The biography of the Roman emperor Nero began in 54. For the first five years, the successor of Emperor Claudius ruled, one might say, quietly. He was a grateful observer of the war, now open, now openly undercover, which his mother led with his own teachers and advisers.
Agrippina
The mother of the Roman emperor Nero, Agrippina, Jr., not for that hard labor, and often criminal, raised her son to the throne, so that outsiders would use his mind, which was not great for the time being. The very fact of government (which is even more difficult work) was not so important for her, she wanted her own significance, honors and glory of the real sovereign.
She behaved not so ugly as brazenly: she accompanied her son everywhere, even where the women, by definition, were ordered to enter. Mother occupied the emperor’s stretcher and received foreign ambassadors, ordered the rulers of the Roman provinces and even other countries that fell into the hands of the Roman Empire. What else can you expect from Caligula's sister?
Here she could not appear in the curia on the advice of the patricians, traditions were still too strong. This is a Roman authority that women were not allowed to attend. However, she was so anxious to attend the Senate that the meetings were moved to the palace, and Agrippina listened to the debate from behind the curtain. Even a coin was minted at its direction and with its image, and Nero is the Roman emperor! - Also on coins, of course, was present. Modestly. Near mother.
Seneca and Burr
Advisers to the terrible emperor were wonderful people: the brave and honest warrior Burr and the learned philosopher Seneca. They fought Agrippina’s love of power as they could, it was thanks to the titanic efforts of the mentors in Rome that they were still calm: the administration and justice worked smoothly and efficiently, the Senate was not yet dismissed, taxes were levied, and abusers were punished. Nero liked the people. So, thanks to advisers, whom Nero obeyed for quite some time, the Roman Empire stood.
However, if not Burr, then Seneca knew exactly who he was dealing with. The young man was unbridled, gifted with a thirst for creativity, and if the creative beginning did not win, the destructive triumphed. The creative won rarely, although, despite the exceptional moral depravity and uncontrollable attraction to voluptuousness, Nero sometimes took good impulses: somehow, signing a paper for execution, he complained that he was able to write at all.
Nero's childhood
Oddly enough, he was also a child - Nero, the Roman emperor. A biography for children turns out to be unreadable almost from birth. The child grew up somehow spoiled, with painful unbridled fantasies, extremely conceited, capricious.
Nevertheless, he probably had a mind. Although the same Seneca, in full confidence, wrote that an intelligent person would not do evil. Rather, Nero had a special liveliness of character that replaced the mind. As it is now diagnosed, hyperactivity.
The main misfortune of the Romans happened due to the fact that Nero was not prepared to reign. They did not instill in the character of that discipline, which gives solidity to knowledge, seriousness and height of plans, and prudence in deeds. Seneca met Nero too late.
Probably, in our time, Nero, the Roman emperor, would have been a good director of mass holidays after graduating from a cultural institute somewhere in the province. He only loved that: sing, dance, draw, write poetry, stone-cut, rule horses ... And he had to rule the Roman Empire, which is of interest. Without creativity, any director will go wild. So it turned out that Emperor Nero is the worst emperor of the Roman Empire.
Growing up
Seneca and Burr from the beginning of the reign of Nero took advantage of the fact that the emperor is absolutely indifferent to state affairs. Agrippina tried to shoulder this burden, but she was not given. They managed well and looked at the licentiousness of the young monarch through their fingers, the main thing is that they should not interfere and that the debauchery of Nero was not reflected in state affairs.
Agrippin was not happy with the secondary position; he was ambitious, ambitious. She needed absolute power over her son, undivided influence on advisers and equal imperial government and court honors. The intrigues of Agrippina had no end and for the time being were successful. And then an unexpected hour came when the son broke the harness and stood on its hind legs.
Octavia and Act
From here begins the real Roman Emperor Nero, whose brief biography has never been dreamed of - there are too many events, both strange and terrible. From the strange: the young emperor was married. On Octavia, which was an absolute contrast to the behavior, habits and the whole poorly educated nature of Nero. That is why he always was hostile to his wife.
His passions constantly changed - not only women were among them, by the way, and once, among them, Acta appeared - a former slave who was released. She was beautiful, cunning and persistent, she managed to get quite a lot of power over her lover. The mother of the Roman emperor Nero Agrippina was furious. And not because Acta, the slave of yesterday, was brazenly behaving like a daughter-in-law with her, Agrippina had many lovers from freedmen, but because she clearly saw how she was losing power over her son.
Imperial answer
Nero, the Roman emperor, ceased to tolerate reproachful conversations from anyone. Agrippina did not like Act? Perfectly. Why does exactly the same freedman Pallant manage Roman finances? Is it because he is the lover of the emperor’s mother? But not to deprive him of this post? Not enough. Isn't he going to jail? Wonderful. And let him die there. Desirable - as soon as possible.
Agrippina famously bit the bit and carried it over the bumps. Do not scare her. She threatened her son with revealing the truth that Nero was a usurper on the throne of the emperor, as well as about the whole path that she had to go for the sake of her throne for her own son (the sudden death of Emperor Claudius, an elderly and quite healthy man, for example, for whom Agrippina his last days he married - also part of this story) that the emperor Nero - the worst emperor of the Roman Empire, and the legitimate heir - the fourteen-year-old son of Claudius Britannica - much more like the people.
She forgot that Nero is the son of Agrippina and Caligula’s nephew, that Nero’s own father, after the birth of her son, expressed herself unequivocally: apart from grief and shame for people, Agrippina can not be born. And he soon died. Now the emperor spoke native blood.
Nero drove his mother out of the palace and immediately poisoned Britannic at a feast, not fearing anyone or embarrassing anything. After that, he continued violent and heinous profligacy and all kinds of tomfoolery. The act was soon set aside - not because my mother wanted it so, but because Poppea appeared in sight, whose husband, the Roman horseman (professional military man), participated in almost all the outrages that Nero was up to.
Poppea vs Agrippina
Poppea was noble, rich, beautiful, voluptuous, and also very smart. She led the emperor into the distance along the cheerful road of villainy. Her husband was sent to Lusitania, but not offended, because he was made the ruler of this glorious province. By the way, he threw revelry and debauchery there, plunged into public concerns and succeeded. Even after Nero, the emperor was 120 days. But that was later. And now Poppea had settled down closer to the throne and inspired Nero with such a frightening disgust for his own mother that he decided to kill.
Several attempts were unsuccessful, including those that were thoughtfully conceived and difficult and expensive to execute: the case of a ship specially built so that it would fall apart with Agrippina on board, for example. Agrippina, I must admit, understood everything and behaved simply stoically.
How did it come
But the Roman emperor Nero was not going to give in to difficulties, and his policy regarding his mother was uncompromising. Agrippina was still killed, and quite sophisticated. This time Nero secured himself before the Romans: the freedman Agrippina with a dagger had previously been detained and charged with criminal designs against the emperor.
The most interesting thing in this story is that Seneca was not only aware of the terrible plan. He also helped the pupil to write a letter to the Senate, where he explained the need for Nero's murder of his mother. Moreover, her emperor did not kill.
Just after the arrest of her former slave with a dagger at the ready, she was frightened and committed suicide. And she died from multiple blows with a male heavy sword, yes. Fell on the sword seventeen times ... Two thousand years since then, the technique has been alive. And the biography of the Roman emperor Nero from this place is just beginning.
Unworthy tendencies
It should be noted that ancient Rome was very little like the modern world. If we have the word of a famous artist or musician perceived by the people as a revelation from above, then in Rome the times of Nero there were no more despicable little people than actresses and musicians. Clowning and any entertainment of others is a disgrace and disgrace. The people recognized only gladiatorial battles and the eating of criminals by wild animals. This is a sight worthy of men.
Nero did not just not like gladiator fights. He forbade them. The animals in the circus were delighted by criminals, because the empire did not have a normal penitentiary system and punishment system. Therefore, completely and completely according to Roman law, various criminals were given to beasts. Nero did not like that either. He loved theater and music. He composed poems, sang them, masterfully playing along on kifar, and terribly did not like when he was torn from this occupation. That is, the beautiful did not make him better. Rather, the opposite.
Strength and weakness of art
He made the noble matron and patrician dishonor his high name by participating in theatrical productions, musical and poetry competitions, horse racing in the circus, fencing, and not on business, and even right in front of the people, instead of gladiators ...
It was impossible for the patricians to look at all this, but it was also impossible to leave. The doors of the theaters closed tightly and did not let anyone out until the end of the performance. Nero willingly showed his fellow citizens his dramatic and musical art. And the Romans themselves gradually got used to the unbridledness of the orgies, and at concerts during the performance they learned to applaud their emperor in Greek - to the beat of the music.
Shame and oppression
State affairs Nero, the Roman emperor, whose reign overgrown with all kinds of ugly stories, almost did not deal. He loved art and devoted most of his time to it. The rest is for inventive feasts and orgies. That is, if it inflicted damage on its country, it was more a shame. However, this motivation required continuous investment, and the finances of the empire suddenly came to an end.
Now, to the shame of the Roman Empire, more and more extortion was added. It was necessary to get a coin to continue the fun. Processes and executions for insulting the majesty began. They were extremely massive due to specially hired provocateurs and scammers.
Honors - a fight!
The educated, wealthy and smart were especially affected. It has become dangerous to be honest. It was during this period that one of the most decent people of Rome died - the prefect of the Praetorians and the tutor of Nero - Burr. Even Tacitus does not know if his death was natural. He was the only one who opposed the marriage of Nero to Poppea, because, like all the people, he loved his wife, the benevolent Octavia.
Immediately after the death of the mentor, Nero, the Roman emperor, whose interesting biographies became a byword, divorces Octavia and marries Poppea. Murderous repression continued. Noble Romans were killed without trial, accusations were built from scratch, and Nero no longer had a hold.
Seneca was a philosopher and perfectly understood that he could not influence the emperor and reason him. The emperor became hostile to him, and the teacher decided to quietly retire from public affairs. Did not guess. I had to open my own veins by filling the bath with water in half with blood. But what about. He, too, was not only famous, but also truly rich, and Nero had nothing to celebrate.
Short widowhood
As soon as Octavia ceased to be empress, on the false accusation of Poppea, she was exiled to the island of Pandaria and killed there. Rome was saddened, but the senate ordered to celebrate the next salvation of the emperor. So disasters became the occasion of the holidays. And to celebrate Nero never tired.
However, Poppea also did not celebrate the victory for long. Having achieved everything she wanted, she suddenly fell out of love with unbridled orgies. Probably quickly grew old. The most incorrect thing in her behavior was that she began to cut Nero on this occasion and demand a lifestyle change. Nero listened, listened, and began to beat her. Once it happened to death.
Fire in rome
Where revelry, disaster is inevitable. The best part of the people of the empire was exterminated, the people became impoverished and sank. The result is this: in 64, Rome caught fire. It all started with shops clinging to a circus. Everything that could burn was burning, but almost everything could, since Rome was then basically a wooden city. The streets blazed for six days, then the fire was stopped, but not for long, it flared up again, and another three days blazed. Of the fourteen regions of Rome, only four survived.
Nero inspiredly watched this colorful spectacle and sang songs about the burning Troy. For this, the people accused him of arson of Rome. This is how the biography of the Roman emperor Nero was overgrown with terrible details. Most likely, this is slander, since the emperor has accumulated many ill-wishers. Still, in between the Belcanto classes, Nero himself helped put out the fire, fed the hungry, and even saved someone from the fire. And after the fire, for his own money, he built for some of the fire victims something like dormitories.
New rome
This time the city was rebuilt according to good architectural and engineering plans: the streets became wide, the houses became stone. Beautiful squares with colonnades, fountains, pools spread everywhere. Construction went quickly, Nero spared no means to restore Rome.
And the new imperial palace surpassed in size and beauty everything that existed hitherto, not only in Rome. It was incredibly magnificent: several huge buildings, distant from each other, but united by colonnades, with artificial ponds, meadows, olive groves and vineyards in the territories between the buildings.
A statue depicting Nero in the form of the sun god adorned the main palace. The "Golden Palace" was called by the Romans this grandiose project of architects Celer and the North. It is a pity that he did not survive to this day, after a dozen years, he also burned down. An epigram went around Rome when the true scale of the construction began to be seen, advising all the Romans to relocate to Weiha (a city eighteen kilometers from Rome), unless Veii swallowed this palace.
Persecution
And still, despite the exceptional generosity and even kindness towards the burnt people, Nero continued to be blamed for the fire of Rome. However, Nero, the Roman emperor, would not have been Nero if he had not figured out how to take this trouble away from himself.
He accused the arson of Christians. And I must say, they believed him. Virtually no one loved Christians in Rome, considering them a harmful sect. There were reasons for this. Christian doctrine easily recruited young people and the elderly - these are the most easily susceptible to religious opium parts of the population who understand and close the idea of universal forgiveness. In addition, Christians had a tradition of writing off all property in favor of the church, going to the Lord. But all the new-recruits had relatives who hoped for an inheritance.
Many Christians were torn apart by wild animals in circus arenas. Many were crucified like Christ. And St. Peter is not like Christ, but upside down, as he himself wished. For the construction and arrangement of Roman streets and the "Golden Palace" in this way, funds appeared. But not only Christians suffered for the restoration of the city. All provinces were mercilessly plundered, even the best works of art to decorate Rome were taken from Greek cities.
Conspiracy
The Roman people had to endure the vileness of the emperor for a long time, but patience always comes to an end. The wealthy Roman Pison, clever and respected for this, apparently already foresaw his turn to "dispossession" and death. He decided to get ahead of the emperor and began to look for like-minded people. Found quickly and a lot. But the people were so demoralized by years of wildest revelry that the conspirators could not begin to act. Many were afraid, others were not sure of the correctness of the plan.
The idea was beautiful: to kill the monarchy with Nero. The Republican Party consisted of noble people - horseman, senatorial, patrician families. They all lacked prudence and determination. A scammer was found, and Nero fiercely punished everyone. Among the suspects was Seneca, who was close friends with Pison. This fact was enough for the prosecution.
Nero allowed Seneca himself to choose his death, and Seneca opened his veins. Rome flinched. Executions - one worse than the other - were carried out daily, and between executions the orgies and revelry did not stop. Even nature helped Nero exterminate the Romans: thirty thousand people died from an epidemic. Nevertheless, Nero, the Roman emperor, did not stop the orgy. Photos of preserved frescoes of those years are very eloquent.
Finally, a revolt arose in the provinces and reached Rome. The Senate gladly went to the will of the people and sentenced Nero to public execution. Nero escaped from Rome, but the horsemen who had previously guarded him, and now following the orders of the Senate, overtook the fugitive. Then Nero ordered his freedman to stab himself. It was 68 years old. Nero was thirty years old. Fourteen of them he ruled Rome.