Nero

Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome

By: Anthony Everitt, Roddy Ashworth

Narrated by: Greg Patmore

A striking, nuanced biography of Nero—the controversial populist ruler and last of the Caesars—and a vivid portrait of ancient Rome

“Exciting and provocative . . . Nero is a pleasure to read.”—Barry Strauss, author of The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium

The Roman emperor Nero’s name has long been a byword for cruelty, decadence, and despotism. As the stories go, he set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. He then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her.

But these stories, left behind by contemporary historians who hated him, are hardly the full picture, and in this nuanced biography, celebrated historian Anthony Everitt and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs, and his legions overcame the fiery British queen Boudica who led one of the greatest revolts Rome had ever had to face. He loved art, culture, and music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome.

In Nero, ancient Rome comes to life: the fire-prone streets, the deadly political intrigues, and the ongoing architectural projects. In this teeming, politically unstable world, Nero was vulnerable to fierce reproach from the nobility and relatives who would gladly usurp him, and he was often too ready to murder rivals. He had a vision for Rome, but, racked by insecurity, he perhaps lacked the stomach to govern it.

This is the bloodstained story of one of Rome’s most notorious emperors: but in Everitt and Ashworth’s hands, Nero’s life is also a complicated, cautionary tale about the mettle required to rule.

Critic reviews

“This exciting and provocative book grabs the reader while supporting its arguments with careful classical scholarship. The authors write with authority and elegance. Nero is a pleasure to read.”—Barry Strauss, author of The War That Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium

“A nuanced biography of Roman emperor Nero, who ruled from 54 to 68 BCE . . . [Anthony Everitt and Roddy Ashworth] evoke the period with wit and precision. Ancient history buffs will be pleased.”—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Anthony Everitt

Alexander the Great

“Reads as easily as a novel . . . [Anthony] Everitt has a wealth of anecdotes and two millennia of histories to work with, and he delivers and interprets them flawlessly. Nearly unparalleled insight into the period and the man make this a story for everyone.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The Rise of Rome

“Fascinating history and a great read.”—Chicago Sun-Times

“Everitt writes for the informed and the uninformed general reader alike, in a brisk, conversational style, with a modern attitude of skepticism and realism.”—The Dallas Morning News

“Elegant, swift and faultless.”—The Spectator

Very good

Generally Interesting and well performed. This review of Rome in the time of Nero has a few surprises and is recommended.

Nero

Reading biography of new Era in the history of this ruling was very interesting. Well informed about this Roman Emperor. The book does explain that there’s biased against him but explains did good things and bad things that were questionable crimes.

An amazing 360 degree portrait

Really enjoyed this well-researched and in-depth review of one of history’s most notorious figures. As a Christian I was familiar with his blaming of my co-religionist predecessors for the great fire of Rome in 64AD and his declining to grant pardons to the Apostles Peter & Paul but wow, what a life in a short 14 year-reign. The authors make a convincing case that he’s much more than the cruel monster that history often makes him out to be. Highly recommended for history lovers and for this interested in Ancient Rome in particular.

The narrator kinda sounds like Emperor Palpatine, but after a bit I fully enjoyed his voice. Another great book by AE !

Nero - Sociopath or Spoiled Brat? How about both?

Fascinating look into one of Rome's most infamous emperors. A well researched book that uses the contemporary sources, but also attempts to see through those sources own biases to paint an accurate picture of the Princeps. Nero strikes you not necessarily as the wrong guy for the job, but someone who just didn't have an interest in the job, and only did it because it afforded him the opportunity to do everything that he actually wanted to do, like sing and play music! He's not dissimilar to many other children of great men or families, who are handed the keys to a family business, only to squander it. But there is also a ruthlessness in society at the time, which helps you understand just how cutthroat you had to be just to survive. This helps us understand his character and his actions, and outside of that context it would be difficult to understand his actions. In general, I also did like how the author ties in the general history of what was occurring in and around Rome, with segments on Britain, Seneca and Parthia, for example, that really give a complete picture of the empire and it's relation to Nero

I know some people did not like the narrator, but I thought he was brilliant. He uses different voices for different people, including this lazy, bored, disinterested voice for Nero. I really enjoyed it, and found my self laughing out loud several times when he would use the different voices.