On 15 December 37 CE, the Roman Emperor Nero was born. During his lifetime, he was known as a brutal and tyrannical man. It is suspected that he had his step brother, Britannicus, who was also his opponent to the throne, poisoned.

After his Great Uncle Emperor Claudius died in 54, Nero managed to gain the throne and adopted the name: Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.

Nero’s story is the subject of an early silent film: Nero or the Fall of Rome (1909).

In the film, Nero is portrayed as a cruel, lusty man who gets what he wants. In the movie, Nero casts aside and orders the murder of his wife, Octavia, for Poppaea. According to the film, this act brings about a revolt of the people.

In Nero’s thoughts, he sees people setting fire to the city; this revolt could be referencing the Great Fire of Rome. This fire spread fast and lasted for six days. Nero was blamed for the extensive damage to Rome even though he had fled the city. This fire, however, did not cause the ruin of Rome.

What Nero or the Fall of Rome  does not portray is that at the beginning of his reign Nero actually focused on diplomacy and improving trade and culture in the Roman Empire. He also executed many people, including his own mother, Agrippina. Due to extravagant spending, Nero raised taxes and dropped the value of Roman currency. This upset the populace and rebellions started occurring. Nero was declared a public enemy and the rebels announced that he was to be beaten to death.

Less common side effects include stroke, heart palpitations and heart attacks. on line levitra VIMAX It is probably the most obvious soft cialis supplement on the list and a guy who hasn’t heard of these pills was probably living under the rocks. In a study, about 33 per sildenafil generic india cent of 70-year-olds were not affected by impotence. Anti depressants http://www.slovak-republic.org/calendar/ viagra 25 mg and Sleeping aids-There are individuals who require anti-depressant pills or sleeping pills almost every day. On 9 June 68 CE, Nero committed suicide to escape the more painful death. This marked the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty because Nero was the last of the Claudian family. There was no one remaining who had a hereditary claim to the empire of Augustus.

–Mary Rabe

Photo Credit: Screen capture from Luigi Maggi’s Nero of the Fall of Rome (1909).

Meet the Author: Mary Rabe

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