Nero: Reality and Legend

by Brian H. Warmington

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Genres: History, Classics, Nonfiction

180 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Bertie Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief overview of the reign of Emperor Nero, covering the main events of his reign from 54-68AD. The book is not solely focused on Nero, however, and at times discusses events taking place across the empire more broadly, such as the rebellion of Boudica and the Jewish revolt, which Nero had little involvement in.

Warmington creates a well-sourced and grounded narrative on Nero’s reign using a number of contemporary sources, but primarily relying on the more realistic and impartial account of Tacitus. He also uses surviving architecture and coinage to understand how Nero shifted his public presentation of himself. Additionally, the coinage of the Neronian era also demonstrates the shift in monetary policy, such as the reduction in the gold and silver ratio in coins, perhaps an indication of the empire's weakened economic state.

One thing Warmington excels at is putting this period in its historical context. He notes that while the position of Emperor was increasingly becoming monarchical, it still had many lingering republican elements which Nero had to adhere to. His lack of effort in this regard at a time when the Senate was still a powerful body was a chief reason behind his eventual downfall.

Despite these positives, there was little of his analysis that was particularly penetrating, and the shortness of the book, which was only about a hundred and seventy pages, means that some important aspects of Nero's reign, such as his persecutions of Christians following the great fire, are only discussed very briefly.

[David Gagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.