Nero Caesar Augustus

by David Shotter

Propelled to power by the age of 17 by an ambitious mother, self-indulgent to the point of criminality, inadequate, paranoid and the perpetrator of heinous crimes including matricide and fratricide, and deposed and killed by 31, Nero is one of Rome’s most infamous Emperors. But has history treated him fairly? Or is the popular view of Nero as a capricious and depraved individual a travesty of the truth and a gross injustice to Rome's fifth emperor? This new biography will look at Nero’s life with fresh eyes. While showing the man 'warts and all', it also caste a critical eye on the 'libels' which were perpetrated on him, such as claiming he was a madman, many of which were most probably made up to suit the needs of the Flavians, who had overthrown his dynasty.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History

296 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2008

About the author

Prof. David C.A. Shotter is an emeritus researcher at the University of Lancaster.

He publishes mainly on Roman era Britain, with a particular interest on Northern Britain. In 2007 he appeared on Channel 4's Time Team as an expert on the Roman period, and then in 2014 he was one of the experts in the Rome in the Lakes episode of Walking Through History.

Reviews

[Carrie Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've written an in depth review about how I feel about Nero on a previous read book. Ever since I read the National Geographic Article " Rethinking Nero". And I visited Rome, I have thought Nero was not given a fair shake. I feel Christian writers cursed him for all eternity to be evil incarnate. I do not believe this to be true. I think he was a very intelligent, philanthropist, who at first was young and easily swayed even by his power hungry family. ( mother included). I feel he cared a great deal for Rome and it's true people. He worshipped the Roman gods, and did not tolerate Christians well, hence the terrible stories. He hated matters of state and wanted just to consume himself with literature and the arts. He even had many public places in his palace for the common people to do so. When his mother thought him weak and sought to replace him with his half brother he had, or those closest to him had her killed. It was a cut throat world back then. I do not believe he played a fiddle during the fires of Rome, but allowed victims into his palace for help and sanctuary. One must have all facts before we condemn a man on words of others.

[Cardemonde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine book on an important subject, written by someone who clearly knows what he is talking about, that is sadly marred by its repetitiveness. The author appears a wise scholar but less than ideal writer. One does get the sense, especially looking at the endnote citations, that one would get a more readable and fuller account simply by perusing the relevant bits of Suetonius (which I have) and Tacitus (which I have not, yet) with some Dio thrown in.

To his credit: He has very pretty plates of locations in Roman Italy, and a brief digression into numismatics that also has pretty pictures of coins.

[Jeff Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very readable. Shotter is clearly an authority on the subject but his book reads like a quickly assembled collection of his notes on Nero.