17 Things To Learn About Nero: Roman Emperor Facts For Kids!

Born on December 15, 37 AD, Nero's life changed after his mother married his uncle, Roman emperor Claudius, and he got adopted by the emperor.

His adoption made him first in line to the throne, and after Claudius died, Nero became an emperor at the young age of 17. Though he was disliked by the Roman aristocrats, he was popular among the common lower-class people in Rome, the provinces, and the Praetorian Guard.

The Julio-Claudian dynasty ended with Nero's rule after he committed suicide in 68 AD. While initially, Nero's decisions and administrations were welcomed by people.

At a later stage, his actions became detrimental not only to the people of Rome but also to himself. Many believe that he played a crucial role in his mother and wife's deaths and a great fire that engulfed several cities of Rome.

Life History Of Nero

Check out these fascinating facts about the life history of Nero.

Nero Claudius Caesar was born to Agrippina the Younger, who was the great-granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, and wife of politician Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus.

Agrippina is also known for being the sister of Emperor Caligula.

When Nero was two years old, Domitius died, and Caligula exiled Nero's mother and his two sisters from Rome and sent them to a faraway island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Agrippina was reportedly exiled on charges of attempting to overthrow Caligula. Thereafter, Nero was sent to his paternal aunt and was deprived of all his inheritance.

It was only after Caligula's death that Claudius (Agrippina's paternal uncle) became the new emperor, and he brought back Agrippina owing to his fondness towards her. Later, in 49 AD, he married Agrippina and adopted Nero as his son.

Such was Nero and his mother's ambitions to gain power that Agrippina convinced Claudius to make Nero, instead of his biological son Britannicus, his heir to the Roman Empire. While Nero tied the knot with his daughter Octavia at the age of 16 to further secure his position.

Nero had officially become a part of public life when he was around 14. After Claudius died in 54 AD, Nero became the emperor.

Many historians believed that Nero's mother poisoned him to secure Nero's claim to the throne; Emperor Claudius was becoming fond of his own son.

However, not all modern scholars accepted this theory. Many of them have brushed aside Agrippina's role in Claudius' death as rumors.

Nero Caesar Augustus came to power with the support of the Praetorian Guard and the Senate. In his early years, he ruled following the guidance of his mother, tutor stoic philosopher Seneca, and Sextus Afranius Burrus, his praetorian prefect.

But soon, Nero Claudius Caesar started yearning for independence and decided to get all the influencers removed.

Agrippina wanted to rule through her son, and Nero's wish to act independently led to a power struggle between the pair.

Many historians believe that Nero got her mother as well as his foster brother murdered to secure his throne.

He is also suspected of having played a role in his wife, Claudia Octavia's death, whom he supposedly got rid of to marry Poppaea Sabina.

After Poppaea's death, Nero married Statilia Messalina, an aristocratic woman.

Nero's Contribution To The Roman Empire

Check out these amazing facts about his contributions to the Roman Empire.

In the initial days of his rule, Nero focused on trade, culture, and diplomacy. He promoted athletics games contests, built amphitheaters, and made several public appearances as a musician, poet, actor, and charioteer.

This did not go well with his contemporaries in the Roman aristocracy, as they considered these professions beneath the dignity of their social standing. For them, singing and acting were occupations of slaves, public people, and infamous persons.

However, Nero's involvement in such occupations made him a popular figure among the lower-class people in the Roman Empire.

Many scholars give credit to Nero's advisors for his successful first few years in the reign.

There is not much evidence in Roman history to analyze Nero's personal involvement in active politics.

A few of them even suggested that in later years, Nero panicked when he had to decide on his own in times of crisis.

Nevertheless, his early years brought him fame. He was praised for his good governance.

Nero, also known as Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, became popular for the fiscal reforms he introduced. He ordered the establishment of local offices to supervise the activities of tax collectors. This put collectors under strict control.

Nero also allowed slaves to file complaints if they were ill-treated after a Roman senator was killed by a desperate slave.

During Nero's reign in 60 AD, Iceni Queen Boudicca revolted in Britain after she and her daughters were treated brutally following the death of her husband, Prasutagus, who had left his daughters in control of Iceni in his will; it was disregarded, and his wife and daughter were harassed.

As the queen revolted, the Celtic Trinovantes tribe joined her. This uprising was termed the most glaring provincial rebellion in the first century AD.

Queen Boudicca successfully led the rebellion and managed to burn towns of Londinium (London), Verulamium (St. Albans), and Camulodunum (Colchester) and eliminate a sizable part of Roman legion infantry.

Following this development, Emperor Nero reportedly even considered evacuating the province. However, it did not become necessary as the province's Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, assembled his remaining force of 10,000 men and defeated the queen.

Thereafter, Nero was advised to replace Paulinus as he continued punishing the population even after the revolt ended. Nero adopted a further lenient approach and appointed a new governor.

Nero also fought the Roman–Parthian War between 58-63 AD and made peace with the otherwise hostile Parthian Empire.

While the Parthian king set his brother to capture the Armenian throne, Nero sent legions to defend Armenia as well as Syria from Parthia.

Later, a Roman army surrendered under a humiliating situation, and both the Parthian and Roman forces withdrew from Armenia under Parthian control.

In 63 AD, Parthian envoys arrived to discuss treaties. At that time, Roman general Corbulo attempted an invasion but was stopped by the Parthian delegation.

Thereafter, the Romans agreed with the Parthians; Rome would give recognition to the Armenia king as chosen by the Parthians, only if he agreed to receive the diadem from Nero.

In 66 AD, a coronation ceremony was organized in Italy. This coronation started the friendly relationship between Rome and the kingdoms of Armenia and Parthia.

However, not all of Nero's dealings were marked with bloodshed. In 66 AD, he went to Greece, which was under Roman control for close to two centuries. He also granted the people of Greece freedom.

A true admirer of Greek culture, Nero participated in many Greek festivals and took home over 1,800 prizes.

The Greeks also postponed the Olympics by a year so that Nero could take part in it, and even added singing and dancing to the games for Nero's sake. He also won an Olympic medal.

During Nero's reign, the First Jewish-Roman War was also fought. Nero sent Consul Vespasian to restore order, but Roman senator Vindex stood up in rebellion.

Vindex got the support of emperor Galba, and Nero was announced a public enemy. Nero was condemned to death, and he fled to Rome, where he died in 68 AD. With his death, the revolt too came to an end.

In the latter stage of Nero's rule, many considered him corrupt and compulsive.

What is Nero known for?

While Nero made a name for his good governance initially, later, his name got associated with the Great Fire of Rome.

Many believed that Nero ignited the fire to make space for his palace as he later used some of the fire-destroyed areas to build his new palace, 'Golden House,' but there was no evidence to substantiate those rumors.

The Great Fire of Rome started on the night of July 18, 64 AD, in a merchant's shop in the Circus Maximus.

It soon went out of control and severely damaged three of 14 districts in the city and affected seven more.

At that time, Nero was not in Rome, but he immediately returned to oversee relief efforts.

Several mansions, public buildings, temples residences on the Palatine, Aventine, and Caelian hills were reduced to ashes by the fire.

It continued straight for over seven days, subsided in between, and then continued for three more days.

Many in the Roman historian circle thought that the fire was an accident, but a section of people claim the fire was started based on instructions issued by Nero.

These beliefs are mostly based on Nero building his golden palace, Domus Aurea, over areas destroyed by the fire.

The Domus Aurea, spread over 100 ac (40.46 ha) inside the city, included artificial landscapes and a statue of Nero measuring 98 ft (30m) in height, called the Colossus of Nero.

To date, there is no proof that Nero started the Great Fire of Rome.

After the fire, Nero blamed Christians and ordered their merciless execution. This act of Nero, coupled with his alleged role in his family's murders, made many call him one of Rome's most cruel emperors; Caligula was still considered the cruelest.

Nero Facts

Check out these amazing Nero facts!

The year in which Nero died is called the 'Year of Four Emperors.'

After Nero died, chaos engulfed the Roman Empire with three short-lived emperors attempting to take full control of the Empire until Vespasian gained power and established the Flavian dynasty.

After Nero's death, Galba became the emperor and started his reign by killing many of Nero's allies. However, he was murdered shortly.

Otho took his place, but before he could restore stability and peace, he faced a revolt from Vitellius. Instead of planning a counter-attack, he proposed a peace treaty in vain and later killed himself.

Soon after Otho's suicide, Vitellius was recognized as the emperor. However, his ways of celebrations soon led the imperial treasury very close to bankruptcy.

With debts accruing and moneylenders starting to show up, Vitellius turned cruel and took to killing every person whom he considered his rival.

The state's finances were in pathetic condition, and legions in many provinces accepted Vespasian as their emperor.

Though Vitellius made several vain attempts to succeed, Vespasian overpowered him and became the emperor on December 21, 69 AD.

While infamous, Nero still had his share of followers. Imposters on different occasions in a span of 30 years tried gathering support by taking Nero's appearance. One of them was reportedly so successful that it almost resulted in a civil war.

There was even a popular legend that Nero had not breathed his last and would definitely return.

Many believed that Nero kicked his second wife Poppaea when she was pregnant, leading to her death. However, since there was no proof, it was concluded she died due to childbirth or miscarriage.

Following her death, Nero gave her a grand funeral with divine honors and even promised to build a temple for her cult.

Nero's great-grandfather Augustus was the adopted son of Julius Caesar, who was his great-uncle.

After the assassination of Julius Caesar, Augustus became the emperor as per his will and inherited his estates, name, and legions in a way similar to how Nero got adopted and then got the throne.

Nero also established a competition, Neronian Games, in 60 AD, that included gymnastics, music, and equestrian contests.

Nero was famous among the people of Greece just the way he was popular among the ordinary people of Rome.

According to historians, there were several allegations of cheating when he won the Olympic medal.

He participated in the 10-horse chariot race in the Olympics organized in 67 AD.

Allegations were made that he fell during the race and did not complete the race, yet he was declared the winner based on the assumption that he would have won the game if he had not fallen.

A year after his death, his name was taken off the winners' list.

Nero had also sent an expedition to Africa. While some believed he was searching ways for a possible invasion, others claimed the tour was taken to find out the source of the river Nile.

Nero's then teacher, Seneca, termed this expedition as Nero's 'love for truth.'

Nero loved performing on stage and also explored Rome's nightlife incognito.

Nero had several palaces and villas outside Rome. People can still find the ruins.

A few of them included the villa of Nero at the place of his birth, Antium. At Subiaco in Lazio near Rome, Nero built three artificial lakes with bridges, walkways, and waterfalls.

While participating in the Olympics, Nero had stayed at the villa he built at Olympia in Greece.