Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was emperor of Rome from 54 AD-68 AD during the Age of Emperors. The same family dynasty had ruled Rome for 100 years. The two people that he favored the most was Tigellinus, the Head of Rome’s security force and his second wife, Poppaea. Nero spent a lot of time amongst the citizens of Rome. So when a major disaster occurs he was heartbroken by the outcome. In July 64 AD in Antium, The Great Fire of Rome broke out. The fire lasted for 6 days. During those 6 days, Nero tried to do everything he possibly could to control the fire and save as many lives as he could. However, the amount of deaths and damage that occurred was a major setback during his reign. After the fire, many people thought …show more content…
This included: gaining more power, building more temples and gardens, making everything out of marble and stone, creating wider roads, enhancing the warfare, and adding more art (mostly of himself). Nero began the largest single building program in history. He started importing marble from Egypt, Greece, and Spain and Brown 2 became one of the greatest patrons of art. Months later, Nero started doubting the transformation process because of lack of money. In autumn of 64 AD, Nero assaulted the Temples of Rome to gain access to Rome’s crowned jewels that embodied Rome’s greatness, in order to pay for his expenses.. This was seen as an act of infamy. He led many more raids across the empire to supply him with more money. In March 65 AD, Piso, a senator amongst a number of other senators started to plot against Nero to remove him as emperor. This plot was known as the Pisonian Conspiracy. These senators felt as if Nero was destroying everything Rome stands for. He was bankrupting Rome and bringing shame to the city. On April 18, 65 AD a slave was ordered to sharpen one of the senators swords. Instead the slave disobeyed his master and ran to tell Nero of his …show more content…
Nero begins to go mad in the process. In the summer of 65 AD, he holds the biggest art festival in Roman history. He wanted to be the first emperor to perform on stage. He strived to be perfect. After his performance, he killed his wife, Poppaea after she mistakenly admits a flaw in his performance. The financial Brown 3 crisis of the building project and Poppaea’s death makes him grow even more mad. In 66 AD, Nero and his entourage left for Greece. While in Greece, money in Rome rapidly deteriorated as time went on. So he ordered Tigellinus to have the richest and most powerful aristocrats to leave their wealth to him in their wills and ordered them to be killed. If they failed to leave their wealth to Nero, their entire family would be wiped out. In 67 AD, a letter was sent to every Senator stating a desire for rebellion. Upon hearing of this news, Nero set out to return to Rome to address the rebellion. Nero announced that his plan to stop the rebellion was first to weep in front of his attackers and then to sing to them. He recruits an army of prostitutes to accompany him to “battle”. However, his plan never went into