Includes bibliographical references (pages 422-433) and index.
Contents:
Index. 16 Background -- 1 Nero, 'Bad' or 'Good'? Introduction ; Biography ; Demonstration ; Rationalisation ; Reassessment ; Caveats ; Initial success ; Senatorial tradition ; Nero and the Senate (i) ; Achievements -- 2 Agrippina and her legacy. Introduction ; Life and career to the accession of Nero ; Long-term planning ; 'Queen mother' ; The Acte affair ; Legacy -- 3 The establishment team. Introduction ; The team ; Consilium -- 4 Dissimulation? Delegation ; Dissimulation and dissidence? ; Paradox and confusion? ; Doublespeak? ; A carnival of fear? ; The problem of the sources ; The problem of prejudice: the strength of the Principate ; Nero and the Senate (ii) ; Exclusion ; The power of gossip ; Dissimulation? -- 5 Frankness and enquiry. Nero ; Neronian literature ; Saying the unsayable ; Wider Neronian culture ; Protected Nero -- 6 Warfare and the generals. Introduction ; Armenia (i) ; The New Order and Britain ; The Black Sea ; Armenia (ii) ; The generals ; The Caucasus and Judaea ; Conclusion -- 7 Politics. Power-groups ; Seneca's De clementia: Stoicism and politics ; Nero's team and its aims ; Nero's break-outs -- Part II: Assessment -- 8 Killer? I: 54-62. Introduction ; Claudius ; M. Junius Silanus ; Britannicus ; Agrippina ; The Year 62 ; Conclusion -- 9 Killer? II: 62-68. Introduction ; D. Junius Silanus ; The Pisonian conspiracy ; Poppaea ; Antonia ; The last killings ; Conclusion -- 10 Arsonist, persecutor and ruthless property developer? Arson: The case for ; Arson: The case against ; Why Nero? ; Christians as scapegoats ; The Golden House -- 11 Divinity, madness, acting, ideology, burn-out. Divinity ; Madness? ; Acting ; Ideology ; Burn-out? -- 12 Depravity? Introduction ; Indiscipline ; Lust ; Extravagance and avarice ; Cruelty -- 13 Finance. Introduction ; Problems ; Solutions ; The legacy of Helius -- Part III: End -- 14 Entr'acte: Greece. Introduction ; Greece ; Philhellenism ; Ideology ; Inducements ; Chronology ; Helius ; 'Triumph' -- 15 Fall. Introduction ; The lull before the storm ; Vindex ; Galba ; Macer ; Verginius Rufus ; Desertion ; Death -- 16 Conclusion -- References -- Index.
Summary:
"This book portrays Nero, not as the murderous tyrant of tradition, but as a young man ever-more reluctant to fulfill his responsibilities as emperor and ever-more anxious to demonstrate his genuine skills as a sportsman and artist. This reluctance caused him to allow others to rule, and rule surprisingly well, in his name."--Provided by publisher. This book portrays Nero, not as the murderous tyrant of tradition, but as a young man ever reluctant to fulfil his responsibilities as emperor and ever anxious to demonstrate his genuine skills as a sportsman and an artist. This reluctance caused him to allow others to rule, and rule surprisingly well, in his name. On its own terms, the Neronian Empire was in fact remarkably successful. Nero's senior ministers were many and various, but notably they included a number of powerful women, such as his mother, Agrippina II, and his second and third wives, Poppaea Sabina and Statilia Messalina. Using the most recent archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic and literary research, the book explores issues such as court politics, banter and free speech; literary, technological and scientific advances; the Fire of 64, 'the persecution of Christians' and Nero's 'Golden House'; and the huge underlying strength, both constitutional and financial, of the Julio-Claudian Empire. -- From dust jacket.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.