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20 lis 2012 · In July of 64 A.D., a great fire ravaged Rome for six days, destroying 70 percent of the city and leaving half its population homeless. According to a well-known expression, Rome’s emperor at...
26 lis 2017 · It is one of the most iconic illustrations of the Emperor Nero’s decadence: the story that, during the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, the maniacal emperor stood atop his balcony, playing the fiddle and rejoicing at the sight of the burning city below him. The story, however, is completely false.
14 lis 2024 · When Emperor Claudius died suddenly in A.D. 54, Nero succeeded him to the throne at only 16 years old, leapfrogging over other members of the Julio-Claudian ruling dynasty. Claudius had adopted...
10 wrz 2022 · At age 3, Nero's father, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, died, leaving him in the care of his aunt. When Caligula was murdered in A.D. 41 and succeeded by Emperor Claudius, Nero was reunited...
According to his biographer Suetonius, the Roman emperor Nero "practiced every sort of obscenity,” ranging from incest to cruelty to animals to homicide. Nero was such a bad guy, in fact, that he may very well have been the first Antichrist in the Christian tradition. But did Nero actually fiddle while Rome burned? In strictest terms, no.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no concrete evidence suggesting that Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned. This enduring myth stems from a misinterpretation of ancient texts and a desire to paint Nero as the epitome of a heartless and depraved ruler.
I, Claudius: Nero is depicted prior to the death of his predecessor, Emperor Claudius. Gyles, Mary Francis. 1947. " Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned." The Classical Journal: explores the history behind the legend of Nero playing the fiddle as Rome burned. Wishart, David. 1996. Nero: Nero's reign seen through the eyes of Titus Petronius.
