Nero: A Villain of History or a Victim of It?

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, commonly known as Nero, ruling from 54 to 68 AD. He is one of the most infamous rulers in Roman history, known for his extravagance, cruelty, and alleged tyranny. His reign was marked by political intrigue, economic mismanagement, and persecution of Christians, but also by artistic and cultural pursuits.

 

Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in 37 AD, the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger, who was the great-granddaughter of Emperor Augustus. Growing up in Caligula’s shadow, Agrippina knew that she was doomed to be nothing but nobody. She was a pawn in the great game of Roman politics, to be married off to whomsoever her family pleased. That turned out to be a man named Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus. On December 15th, 37 CE, Agrippina bore her firstborn son to Domitius. He was a strong and healthy little boy, and she named him Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. 

At the age three he lost his father being left heir to a third of his estate; but even this did not receive in full since his felloe heir Gaius seized all the property. Then his mother was banished too, and he was brought up at the house of his aunt Lepida almost in actual want under two tutors, a dancer and a barber. So, for the next several years, Lucius would grow up in his aunt’s household under the questionable tutelage of his artistic companions. Everything changed in 41 CE when the unlikely Claudius became the emperor of Rome. At the time, Claudius was married to Valeria Messalina, a daughter of Domitia Lepida. Messalina was his third wife, and she was wildly and constantly unfaithful, to the point where she married one of her lovers in an elaborate ceremony while she was still legally married to Claudius. It was the last bound she’d ever overstep. Both she and her lover, Silius, were executed, and Claudius vowed that ill-fated marriage would be his last.

 

But the stormy political atmosphere in Rome would force the emperor to marry again, as if he was a princess whose hand was being given away in marriage. Ever since Tiberius had been accused of having Agrippina’s father Germanicus killed, Agrippina’s family had been at odds with the imperial throne. Claudius knew that his niece had plenty of ambition, and even though she had been recalled from exile by this time, he still didn’t trust her. In a bid to keep his enemies close, Claudius married her in 49 CE, eight years after becoming emperor. And just like that, young Lucius’ life changed forever.

   

Portrait bust of Nero. Found in the Collection of Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, München – Getty Images

Agrippina immediately settled down to doing whatever she wanted, which included manipulating Claudius according to her will. Agrippina’s first order of business was to install her own son, Lucius, as the future emperor of Rome. At the time, this made absolutely no sense. Claudius had a biological son of his own, Britannicus, a son of Messalina born only four years after Lucius.  And in 51 CE, only two years after marrying Claudius, she persuaded him to legally adopt Lucius as his own son. The fifteen-year-old Lucius officially became the joint heir to the imperial throne. Unofficially, it was evident that he was now the main candidate to become the next emperor, with Britannicus thoroughly shoved to the side. Lucius was also given a new name: Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, better known simply as Nero. His life rip out; his future decided by his mother, and even his name changed, Nero was now hurled into public life as the future emperor. 

 

When Claudius died on 13 October 54, seventeen-year-old Nero, a disinterested teenager who would rather be going to the theater or listening to music than anything else, was suddenly the most powerful man in the world. Agrippina had surrounded herself and her son with people who would be loyal to them, and so, both the Praetorian Guard and the Senate accepted him as their emperor without any further ado. But everyone knew that while Nero might be at the head of the Roman Empire, it was Agrippina who truly held the reins.

 

Eventually, under the influence of a fierce and ambitious woman, the infamous Poppaea Sabina, wife of Otho, who consented to be his mistress, and aspired to become his queen. At her instigation Nero assassinated first his mother Agrippina 59 AD, and then his wife Octavia 62 AD, whom he had previously rejected. However, Nero indulged in lavish spending, hosting elaborate games, chariot races, and theatrical performances where he performed as a singer and actor—acts considered scandalous for an emperor. In 64 CE, a devastating fire broke out in Rome, destroying much of the city. Rumors spread that Nero had started it to clear land for his grand palace, the Domus Aurea ("Golden House"). To deflect blame, Nero accused the Christian community of arson, leading to brutal persecutions—some were burned alive or torn apart by wild animals. Nero spearheaded Rome’s reconstruction, implementing better urban planning, but his focus on the Domus Aurea fueled resentment.

Economic strain from Nero’s spending, combined with his erratic behavior, sparked discontent. In 65 CE, the Pisonian Conspiracy—a failed plot to assassinate him—exposed widespread opposition. By 68 CE, provincial governors and the military turned against him. Gaius Julius Vindex led a revolt in Gaul, followed by Galba, governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, who declared himself emperor. Abandoned by the Senate and Praetorian Guard, Nero fled Rome. On June 9, 68 CE, facing capture, he committed suicide with help from a servant, reportedly saying, “What an artist dies in me!” He was 30 years old.

 

Nero’s reign became a symbol of decadence and despotism in later histories, largely shaped by hostile sources like Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, who wrote decades after his death. Despite his infamy, Nero was popular with some lower classes for his public works and entertainment. His name lived on in myths, including the Nero Redivivus legend, where people believed he’d return from the dead.

 

However, Nero was the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, and his death plunged Rome into the chaotic "Year of the Four Emperors" (69 CE). His story remains a gripping tale of power, excess, and downfall.