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Nero

Bust of Nero. Glyptothek München (Germany). Photo Marco Prins.
Nero (Glyptothek München; ©**)
Nero: emperor of the Roman world (54-68).

Names:

  • 15 December 37: Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus 
  • 25 February 50: Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus 
  • 13 October 54: Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 
  • September (?) 66: Imperator Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
  • 9 June 68: suicide
Successor of: Claudius

Relatives:

  • father: Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus
  • mother: Agrippina Minor
  • married to: Octavia (daughter of Claudius); Poppaea Sabina; Statilia Messalina
  • Child: Claudia (died as a baby)

Early career:

  • 37 Born in Antium
  • 39-41 Exile of his mother
  • 49 Engagement to Octavia
  • 50 Adopted by Claudius
  • 51 Proconsular powers
  • 52 Prefect of the Latin Games
  • 53 Marriage to Octavia
Coin showing the closed gates of Janus at the age of Nero. Valkhof Museum, Nijmegen (Holland). Photo Marco Prins.
Closed gate of Janus (Valkhof Museum)

Main deeds:

  • 54 Succeeds Claudius; Claudius deified
  • 55 Consul I (with Lucius Antistius Vetus); Britannicus poisoned; pontifex maximus
  • 56 Reorganization of the aerarium
  • 57 Consul II (with Lucius Calpurnius Piso)
  • 58 Consul III (with Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus); Tiridates attacked by Corbulo; Corbulo takes Artaxata
  • 59 Assassination of Agrippina the Younger; fall of Tigranocerta
  • 60 Consul IV (with Cossus Cornelius Lentulus); the Neroniana celebrated; Tigranes made king of Armenia; Corbulo made governor of Syria
  • 61 Revolt of Boudicca; tensions with the Parthian Empire
  • 62 Death of Burrus, the praetorian prefect; he is succeeded by Faenius Rufus and Tigellinus; fall of Seneca; Nero divorces Octavia and marries Poppaea (who divorces Marcus Salvius Otho); Roman defeat at Rhandeia
  • 63 Earthquake in Campania
  • 64 Fire in Rome; execution of Christians (text); exploratory mission to Ethiopia
  • 65 The Neroniana celebrated again; conspiracy of Piso; suicides of Lucan and Seneca; Faenius Rufus replaced by Nymphidius as praetorian prefect; death of Poppaea
  • 66 Marriage to Statilia Messalina; Tiridates in Rome; Gate of Janus closed; Jewish revolt; Nero crosses to Greece; conspiracy of Vinicius; suicide of Petronius Arbiter
  • 67 Nero in Greece; starts the work on a canal at Corinth; suicide of Corbulo; Vespasian sent to Judaea
  • 68 Consul V (without colleague); return to Rome; revolt of Julius Vindex suppressed by Verginius Rufus; recolt of Lucius Clodius Macer; revolt of Galba; suicide
  • Damnatio memoriae
New legions: I Italica; I Adiutrix
Coin of Vindex. Obverse: Senate and People of Rome. Reverse: Salvation of Mankind.
Coin of Vindex. Obverse:
Senate and People of Rome.
Reverse: Salvation of Mankind
(©!!)

Buildings: Temple of Claudius; Horrea Galbana (dedicated by Galba); Baths of Nero; Domus Transitoria; Golden House (Domus Aurea); Colossus; Bridge of Nero

Contemporary events:

  • 54 Seneca's Apocolocyntosis
  • 55 Seneca's De clementia
  • 56 Paul's Epistle to the Philippians
  • 57 Paul's First Epistle to the Corinthians, Epistle to the Galatians, Second Epistle to the Corinthians
  • 58 Paul's Epistle to the Romans; Paul captured
  • 59 Paul pleads his case before Agrippa
  • 60 Paul meets Festus; death of Domitius Afer and Geminus of Rhodes (?)
  • 61 Paul in Rome
  • 62 Death of Persius and James the Just
Succeeded by: Galba

Links:

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