Nero

 

During his reign, Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade, and improving the cultural capital of the empire. He ordered the building of theatres and promoted athletic games.

His reign included a successful war and negotiated peace with the Parthian Empire; the suppression of a revolt in Britain; and the beginning of the First Roman–Jewish War.

In 64, most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome. In 68, the rebellion of Vindex in Gaul and later the acclamation of Galba in Hispania (Spain) drove Nero from the throne. Facing assassination, he died by suicide on 9 June 68.^[2]

Nero's rule is associated with tyranny and extravagance.^[3] He is known for a number of executions, including those of his mother,^[4] wife (Claudia Octavia) and stepbrother.

Nero is known as the Emperor who played a fiddle while Rome burned. In reality, the violin had not yet been invented, Nero wasn't in Rome at the time, and when he heard of the fire he returned to direct relief efforts.

He also persecuted Christians. However, some ancient sources show that Nero was popular with the common people during and after his reign.

In Midrash Icha Rabbah 1, Nero Caesar is not briefly mentioned as the one who ruled Rome during the Great Rebellion and died in the middle of the rebellion, while Vespasian was engaged in his attempts to conquer Jerusalem, and thus the prophecy of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai was fulfilled that Vespasian would reign over Caesar: After three days, Vespasian ran out of prayers in Hada Gafna, From Dascha and Labshe Had from San Didia, you brought the news that Nero and Amelichonia, the sons of Rome, died (translation: After three days, Vespasian went to swim in the Gofna. After he swam and put on one of his shoes, the news arrived that told him: Nero and Malichuch, the sons of Rome, had died).

The coin with the image of Nero Caesar is mentioned several times in the Mishnah and in the Tosefta under the name "Sela Neronit" or "Nironit" for short.^[5]

In addition, there is an article by a Sage in the Babylonian Talmud , which describes a man named Nero Caesar as the emissary of the emperor who reigned in those days, and not as the emperor himself. According to the same article, a Roman emperor sent Nero Caesar to conquer Jerusalem following a rumor from a man named Bar Kamtza , according to which the people of Judah were betraying him When Nero Caesar arrived in the Land of Israel , he shot arrows at the four winds of heaven to check which place to conquer, and all the arrows finally landed in Jerusalem . Nero concluded from this that he would win his war against Jerusalem. Later he saw a boy passing nearby and asked him about his studies, and the boy quoted He had the verse "And I gave my vengeance on Edom by the hand of my people Israel" ( Ezekiel , 25:14 ). Nero saw this as a prophecy that God would take revenge on him for the conquest of Jerusalem. Following this, Nero fled, became a convert , and one of his descendants was the Tana Rabi Meir.^[6]

His wife Poppea was presented in the sources as a sympathizer of the Jews, and in the Talmud she was even presented as Matronia^[7]

• Tacitus, Histories, I-IV (c. 105)
• Tacitus, Annals, XIII–XVI (c. 117)
• Josephus, War of the Jews, Books II-VI (c. 94)
• Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XX (c. 94)
• Cassius Dio, Roman History, Books 61–63 (c. 229)
• Plutarch, The Parallel Lives, The Life of Galba (c. 110)
• Philostratus II, Life of Apollonius Tyana, Books 4–5, (c. 220) Archived 2008-02-21 at the Wayback Machine
• Suetonius, The Lives of Twelve Caesars, the Life of Nero (c. 121)

• Nero Nero:The Actor-Emperor
• Nero entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
• Nero Archived 2006-03-29 at the Wayback Machine basic data & select quotes posted by Romans On Line Archived 2006-03-29 at the Wayback Machine
• Nero Caesar biographical sketch archived in Bible History Online
• Nero biography by Herbert W. Benario in De Imperatoribus Romanis
• Grant, Michael. Nero. New York: Dorset Press, 1989 (ISBN 0-88029-311-X).
• Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus entry in the Illustrated History of the Roman Empire
• Griffin, Miriam T. Nero: The End of a Dynasty. New Heaven, CT; London: Yale University Press, 1985 (hardcover, ISBN 0-300-03285-4); London; New York: Routledge, 1987 (paperback, ISBN 0-7134-4465-7).
• Warmington, Brian Herbert. Nero: Reality and Legend (Ancient Culture and Society). London, Chatto & Windus, 1969 (hardcover, ISBN 0-7011-1438-X); New York: W.W Norton & Company, 1970 (paperback, ISBN 0-393-00542-9); New York: Vintage, 1981 (paperback, ISBN 0-7011-1454-1).