Nero appreciation

[guy]

We have discussed the reassessment of Nero before. (See threads below.)  Here is an article that outlines ten positives of Nero;

Nero Helped Rebuild Rome After the Fire

Nero Set New Urban Rules for Rome

He Significantly Lowered Taxes

He Built the Biggest Roman Palace at the Time: The Golden House or Domus Aurea

Nero Relentlestly Promoted Artistic Expression

Nero Backed and Encouraged Athletic Events

Nero Allowed Slaves to Complain Against Their Master

Millions of People Loved Him… Even After His Death!

Nero Enhanced the Greek Culture

His Diplomatic Abilities Ended the War Against the Parthian Empire

 

https://listverse.com/2022/09/18/10-positive-qualities-of-nero-and-his-reign-people-dont-know/

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2022 by guy

[caldrail]

Nero helped rebuild Rome after the Great Fire of 64? Actually, that wasn't his motive, he was building Neropolis, the City of Nero, and it was costing him so much money he was blackmailing wealthy Romans to name him the inheritor of their will and commit suicide. It was excesses like that. Even with his armed forces turning away from him and the Vindex rebellion in full swing, he summoned senators on the grounds there was an emergency and when they gathered, told them "I've invented a way to make a water organ player louder and longer". 

[guy]

Nero a successful emperor (despite numerous faults)? I’ll put you down as a “maybe.”

[caldrail]

LOL. Trajan did say that in his opinion the first five years of his reign were the best government Rome had seen. An interesting comment as this was the period when he was on the leash of his mother Agrippina the Younger (and shown as equals on coins of the period), and advised by Burrus and Seneca. It's when he had thrown off these influences that he went celebrity and lost the plot.

[guy]

5 hours ago, caldrail said:

Trajan did say that in his opinion the first five years of his reign were the best government Rome had seen. An interesting comment as this was the period when he was on the leash of his mother Agrippina the Younger (and shown as equals on coins of the period), and advised by Burrus and Seneca.

Thanks for that interesting quote:

Quote

The quote was attributed to Trajan by Aurelius Victor and his Epitomator:

"...un merito Traianus saepius testaretur procul differre cunctos principes Neronis quinquennio."  (Trajan quite often declared that all other emperors fell behind Nero in his quinquennium).

 

Here’s an interesting post that deals with the legacy of Nero:

https://ancientimes.blogspot.com/2015/08/why-did-optimus-princeps-trajan-admire.html?m=1

Edited September 24, 2022 by guy

[caldrail]

Nice.... Except that Nero had nothing to do with the Boudiccan Revolt. It was settled locally in good Roman fashion. The senatorial governor Suetonius Paulinus rushed back from Angelsey to defeat Boudicca in battle, and Nero's man, Catus Decianus, who had sparked the rebellion by sending troops to sort out an inheritance issue, fled to Gaul in case he was found guilty. When Nero did hear of a problem in Britannia, he sent a freedman with such a ridiculously large escort that people seeing the retinue thought it was an army.

The credit goes to Suetonius Paulinus.

Likewise Corbulo was the man on the spot and settled the issue in Armenia. Granted, Nero sent him, but Corbulo was sent to do the work and was forced to commit suicide when Nero was persuaded he was dangerous returning as a victorious general.

Edited September 24, 2022 by caldrail