Rome: Nero

Question 1

Evidence the failings of Nero’s reign were the result of bad advice from Agrippina

Answer 1

• Nero is taunted by Senators for how much power his mother has over him, namely that her face is on the obverse of his coin as though they are equals
• Suetonius 44, claims Agrippina poisoned Claudius so promote Nero so that she might control Rome from behind her son
• Agrippina reportedly held Britannicus over Nero’s head, saying that she could use him to rule Rome if he didn’t listen to her. Britannicus died quickly in 55AD and Agrippina followed 4 years later
• Nero never co-ruled with Britannicus mainly due to Agrippina, who had him held at the palace while Nero went to address the Senate

Question 2

Evidence the failings of Nero’s reign were NOT the result of bad advice from Agrippina

Answer 2

• Many sources are biased against Agrippina due to her being a woman and being a powerful and public political figure: frowned upon
• Good advice: she presented Nero to the Praetorian cohort before the Senate, understanding that military support came above all
• The “quinquennium” or golden age of Nero’s reign ended in 55AD when Agrippina became marginalised by the death of Britannicus, indicated how her advice had made a good reign

Question 3

Evidence the failings of Nero’s reign were NOT due to his own inability/mistakes

Answer 3

• Completed Claudius’s building projects, such as aqueducts and Ostia port
• Threw many games and theatre shows for the plebs, including chariot racing as he was a fan of Greek culture
• Replenished treasury with 40,000,000 sesterces of his own money and replaced the quaestors with imperial prefects (officers)
• Colonies established in 57 and 60AD, governors charged with extortion punished more readily
• Abolished harbour dues to promote trade across the empire

Question 4

Mistakes and inability of Nero’s reign

Answer 4

• His abolishment of harbour tax was blocked by the Senate (which was controlled by Agrippina) due to the practical difficulties with implementation
• Despite bringing the price of corn down to 1/4 sesterce per pound, he was not rewarded with gratitude possibly bc many thought it was not his policy
• The Great Fire caused a new building programme which greatly benefitted Rome: however, many found it suspicious it cleared an area already being considered for Nero’s Golden palace and many claim they saw him setting it alight himself (fake but still shows distrust)

Question 5

Sources and quotes on the Great Fire of 64AD

Answer 5

• Tacitus p.364, “he rebuilt all the structures with his own money”
• Suetonius Nero 38, “pretending to be disgusted with the old buildings […] he set the city on fire so openly”
• Tacitus 15.38-44, “food was brought from Ostia […] and the price of corn was cut to less than 1/4 sesterce […] yet these measures, for all their popular character, earned no gratitude”

Question 6

How did the Great Fire of Rome make Nero unpopular

Answer 6

• Only returned to Rome when he heard the fires grew near the edges of his own property
• Allegedly sang about Troy’s destruction
• Many believed Nero wanted to replace Rome with a city named after him and caused the fire
• Attempted to scapegoat the Christians, making him seem even more suspicious
• Many found it too convenient this humanitarian crisis gave Nero the opportunity to display himself in such a good light

Question 7

How did the Great Fire of Rome show Nero was a capable emperor

Answer 7

• Cutting the price of corn to 1/4 sesterce per pound
• Opened the fields of Mars to the homeless
• Opened Agrippa’s public buildings and his own houses
• Erected new buildings at his own expense greatly improving the quality and ensuring this was not likely to happen again

Question 8

Evidence the failures of Nero’s reign were due to bad advice from his tutors: Burrus, Seneca and Tigellenus

Answer 8

• Seneca critical of emperorship, and was exiled by Gaius only to be brought back by Agrippina
• Seneca aimed to alienate Nero from his mother so that he might exert his own influence over the child
• Nero promises not to encroach on the Senate’s authority and said freedmen would not interfere with state affairs (“high mind of Seneca” gets credit)
• Tigellenus was equestrian, and Burrus was a military advisor: All three worked hard to make sure the orders ran smoothly around the emperor
• Nero declared he designed to govern according to the model of Augustus- always showing clemency and complaisance (undoubtedly under his tutor’s advice as this helped further their careers)

Question 9

Evidence the failings of Nero’s reign were due to his wilful rejection of good counsel

Answer 9

• Nero murdered his mother, brother, tutor and wife rather publicly. This alienated the elite and verified Nero’s paranoia towards those near to him
• Popular support was not enough to save him, as he sought to install more fear rather than trust; Executing huge amounts of senators and equestrians
• Senators wore “festive garb” after Agrippina;s death (Tacitus 14.13)
• Murders Seneca despite no link between him and the Pisonian conspiracy

Question 10

Evidence the failings of Nero’s reign was NOT due to his rejection fo good counsel

Answer 10

• Those nearest to Nero had always sought to use him as a puppet to power due to his young age when he took the throne (17)
• First his mother held Britannicus above his head and implored he was disposable if he didn’t listen
• His mother was also suspected to have murdered Claudius, so he was obviously distrusting
• His tutors sought to alienate him from his mother but in doing so only made him suspicious towards their motivations
• Tutor’s advice was all to be complacent so that the other branches of the Roman orders might latch onto power
• It could be argued by eliminating those closest to him, Nero was being safe rather than paranoid, he just didn’t realise how this reflected on the other Roman noble orders

Question 11

“Nero’s reign, while hectic, improved conditions for the Roman people” HFDYA?

Answer 11

• Tacitus, on the ascension of Galba “the senators were happy and at once used their new freedom of speech […] but the base plebs, addicted to the circus and theatre […] were resentful”