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Tmo branches of the Domitian family distinguished themselves
the Calvini and the Ahenobarbi. The Ahenobarbi were namedaster their founder, Lucius Domitius: the tradition being that once, on his retum to Rome stom the comtry, he mel a pair of twius ioohingmore like gods than men, who told him to insorin the Senate and thepeopte that the batile of Liae Regillus, which had not seemed imminent, Was atready fought and won.λ In proos of their divinity the ins strohed his on both sides of his chin and thereby turned hisbeard frona blach to the colour of bronge - a physical peculiaritywhich became dominant among his descendanis. HaVing gained sevenconsulfhips, a triumph, and two censorships, and been ressed to patrici an rank, they ali continued to use the fame sumanae, with no other renames than Gnaeus and Lucius. They gave an interesting twist tothis practice by somelimes haring successive members of tiae familyknown by the fame forename and somelimes varying the two - forinstance we know that each of the frst three Ahenobarbi was a Lucius, each of the second three was a Gnaeus, after whici, Lucius alternated
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in Gnaeus. A closer study of the Domitian family histor would
probably suggest that many of Nero's vices mere inherited, although deed he made a ghastly caricature of his incestors' virtues. a. Let me go bach quite a long way to Nero's grea grea great-
grandiather, Gnaeus Domitius. While Tribune of the People hedeprived the Pontifical College of their power to fili vacancies in thepriesthood, and marded it to the people: he haled the College fornot haring appotated him to succeed his fassier. As Consul he subduedine Allobroges and the Avernians, and then rode through the province on an elephant wissi in escori os soldiers, as though he were celebratig a triumph. Licinius Crassus, the Orator, remarhed:
Should lais bronge beard reatly surprise us 3 Aster ali, he has an iron face and a heari os lead.' Gnaeus f son and namesake, while Praetor, summoned Julius Caesarbe re the Senate, at the close of his consulfhip, to be examined onthe charge of haring desed the laws and auspices. Aster ards, when Consul, he tried to remove Caesar from the command in Gaul, and had himself named as his successor by the Pompeian party. Then the Civit War broke out and he was soon taen prisoner by Caesar at Corfinium, but set free: whereupon he went to Marseipes and supported the city Athers during the difficuli days of their siege. However, he abruptly deserted them: and sep a year later in the batile of
Pharsalus. This Gnaeus was a remarkably indecis e man. Once, in afit os desperation, he attempted sulcide by poison, but the prospect of immediate death so terrifed him that he changed his tand and vomited up the dose - the fataly physici an tam his weli enough toliave made it a mild one, whicli earned the wise fellow his freedom Early in the Civit War, when Pompey raised the question of ho
neutrals should be trealed, Gnaeus was the sole Senator o wanted them classised as ene es.
3. Gnaeus test one son Lucius, without any docti the best member of the family. Although he had taken no part in Caesar's assassination, he was condemned to die as a conspirator, under the Pedian Law, and subsequently threw in his lot with his relatives Brutus and Cassius. Aster their deallis he continued to command, and even toenlarge, the Pompeian fleet, which he would not surrender to MarkAntony untii liis associales had been eve where routed: and then didso as though he were granting an immense favour. Os ali inose
I. An error: his fallier had done this
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sentenced under the Pedian Law he alone wes granted repatriationand, once home again, held ali the highest ossices of state in succession. When civit war brohe out once more he joined Antony's staffand was later offered the supreme command by those who found Cleopatra's presence at headquarters an embarrassment; but a staddenisness made him wary of accepting it, although he never gaVe a definite refusal. Instead, he transferred his allegiance to Augustus; and di ed a few days afte ards. Antony, however, said rather uinindlythat his real motive in changing fides was to be with Servilia Nais, his
4. His son, the Lucius Domitius who became Augustus's clites executor, had been a famous charioteer in his youth, and gainedtriumphat decorations for his part in the German campaign; but was
While holding the ossice of aedile, he ordered Lucius Plancus, then Censor, to mahe way for him in the street. As Praetor and again asConsul, he made knighis and married women os rank aci in stage pantomimes. The crueity of the wild animal hunis presented by him in the Circus and et sewhere at Rome, and of one gladiatorial contest, obliged Augustus - whose private warnings he had disregarded - toissue a cautionary edict.
5. Gnaeus Domitius, his son by Antonia the Elder, became Nero's Ather: and was a whopy despicabie character. As a young man heserved in the Fast on Gaius Caligula's staff, but sorseited his friendshipby talling one of his own freedmen for refusing to drink as much ashe was told. Yet even then he bellaved no beller. Once, drivingstrough a village on the Appian Way, he whipped up his horses and deliberalely ran over a boy: and when a knight criticiged his ratherseeely in the Forum he gouged out his eyes there and then. He Wasalso remarhably dishonest: cheating his banhers of payment for goodsthey had bought him and, while Praetor, even swindling Victorious charioteers of esaeir prire money. His sister Domitia Lepida openlyteased his abolit this: and when the managers of fae leams compla ed he decreed that in future ali priges must be paid on the spol. Just be re Tiberius died he was charged with treason, adultery, and incest with Domitia Lepida: however, Caligula's accession saved himand he died os dropsy at Pyrgi, first sornaally achnowledging the paternity of Nero, his son by Germanicus's daughter Agrippina.
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dictions ; and a significant comment was made by his Ather in replyto friendly congratulations: namely, that any child bom to himselfand Agrippina was bound to have a detestable nature and become a public danger. Another promise of ill-luch occurred on the day of his baptism: when Agrippina asked her brother Caius Caligula to givetiae boy whatever name he pleased, he glanced at his uncte Claudius later Emperor, and Nero's adoptive fassier) and said with a grin: 'Iname him Claudius.' Since Claudius was then the buit of the Couri, Agrippina was not amused, and ignored the suggestion. At the age of three Nero tost his Ather and inherited one third of the estate; but Caligula, who was also named in the wili, not onlytook everything, but banished Agrippina. Nero theresere grem up in
Very pOOr circumstances under the care of his avnt Domitia Lepida, who chose a dancer and a barber to be his tutors. However, When
Claudius succeeded Caligula, Nero had his inheritance restored to him in fuit, and a lega from his uncte by marriage, Crispus Passienus,lest him weli off. His mother's recali from banishment allowed histo e oy once more the benefits of her powersul influence: and it transpired later that Claudius's wisse Messalina, realiging that Nerowould become a rival to her son Britannicus, had sent assassitas tostrangle him during his siesta. They were dri ven away in terror, people said, by a snahe whicli suddenly darted from beneath Nero'spisow: but this was a mere fur se based on the discovery of asioughed snahe-skin close by. Agrippina persuaded hirn to have this stan set in a goiden bracelet, which he wore for a long time on his right wrist. Asiter sile died he threw it away because it remiuded him too vividly of her: but when his siluation grew desperate, hunted forit in Vain.
7. While stili very young he gave an exceptionalty good performarice in the Troy Game at the Circus and earned loud applause. Whenhe reached the age of eleven, Claudius adopted his and appotnted
Annaeus Seneca, who was atready a senator, as his tutor. On the
following night, the story goes, Seneca dreamed that lais pupil was reatly Caligula: and, indeed, Nero soon made sense of the dream bygiving sigiis of a natural ly cruei heart. Since Britannicus continued to
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Festivat; eminent lasers gave him a number of important cases totry, instead of the duli and trivial ones that normalty come up on such occasions - although Claudius had expressty sorbidden this. Nexi, Nero married his adoptive sister Octavia: and held Games and a wild-beast hunt in the Circus, by way of wishing Claudius good health.
8. He had reached the age of seventeen when Claudius's deathoccurred, and presented himself to the Palace Guard that day betwecnthe stath and sevenili hours - ugly omens having ruted out an earlierappearance. Aster being acclaimed Εmperor on the Palace steps, hewas tinen in a litter to the Guards' Camp, where he briefly addressed the troops. He then visited the Senate House, Where he remalaeduntii nightfall, refusing only one of the many liigh honours voted him, namely the titie 'Father of the Countly', and this because of hisyouth. 9. Nero started off with a parade of virtve: giving Claudius atavisti funerat, at which he delivered the oration in person, and finalty dei'ing him. He also exalted the memory of his Ather Domitius, and turned over ali his public and private affairs to Agrippina's manag ment. On the day of his accession the password he gave to the colonelon duW was 'The Best of Mothers': and she and he osten rode out together through the streeis in her litter. Nero founded a colony at Antium consisting of Guards veterans, augmented by a group of richretired centurions, whom he forced to move there: and also bustitiem a harbour, at great CXpense.
Io. As a further guarantee of his virtuous intentions, he promisedio modet his rule on the principies laid down by Augustus, and nevermissed an opportunity of being generous or mercisul, or of showing
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what a good compassion he was. He lowered, Ehe could not abolisti, some of the bearier taxes; and reduced by thre quarters the fee fordenouncing evasions of the Papian Law, whicli obliged nobtemen tomarry. More Ver, he presented the commons missi forty gold pieceseach: setiled annuat salaries on distinguished but impoverished sena
iam tining exercise on the Campus Martius, and osten gave publicdeclamations. Also, he recited his own poems, both at home and in the Theatre: a performance which so delighted everyone that aspecies Thanksgiving was voted him, as though he had won a great victo , and the passages he had chosen were printed in letters of goldon plaques dedicated to Capitoline Juppiter.
age parties, chariot races in the Circus, stage plays, a gladiatoris stlow- persuading even old men os consular rank, and old lassies, too, to attend the coming-oLage parties. He resemed seata for the knighis at
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Nero rarely presided at shows of this fori, but would recline in theciosed Imperis box and watch through a Window: later, however, he opened the box. He inaugurated the Neronia, a festival of competitions in music, gymnastics, and horsemanship, modelled on the Greek ones and held every five years: and simultaneousty opened lsis Bassis. which had a gymnasium attached, and provided free Oil for knighis and senators. ΕX-constas, dram by tot, organiged the Neronia, and occupied the Praetors' seats. At the prige-giving Nero descended tothe orchestr statis where the Senators sal, to accepi the laurei-wreath
for Latin oratory and verse, which had been reserved for him by the unanimous vote os ali the distinguished competitors. The judges alsoawarded his the wreath for a lyre solo, but he bowed reverentlyto them, and said: 'Pray lay it on the ground be re Augustus's statuet ' At an athletic competition held in the Enclosure, oXen were sacrificed on a lavisti scate: that was when he shaved his chin sor thefirst time, put the hair in a pearl-studded gold box and dedicated it to Capitoline Juppiter. He had invited the Vestat Virgins to watch theathletics, explaining that Demeter's priestesses at Olympia were accorded the fame privilege. 13. The welcome given Tiridates when he visited Rome deserves inclusion in the list of Nero's spectacles. Tiridates Was the Armenian
as sΟon as possibie asterwards. The Guards battalions marched in fullarmour around the temples of the Forum, while Nero occupied his curule chair on the Rostrum, wearing triumphal dress and surrounded by military insignia and standards. Tiridates had to wal up a ranap
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and then prostrate himseli in supplication; whereupon Nero stretchedout his hand, drew him to his feet, hissed iam, and replaced his turbanwith a diadem. When Tiridates's supplication had been translated into Latin by an interpreter and publicly recited, he was taen to the Theatre where he made a further supplication) and offered a seat onNero's right. The peopte then hassed Nero as a conqueror and, after dedicating a laurei-wreath in the Capitol, he closed the doubie doors of the Temple of Janus, as a sign that ait War Was at an end. 14. The first of Nero's four consulsi ips lasted for two monilis, thethird for four, the second and the last for sta. Ηe let a year elapse be een the frsi and second, and be een the third and th: butnot belween the second and third.
instead os a case being presented as a whole, by one fide and then by theother, every relevant charge should be debated separalely. On witi, drawing to study a problem os law, he never consulted openly withhis judiciat adrisers, but made each of them write out an opinion;
then mulled over these documents in private, came to his own co
clusion, and passed it off as a majori ty opinion. For a long time Nero excluded the fons os freedmen from the Senate, and forbade those who had held magistracies under his pred cessors to do so again. Is too many candidates competed for any highoffice, he hept the unsuccesssul ones employed by giving them legionsto command. It became his practice to appotat Consuls for a periodos sta monitis: and should a Consul die before 1 January he made nosubstitute appotniment, to mark his disapprovat of Caninius Rebilus'sone-day consulfhip. He awarded triumphat regalia to men os quae torial rank, and even to some knighis, though their services had notbeen os a military nature. The Consuls were ordered to read certainos his speeches sent for the Senate's information, thereby going oVerthe heads of the Quaestors, whose business it should have been. I 6. Aster the great fre at Rome, Nero introduced his own newstyle of architecture: busiding out porches stom the fronis of tenements and private houses to serve as fre4ghting plaiforms, and subsidiging the work himself. He also considered a scheme for extenti
allow ships to sati straight up to Rome. During his rei gn a great many public abuses were suppressed by the
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sumptuary laws limiting private expenditure: the substitution os a simple grain distribution for public banqueta: and a decree restrictingthe od sold in win shops to green vegetabies, dried beans, and thelle whereas besere ali Hnds of tasty snacks had been displayed. Punishments were also inflicted on the Christians, a seci professing anew and mischievous religiolis belles: and Nero ended the licencewhicli the charioteers had so long enjoyed that they clai med ii as a right: to wander merrtly down the streeis, swindling and robbing the populace. He likewi se expelled frona the City ali pantomime
presence of a magistrate. Provisions were also made that the frst twopages of every will offered for witnesses to sigia should bear only the testator's nanae; and that no one drasting a will sor signature by an one else might infert in it a lega for himself Moreover, litigants were ordered to pay their lasers at a fixed, reasonable rate; and nocharge was to be made for seais in Court. Further, ait Treasury sutis, which had previ ously been setiled by the Treasury ossicials them-selves, were in future to come be re a board os arbitration in the Forum: and every appeal froin the verdici of a jury was to beaddressed to the Senate. 18. Nero probably felt no ambition to extend the Roman Empire,
and even considered withdrawing his forces froni Britain: yet heptthem there because such a dccision might have reflected on the glorywon by his adoptive Ather Claudius. The sole additions made during his reign to the list os Imperiat provinces were the KDragdom os Pontus, ceded to hi in by Polemon: and that of the Cottian Alpswhicli, on the death of Cottius, reverted to Rome. 19. Nero planned only two foretgn tours: one to Alexandria, theother to Greece. A warning portent made him cancel the Alexandrianvo age, on the very day when his silip should have falled: during liis fareweli round of the Temples he had sat down in the stirine of Vesta,
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but when he rose to leave, the hem of his gown caught fre and thena temporary blintaess overcanae bim. While hi Greece he tried toliave a canal cut through the Isthmus of Corinth, and addressed agathering of Praetorian Guards, urgi g Haem to underlahe the tash. Nero took a mattock himself and, at a trumpet blast, broke clieground and carried off the si1rst basket of earlli on his bach. He hadalso pla ed an expedition to the Caspian Gates of the Caucasus, inrossing a new legion os Italian-boria recruits, ali siX feet tali, whomite called 'The Phalanx of Alexander the Great': but it proved equest y
begin to list his follies and crimes. ao. Music formed part of his childhood curriculum, and he early developed a iaste for it. Soon after his accession, he summoned Terpnus, the greatest lyre-player of the Jay, to sing to him whendi ner had cnded, for severat nighis in succession, untii very late. Then, litile by litile, he began to study and pracilae himself, and co scientiously undertook ali the usual exercises for strengthening and developing the voice. He would lie on his bach with a flab of lead onliis Chest, use enemas and emetics to keep down lais weight. and restatafrom eating apples and every other Ood considered deleterious to the vocat chords. Ultimately, though his voice was stili feeble and hus , he was pleraed enough with his progress to nurse theatrical ambitions, and would quote to his friends the Greek proverb: 'Unheard melodies
regarding an earlhquake which shook the theatre,ὲ he sang his piecethrough to the end. He osten performed at Naples, for severat cons cutive days, too: and even while giving his voice a bries rest, could not stay away Dom the theatre, but went to dine in the orchestra where he promised the crowd in Greek that, when he had downed adrink or two, he would give them something to make their ears ring. So captivated was he by the rhythmic applause of sorne Alexandrian