Good Nero Article in National Geographic Sept 2014

[guy]

 

 

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/emperor-nero/draper-text

 

This month's National Geographic (September 2014) has a nice article on Nero. The article is titled, "Rome's Bad Boy: Nero Rises from the Ashes."

 

Nero commissioned a giant bronze statue, likely with attributes of the sun god and resembling himself, holding a rudder on a globe, symbolic of his power over land and sea. Known as the Colossus Neronis, it was meant to greet arriving guests and to be seen by the public through the surrounding columns. No undisputed model of the Colossus exists; this is an artistic interpretation.

 

The article tries to give a nuanced view of Nero:

 

“Today we condemn his behavior,” says archaeological journalist Marisa Ranieri Panetta. “But look at the great Christian emperor Constantine. He had his first son, his second wife, and his father-in-law all murdered. One can’t be a saint and the other a devil. Look at Augustus, who destroyed a ruling class with his blacklists. Rome ran in rivers of blood, but Augustus was able to launch effective propaganda for everything he did. He understood the media. And so Augustus was great, they say. Not to suggest that Nero was himself a great emperor—but that he was better than they said he was, and no worse than those who came before and after him.”

 

I recommend the article as a light but entertaining and informative reassessment of Nero.

 

 

 

 

guy also known as gaius

 

Edited August 21, 2014 by guy

[Aurelia]

Interesting article, thanks for that guy! Nero was a nutty but fascinating character.

[Caius Julius]

I've always been fascinated with Nero.  Such power at such a young age, and to have grown up with Agrippina as his mom...Must've been tormented with a lot of things throughout his life.

[Viggen]

I've always been fascinated with Nero.  Such power at such a young age, and to have grown up with Agrippina as his mom...Must've been tormented with a lot of things throughout his life.

 

...absolutely, i bet majority of teenager with loads of money and power would go nuts, just look at the mild versions of our teenage pop stars, just money and still mostly nuts

[Thurinius]

I'm not convinced he goes nuts, I think I've tries to assert himself as he gets older and do what he thinks is important, eg bringing Greek culture and games to Rome. But I do think he loses his grip on reality when the people around him are creating that world, how easy to believe your own hype and think yourself a true artist when you keep winning so many competitions!