The Rehabilitation of Nero, the Infamous Emperor

Rehabilitating Nero, an Emperor With a Bad Rap

Isn’t the fact that his infamy still runs so high even 2,000 years later itself a testament to the immense power of a Roman emperor?

Below is a summary of the article.

Emperor Nero is infamous. A mad artist, he supposedly set Rome on fire to build his palace and recited poetry while watching it burn. Is that true? No. Although the Golden Palace he built was indeed enormous, it was no larger than the palaces of other emperors. Nero wasn’t even in Rome at the time of the Great Fire. The reason he gained his undeserved infamy was probably the slander of his opponents. Nero tried to weaken the power of the senatorial aristocracy. And, having lost the political struggle, he became the last emperor of his dynasty. By blaming Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, he also earned the hatred of Christians. This emperor, who ascended the throne before the age of 17 and took his own life at 30, is now being reassessed.