Words: 360 - Pages: 2
...Ti. Claudius Nero Germanicus was born in 10 BCE and was the emperor of Rome from 41 to 54 CE. For much of his life, he was regarded as a dim-witted incompetent due to weakness and disfigurement as the result of a childhood illness as well as a crudeness of manners. (PBS.org,Roman Emperors.org) Claudius came to power in 41 CE amidst great turmoil in the empire. The previous emperor, his nephew Caligula, had been a hated figure whose reign was ended abruptly and significantly in a grisly assassination by members of his own bodyguard, the first open murder of an emperor in Roman history. (Roman Emperors.org) Following the death of Caligula, there was briefly talk amongst the Senate of reviving the Republic, but the discussion quickly devolved...
Words: 1262 - Pages: 6
...Andrea Jaramillo Reflection Paper Christians in the Roman Empire Todays class lecture made me want to reflect on the persecutions on Christians during the Roman Empire and how they remained so strong to their religion. The persecution of Christians began with Caesar Nero in the year 64 d. C. The letter to Diognotes gives us more insight on the real thought of the Romans of the Christians: Christians are distinguished from the other inhabitants of the Roman Empire not by customs but for their behavior. So they stand out for their exemplary behavior. Also, he says that while living on earth, know that they will one day live in heaven. But it also tells us that they are insulted, persecuted and punished as if they were criminals. Christians however, following the teachings of Christ, loved his pursuers. There are reasons why Christians were prosecuted: - They refused to do military service. -They not involved in the terrible circus shows. -No worshiped the emperor and saw this as an affront to God. -Many people see Christians as strange beings who performed clandestine meetings of questionable content. -They were accused of infanticide (killing young children), of cannibalism (ie cannibalism) and grave moral disorder. -They were accused of going against atheists and Roman customs, because the Romans were polytheistic and monotheistic Christians. -They were accused of many things that did not as the famous fire of Rome in 64 d. C. -The intellectuals of the time...
Words: 396 - Pages: 2
...The Effect of Allusions in Hamlet Sometimes it takes a clearly conveyed comparison to fully understand a difficult concept. The greatest authors of all time create novels with important points that are not quite so obvious, and the reader has to do a little digging to grasp the intended meaning. When regarding Shakespearean plays, readers will surely notice that they are riddled with enigmas. How does Shakespeare give the reader clues to help grasp the novel? He uses allusions, carefully-placed references to something else. One of the finest places to look for Shakespearean allusions is Hamlet, a tragedy about the negative effect of ambition and revenge. The result of William Shakespeare incorporating allusions into Hamlet is the readers have a more sophisticated understanding of themes, characters, and conflicts. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he uses allusions in order to develop themes in the play. One of the major themes in the play is action vs. inaction. In Act 1, Scene 5, Hamlet talks with the ghost of his father about the cause of his death. The ghost informs him that it was his uncle Claudius, as he suspected, and that it is imperative that he seek revenge at once. The ghost says, “I find thee apt. And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe Wharf, wouldst thou not stir in this.” The ghost sees that Hamlet is eager to get revenge, but little does he know, this allusion is a prediction of what is to come. The ghost’s statement...
Words: 1024 - Pages: 5
...the Christian? Should the young be treated different from the mature? -Does denying being a Christian mean the accused is pardoned? -is Christianity name itself enough to condemn the accused or is it the crimes associated with being a Christian? Christians would be interrogated to confess Christian beliefs and would be threatened with death. If they didn’t give up the beliefs then they would be executed. Pliny then details the practices of the Christians saying they’d sing hymns to Christ as god. They all blind themselves by oath. Romans would use torture in interrogations of slaves Nero- Corrupt emperor with lavish parties with prostitutes. Had one crazy party Fire set in Rome, and many people had thought that Nero set the fire during the time of the fire he wasn’t in Rome but during the conflagration he was singing a song about the destruction of Troy. Nero was blamed. People are angry but he tries to make up for it. He offered gardens for spectacles of torture. Augustine “City Of God” pg 59- Refute the pagan charges that said that the Christian’s brought the fall of Rome. Pagans said that people should worship old gods in order to achieve material advantages in this world. Augustine attacks the pagans and says that misfortune happens to all. He says that Rome had fallen before even when their gods were worshipped. 2 cities are brought in constant contrast 1. City of God 2. Earthly City Key Ideas: LOVE IS THE CENTER OF LIFE But love...
Words: 586 - Pages: 3
...Mock Questions- how do modern and ancient sources interpret Agrippina’s image? (15 marks) Ancient sources depict Agrippina as an opportunistic, masochistic and power hungry fiend- her sexual escapades, lust for wealth and absolute control in marriage and second hand politics. But we must consider the purpose and audience of the male historians at the time- there was no such thing as a woman in power, and it would have severely grated the egos and traditions of men like Tacitus. Suetonius was not only a man, but sometimes exaggeratedly biased. Their paternal portrayals of this woman well beyond her time would not be flattering. Their purpose was to aspirate unquestioned propaganda, and their audience had no questions. However, our modern day female and male historians have the advantage of time and a political revolution. Although Bauman admits that this woman had an “indifference to conventional morality”, modern scholars have not only provided us with an account of her actions in the context of her time, but they now present us with motive and agenda. It is clear when we apply her actions to modern context, that she was in fact a woman who’s “keen intellect” [Bauman] guided her every action. Tacitus was a man of the republic who found every opportunity to make reference to Agrippina’s sexual and masculine schemes to highlight how much of a negative antithesis she was to the traditional Roman woman. He presents a highly critical appraisal of her image, claiming that she...
Words: 1824 - Pages: 8
...BURNING OF ROME On the evening of the July 18, 64, a great fire erupted in a shop at the end of Circus Maximus (merchant district), selling flammable goods. This fire sparked outrage in the community in the days ahead, as Tacitus reported the fire spread quickly are burnt for five days. The Roman community by this time was wearing thin of Emperor Nero’s actions, as a diversion Nero supposedly set fire to the city as he wanted to make way for his planned villa, Domus Aurea. Due to the mass loss of property with four out of Rome's twelve districts being completely obliterated and seven of them suffering from huge loss, Emperor Nero opened up his home for a relief for the homeless. During this relief stage Nero used his personal funds to supply and deliver food to prevent starvation among survivors. Once the people had time to process the fire and the momentous loss that came with it, speculation shifted to the origin of the fire. Various historical figures report Nero taking the fire with great happiness, with Dio...
Words: 1154 - Pages: 5
...last emperor was Nero, a man who was vicious...
Words: 1494 - Pages: 6
...Tacitus On Vespasian “The first move to convey imperial status to Vespasian took place at Alexandria. This was due to the eagerness of Tiberius Alexander, who caused his legions to swear allegiance to the new emperor on 1 July. The date was afterwards honoured as that of his accession though on 3 July the army of Judaea had taken the oath before Vespasian in person. Such was the enthusiasm that they acted without even waiting for the arrival of his son Titus, who was on his way back from Syria, where he had acted as the link between Mucianus and his father in their negotiations. The whole affair was carried through by a spontaneous move on the part of the troops, and there was no time to arrange a formal parade or concentrate the scattered legions.”” (Tacitus Histories II.79) This narrative from Tacitus' Histories refers to the seemingly spontaneous proclamation of Vespasian as Emperor of Rome in AD69. This event ultimately lead to the end of the civil war that had seen three emperors proclaimed and killed in the space of a year in Rome. That the army had proclaimed Vespasian on July 1 is also backed up by Suetonius (Suet. Vesp.6) and by Dio (REF) However Josephus does not date the event, and states that the Judean legions were the first to proclaim Vespasian (BJ, 601).. Despite the absence of detail within this passage, the acclamation of Vespasian by the troops was the culmination of a series of political manipulations which had been designed and carried out, by the...
Words: 685 - Pages: 3
...Rome 64 A.D The great fire of Rome engulfed the city on the night of July in the year 64 A.D. This devastating fire that consumed everything across it's part raged across the town for over a week (http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/great-fire-rome). This inferno shaped the history of Rome and the growth of it's fire fighting arm. This great calamity occurred during the reign of the great King Nero and had been shrouded under many misconception. Most people belived that the inferno was set by king Nero in other to build his new palace (https://www.forbes.com/sites/drsarahbond/2017/07/18/july-18-64-the-great-fire-of-nero-and-the-ancient-history-of-firefighting/). The story goes that Nero in his want to acquire the choice part of the country to set up a palace befitting his royalty had the city put to touch. Also, another version proponded by the king himself was that the fire was put up by the...
Words: 982 - Pages: 4
...they behaved. Augustus had introduced laws that the princeps or the title of the emperor could not be passed down like a monarchy, but could only be approved by the senate, but it eventually became inheritable. The senate had historically been allowed to pass on their status to their descendants, and so succession within the family was by no doubt acceptable, we can prove this by highlighting the fact that Augustus himself wanted to choose a successor who had been related to Julius Caesar or himself, this had been followed for many years after Augustus’ death even though it had not been passed on as a law. The Julio-Claudian dynasty had been carried out by Rome’s first 5 emperors; Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero. However after the death of Nero, the Julio-Claudian dynasty had come to an end at 68 AD. Most emperors during the period of...
Words: 3321 - Pages: 14
...notes her unique position as the “sister, wife and mother of emperors”. Daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder, Agrippina II was born into prominence. Her first marriage was to Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, to which she bore her only son to, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (Nero). Gnaeus, a Roman general and politician, was quite wealthy and held credible familial links to Octavia, Augustus’ sister. This would ensure Nero was a legitimate heir to the role of Princeps....
Words: 571 - Pages: 3
...Nemeth CLA311 Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome Notes Chapter 1 From Augustus to Tiberius “I shall write without indignation or partisanship: in my case the customary incentives to these are lacking.” No republican forces were left after Brutus and Cassius died. Sextus Pompeius in Sicily was defeated, Ledpidus dropped, Antony killed. Only Octavian was left. Seduced with many gifts but soon the legal system was incapacitated by violence, favoritism and bribery. Augustus chose Agrippa as son in law after nephew Marcellus dies. Agrippa has sons Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar and adopted Augustus adopted them. Both die premature deaths, Nero Drusus is already dead and Tiberius is the only surviving stepson. Livia had control over aged Augustus—he sent to exile his only surviving grandson, Agrippa Postumus. Son of Nero Drusus, Germanicus was adopted by Tiberius by word of Augustus. Supposed foul play on Livia’s side as she heard how affectionate Augustus was to Agrippa Postumus on a visit and so sent letter to Tiberius and next thing that happens is that Augustus is dead and Tiberius is in control. Tiberius’s first crime was the assassination of Agrippa Postumus. First Senate meeting under Tiberius dealt with Augustus’s funeral—Tiberius and Livia were his heirs, Livia adopted into Julian family with name Augusta. After funeral, Augustus was declared a god and decreed a temple but the major topic of every prayer was Tiberius. Then a document was released that...
Words: 7745 - Pages: 31
...column in The Times, in which I will be reviewing books, both fiction and non-fiction, for the reading public. Many civilizations, and especially the Greco-Roman civilization, were great recorders of the written word. One of these works, The Annals of Imperial Rome by the historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus, concerns the period following the death of Augustus in A.D. 14, to the death of Nero in A.D. 68. The text reviewed here is a superb English translation of the original Latin text by Cambridge professor Michael Grant. Although it strives valiantly to capture the essence and vitality of the original Latin, it still remains, like many English translations of the classical language, lacking. That being said, it is still easy to be swept up in the narrative and to catch glimpses of Tacitus’ famous wit throughout. Unfortunately, as with many other classical works, large segments of the text are missing, lost to history. This includes the latter days of the reign of Tiberius, the entire four-year reign of Caligula, and the opening years of the reign of Claudius. The overthrow and death of Nero (A.D. 68) are also missing, as the text breaks off in A.D. 66. Tacitus was born in about A.D. 56 and died sometime after A.D. 117. A senator and famous orator, Tacitus survived the dark years under Domitian (A.D. 81-96), and served as consul in A.D. 97 under the emperor Trajan and later served as the governor of Western Anatolia, in present-day Asia. Not a first-hand witness of the period...
Words: 881 - Pages: 4
