Nero was Roman emperor from AD 54 to 68

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born on December 15, AD 37 and died on June 9, AD68).

He came to power on October 13, 54 following the poisoning of his father Claudius by his mother. Later Nero had his mother clubbed to death. Nero then murdered his wife Octavia and began many trials for treason to pay for the cost of the army quelling Boudicca’s revolt in Britannia (see below).

In AD 64 much of Rome was destroyed in a nine-day fire. He used much of the centre of the city for a new palace for himself called the Golden House' (Domus Aurea), Nero also accused the Christians of having started the fire and had them burned alive.

Nero is famous for using his power and money to built a comfortable life for himself while the important affairs of the empire were ignored. He is the one who popularly is said to have fiddled (played his lyre) while Rome burned.

Many things went wrong during his reign. One of these happened in AD61 when there was a rebellion in Britannia (England) and when Queen Boudicca and her followers stormed down on London, destroying that and two other cities. It was clear to everyone that Nero was simply not in control.

In AD 64 the Great Fire of Rome started in some of the many apartment blocks for poor people (called insulae). They were built of wood. The fire raged for a week. It was said that Nero said how pretty the flames looked as he viewed the fire from a distant hill.

Nero had to find someone responsible so h was not blamed himself. So he blamed the Christians and had them rounded up and thrown to the lions in arenas or crucified

Nero went to the Greek Olympic games (where a huge villa was built for him) and through bribery and corruption, he was declared the winner of all of the games!

Finally the Senate said that Nero was an enemy of the state. Nero fled, and committed suicide on June 9, 68 at age 30.

Nero had built a huge palace on a hill near where the Colosseum now stands in Rome. It was called the Domus Aurea, the golden palace. In front of it was a huge lake and park. The emperors who followed him were so enraged by this waste of money that they filled in the lake and built the Colosseum, and built again over his golden palace so that little trace of him would remain.