Mini Bio - Nero 🔥

Initially, Nero wasn’t all bad; he lowered taxes, expanded public works, and was a patron of the arts. He fancied himself quite the artist, poet, and musician. Imagine if Kanye West had an empire to run—same vibe, but with togas.

In 64 AD, Rome caught fire, and while Nero probably didn’t play his lyre while watching the city blaze (he was 30 miles away!), he did use the opportunity to build his Golden House, a palace so grand it made even the gods roll their eyes. He also blamed the Christians for the fire, starting a trend of scapegoating that would, unfortunately, have lasting effects.

Nero’s rule became increasingly tyrannical. He had rivals killed, including his own mother (the ultimate ‘I need space’ move), and his popularity nosedived. In 68 AD, facing revolts, Nero was declared a public enemy by the Senate. He then had the melodramatic response of committing suicide but not before lamenting, “What an artist the world is losing in me!” Talk about an ego.

Nero left behind a legacy of extravagance, poor governance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of absolute power in the hands of someone who thinks they’re the main character in a Greek tragedy.