ROMAN EMPIRE UNDER NERO’S RULE

Sean O’Leary

TK Kim

Sam Landingham

Kyle Hutson

Andrew Delph

NERO TIMELINE37 CE •Nero Born

50 CE •Adopted by Claudius

53 CE • Nero marries Octavia (Claudius' daughter)

54 CE •Became Emperor at age 17

58 – 63 CE •Parthian War

62 CE•Divorces and kills Octavia, along with several of his advisors•Marries Pompaea•Marked turning point in rule from humanitarian to monster

64 CE •The Great Fire of Rome•Prosecution of Christians

65 CE •Pisonian Conspiracy

66 CE •The First Jewish Revolt Against Rome

67 CE•Committed suicide when allies betrayed him•Marked the end of Julio-Claudian dynasty•Nero’s death launched a year of Civil War

MAJOR SOCIAL/CULTURAL CHANGES AND EVENTS

CRITICAL RECEPTION

• During the Beginning of His rule was seen as a humanitarian• Mentorship from Burrus and

Seneca• Burrus died and Seneca quite

when Tigellinus began to council Nero and encourage excess.

• Thought of as the Antichrist by Christian communities

• Historians• Many thought of Nero as a

monster, very few a hero• One of his loyal historians

ironically was a conspirator against him

• Performed in many plays which was seen as degrading to his position and angered many

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION

• Nero’s Policy of killing Christians • Primarily by crucifixion

(most popular method)• Christians were scapegoats

for Great Fire of Rome• Christians refused to

sacrifice to Roman gods• Burning Christians used as

lights in Nero’s Royal garden

• Believed to have ordered Peter and Paul’s execution.

FIRST JEWISH REVOLT

• Nero made a foolish mistake and left Rome for Greece to tour the country and compete in their games

• Delegation of Jews protested against a pagan sacrifice in front of a synagog• Jews were arrested• 3600 men, women, and children

slaughtered

• With the anti-Roman Zealots, leading Jews took up arms agains Rome • Jews took control of Jerusalem• Jews vanquished the 12th Legion

• Though Jews held Jerusalem even after Nero commited suicide, they where eventually driven out and killed by Titus who made a wall to seal off the city cutting off supplies and killing the majority of jews by disease and starvation. Those left alive were taken into slavery.

MAJOR POLITICAL CHANGES/EVENTS

GREAT FIRE OF ROME

• No one knows how it started , rumour that Nero started the fire (though no historical evidence)• Titilus (Historian) Famously wrote

that Nero: “ fiddled while Rome burned”

• 75% of Rome burned• Nero did send relief efforts

• Gave shelter to victims

• Burned for 6 days, 7 nights• Cleared way for wider streets, new

buildings• Built the innovative Golden House

of Nero on Romes ashes

• Debris used to fill malaria - ridden swamp

WAR/CONSPIRACY

• Parthian War (58-63 CE)• Armenia overthrew the Roman Prince

Tiridates.• Invasion of Roman Territory• Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo was sent in

and regained control of Armenia

• Full war started in 58 CE• Again were repelled by Commander

Corbulo

• Parthia began to attack Syria, a Roman domain in 63 CE

• However, Nero issued a peace • Allowed Nero to win politically

• Pisoniain Conspiracy – 65 CE• Led by Gaius Calpurnius Piso• Led to 19 executions and suicides, 13

banishments• No trial

MAJOR ECONOMIC CHANGES/EVENTS

PEOPLE IN ROME DURING NERO

• Upper class• Many Senators and nobility

enjoyed the extravagances especially if they were in Nero’s favor, but all eventually feared him.

• Lower class• Received favor from Nero• Had their taxes lowered, making

Nero popular with lower class (at lest during early rule).

• Slaves• Affected by “one guilty, all guilty”

law• At one point in time, 400 slaves

were executed• Shortly thereafter, he vetoed the

“one guilty, all guilty” law

• Lawyers• Fees for lawyers were limited• People could not afford

ACTIVITIES DONE UNDER NERO

• Built gymnasiums• Built theatres

• Nero loved theatres and participated in a variety of plays which was vewed very negativly

• Gladiator shows• A popular event in Rome and the

provinces

• Quinquennial Neronia• Established a Greek-style festival that

celebrated theatre, games, and riding

• Rebuilding Rome• Proved to be very expensive. Nero

stripped the temples of accumulated wealth to do so, and angered many Senators and wealthy Romans

DID NERO FIDDLE WHILE ROME

BURNED?

SOURCES

• http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/rome.htm • http://www.bible-history.com/nero/NEROTimeline.

htm• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/chri

stianityromanempire_article_01.shtml• http://

www.preceden.com/timelines/49365-timeline-of-nero-s-life

• https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Nero-Rebuilding-Rome-after-the-Fire

• http://www.paralumun.com/famnero.htm