The familiar image of Nero (37-68 A.D.) is that of a tyrannical, lustful, and inept emperor. This collection of thirteen original essays provides a fresh interpretation of Nero and his era, assessing the full spectrum of the period's culture and politics--aspects that until now have rarely been taken seriously. The introduction sets the myth of Nero in a modern context and explores its enduring fascination. The next section of the book examines how the myth of Nero has developed both in Roman historiography and in modern popular culture, including films. The remaining essays address the culture of Neroian Rome, including its history, literature, art, and architecture. The result is a dramatic reevaluation of the era, recapturing the richness and vitality of the age of Nero. The contributors are Susan E. Alcock, Tamsyn Barton, Catherine Connors, Catharine Edwards, Jas Elsner, Justin Goddard, Emily Gowers, Jamie Masters, Joan Pau-Rubies, Alessandro Schiesaro, Yun Lee Too, Gareth Williams, and Maria Wyke.

Nero's personality and crimes have always intrigued historians and writers of fiction. However, his reign also illuminates the nature of the Julio-Claudian Principate. Nero's suicide brought to an end the dynasty Augustus had founded, and placed in jeopardy the political system he had devised. Miriam T. Griffin's authoratitive survey of Nero's reign incorporates both a chronological account, as well as an analysis of the reasons for Nero's collapse under the pressure of his role as emperor.

This work inquires into the impact of dissident sensibilities on the writings of the major Neronian authors. It offers a detailed and innovative analysis of essays, poetry and fiction written by Seneca, Lucan and Petronius, and illuminates their psychological and moral anguish. The study is intended as a companion volume to Vasily Rudich's earlier work Political Dissidence under Nero: The Price of Dissimulation, where he discussed the ways in which 'dissident sensibilities' of the Neronians affected their actual behaviour. Dissidence and Literature under Nero extends this analysis to show how the same sensibilities became manifest in the texts written by the Neronian authors. It explores the pressures on authors under a repressive regime, who strive to maintain their artistic integrity. Thus the argument of this book can be seen as a comparison between the predicament of a Neronian dissident and the situation of the postmodern intellectual. It will interest professional classicists and the wider audience concerned with the ongoing debate on the benefits and perils of rhetorical discourse.

In this rigorously researched biography Jürgen Malitz invitesreaders to reconsider the reputation of the Roman Emperor Nero. Focuses on the growing tension between Nero’s artistictendencies and his role as emperor. Steers readers through the diverse interpretations of Nero thathave arisen through the ages. Allows readers to form a balanced judgment of this divisive andcontroversial Emperor.

Nero was negligent, not tyrannical. This allowed others to rule, remarkably well, in his name until his negligence became insupportable.

Refutes the commonly-held perception that Nero should be understood as the Antichrist figure in the Bible, and argues instead that this paradigm was a product of late antiquity. The paradigm's success facilitated its revival in the nineteenth century against the backdrop of the era's fin-de-siècle anxieties and religious controversies.

This book portrays Nero, not as the murderous tyrant of tradition, but as a young man ever-more reluctant to fulfil his responsibilities as emperor and ever-more anxious to demonstrate his genuine skills as a sportsman and artist. This reluctance caused him to allow others to rule, and rule surprisingly well, in his name. On its own terms, the Neronian empire was in fact remarkably successful. Nero's senior ministers were many and various, but notably they included a number of powerful women, such as his mother, Agrippina II, and his second and third wives, Poppaea Sabina and Statilia Messalina. Using the most recent archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic and literary research, the book explores issues such as court-politics, banter and free speech; literary, technological and scientific advances; the Fire of 64, 'the persecution of Christians' and Nero's 'Golden House'; and the huge underlying strength, both constitutional and financial, of the Julio-Claudian empire.

Volume 22, Diversity, is a special volume in the new series of Medievalia et Humanistica, focusing on the diversity of voices in medieval and early Renaissance literature. Six original articles explore themes of law, art, and piety at all levels of medieval and early Renaissance society, from the common audience of Malory's England to the aristocratic courts of Germany. . In addition to these six original articles, this volume offers two review articles and 28 review notices on 49 recent publications. Scholars, teachers, and students will find this volume presents a sampling of the variety and abundance of medieval and early Renaissance studies today.

The Lives of the Caesars include the biographies of Julius Caesar and the eleven subsequent emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitelius, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian. Suetonius composed his material from a variety of sources, without much concern for their reliability. His biographies consist the ancestry and career of each emperor in turn; however, his interest is not so much analytical or historical, but anecdotal and salacious which gives rise to a lively and provocative succession of portraits. The account of Julius Caesar does not simply mention his crossing of the Rubicon and his assassination, but draws attention to his dark piercing eyes and attempts to conceal his baldness. The Live of Caligula presents a vivid picture of the emperor's grotesque appearance, his waywardness, and his insane cruelties. The format and style of Suetonius' Lives of the Caesars was to set the tone for biography throughout western literature - his work remains thoroughly readable and full of interest. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.