Emperor
Neron was a great admirer of various arts. He was very creative himself: he considered himself a good actor, he wrote poems and plays, he considered himself a great poet and a good singer. Nero always made sure that his plays were put on in the theater. The courtiers played along with Nero, and there were even special people who applauded him for a fee.
Nero did not allow criticism of his talents when he was on stage, there were informers sitting in the audience who kept a close eye on the audience's reaction, and those who spoke ill of the emperor could be arrested and even executed.
In addition to acting and writing, the emperor had other entertainments. For example, he and his friends often attacked, robbed and beat senators returning home. This was not only entertainment, but also punishment for possible opponents.
Nero's cruelty
Nero persecuted not only his opponents, but even slaves. It is known that once a slave killed his master, and Nero, according to the law of the time, ordered the execution of all the slaves of the slain master. More than 400 people lost their lives, despite the protests of the citizens of Rome, who asked the emperor to pardon the innocent people.
The period of Nero's reign was also associated with the persecution of Christians. Christianity is a religious doctrine that was outlawed during Nero's reign. Its followers believed not in the Roman gods, but in one God-savior -
Jesus Christ. Nero's laws mandated the execution of all Christians.
Nero and Seneca
One of the teachers of the young Emperor Nero was the Roman philosopher Seneca. At the beginning of his reign, Nero listened to the advice of his mentor, and the latter had great influence over him in determining Roman policy. Gradually, however, their relationship began to complicate. This was caused by Nero's cruelties and persecutions of slaves and Christians, which Seneca did not support.
Photo: 24smi.org
Eventually Nero grew tired of the presence of a man who disagreed with him, and in 65 AD he ordered Seneca to commit suicide, despite the fact that he had been the emperor's tutor and mentor for many years.
Seneca, who knew of Nero's sinister deeds, was not surprised and opened his veins.
The fire in Rome and the last days of Nero
In 64 A.D. there was a great fire in Rome, which was blamed on the Christians. There were rumors among the Romans that Nero himself had set the fire. During the fire, he left the city at a safe distance, and contemplating the flames, wrote another poem.
The fire continued for several days, and when the fire was finally stopped, Nero learned of the talk about his role in the story. The emperor needed to find and punish the culprits quickly. Then his choice fell on the Christians, whom he had often persecuted. Nero tortured these people, seeking to incur the fury of the people, but the cruelty of his punishments, on the contrary, awakened sympathy for the Christians.
By the end of his reign, not only ordinary Romans, but also the Senate, troops, and even his personal guards had turned against Nero. A rebellion broke out in the province of
Gallia, and when Nero learned that rebel troops were moving into Rome, he committed suicide. His last words were, "
What a great artist dies!".