Nero and why he was a good emperor

Topic: Nero and Why He Was a Good Emperor
Student Name
History
Tutor
18 April, 2014
December 15, A.D. 37 marked the day Nero was born in Antium. He was of the Julian-Claudian line and the son of Domitius Ahenobarbus and Julia Agrippina, the niece of Emperor Claudius. The first wife of Emperor Claudius (Valeria Messalina) died violently and he married Julia, adopted her son (Nero) and even gave him in marriage to his own daughter (Octavia). During his childhood, he considered himself a great singer and poet. Nero's mother had throughout wanted him to become emperor and was ready to commit any crime just to see him on the throne. To prepare him for the throne, she appointed Annaeus Seneca as his tutor and influenced Afranius Burrus' appointment as commander of the Praetorian Guard. Nero became emperor at seventeen after the sudden death of Claudius and the two men became his advisors. Although Agrippina expected to be part of Nero's government, her autocratic character led to her dismissal from government within a short time. This action indicated that Nero wanted a leadership that allowed participation of others and input in decision making (a democratic approach to leadership).[Bernard W. Henderson 1903, The Life And Principate Of The Emperor Nero (London: Methuen & Co., 1903), 5] [Henderson, 5]
In addition, Nero's leadership was viewed as auspicious under the direction of his two advisors Burrus and Seneca who were the real holders of power. Nero abrogated or lessened the hardships of direct taxation, the arbitrary nature of the legislation and provincial administration that delighted Rome and its entire empire declaring the first five years of Nero's rule the happiest and the Trajan regarded it at the best imperial era.[Henderson 1903, 5]
According to the Romans, a practical activity is an activity that would benefit the state. This meant that regardless of the prominence of the “Scipionic Circle” and the education of young senators for Rome in Greece, the engagement of Romans with Greek art and culture was viewed as an activity for foreigners, freedmen, and slaves. For Romans, this engagement was left for stuff relaxation and confined only to leisure hours. However, Ferrary (1988), Nero loved these activities and did not discriminate against any of the Greek and Greek activities. In addition, he did not discriminate against the low social class Romans as he loved these games and attended them with the other low class groups. He is termed as “Greece-loving” a title to Hellenistic kings does not occur in official communication, in Greek cities from Roman magistrates, or any decrees of honor dedicated to any emperor. It was uniquely attributed only to Nero.[Sigrid Mratschek 2013, “Nero the Imperial Misfit: Philhellenism in a Rich” in A Companion to the Neronian Age (New York: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2013), 46] [J. L. Ferrary 1998, Philhellenisme et imprialisme: aspects ideologiques de la conquete romaine dumonde hell ́nistique, de la seconde guerre de Macdoine a la guerre contre Mithridate (Rome: Bibliotheque des Ecoles Franςaises d'Athenes et de Rome 271, 1998), 54]
During Augustus rule, the art of government were reserved by Virgil for Romans only while the other arts that were considered less important art intellectually and aesthetically (artes liberals) were left for the others who were predominantly Greeks. Nero sang painted, sculptured, effortlessly composed poetry for pleasure, and played the lyre. Therefore, he belonged to the “others.” while these did bring him universal praise especially among the intellectual Romans, it indicated that did not discriminate against any social class and this made him people among the “others” an indication of his greatness in leadership.[Mratschek 2013, 46]
His greatness is evident where he paved the way for the second greatest transformation in Rome during the Principate. This culminated during the Second Sophistic and humanitarian imperium of the second century. In outlook, culture, and learning it became the “Greco-Roman.” It indicates that the Philostratus Lives of the Sophists between 511-12 attributed the renaissance of Sophist thinking to the Nicetes of Smyrna who was under Nero's leadership and Philostratus the Elder the father to Philostratus Lives wrote a dialogue under the Antonines called Nero. Preceding the Second Sophistic was a rapprochement between politics and literature. Suetonius tells writes that, during the first year of Nero's reign, many teachers that taught rhetoric doctrines from the lowest socioeconomic status raised to senatorial ranks and other high offices, for example, the Father of Nero's tutor. This was a fete that no Roman empire had ever achieved or allowed as they viewed individuals with low socioeconomic status as having no intellectual capabilities to develop any useful knowledge or occupy any state office.[Mratschek, 50] [Mratschek, 50]
Furthermore, Nero initiated new-lifestyle festivals. These festivals were largely Greek in character that by traditional Roman standards was unacceptable, but they afforded him an opportunity to constantly interact with the public. This reflected a shift in leadership style and a realignment of the communicative relationship between the emperor and the people. At the Juvenalia festival in 59 AD, the first time Nero appeared was in a citharode, in a semi-public arena. Traditionally, participants in such a stage were required to conceal their identity with masks, but Nero broke this down by ordering them to remove the masks and reveal themselves to the plebs. This was a Greek innovation from its culture and theater at the Juvenalia festival in 59 AD; Nero appeared for the first time as a citharode in a semi-public arena.[Cornelius Tacitus 1854, The works of Tacitus (London: H. G. Bohn, 1854), 10] [Tacitus 1854, 24]
Traditionally, participants in such a stage were required to conceal their identity with masks, but Nero broke this down by ordering them to remove the masks and reveal themselves to the plebs. This was a Greek innovation from its culture and theatre. A year later, he introduced gymnastics and horseracing contests based on the Greek model. Such disciplines had never before appeared in the Roman Apollo Actiacus under Augustus. However, this was strategic for Nero as it allowed him to appear publicly in person among people. It also allowed direct interaction of the emperor with the people while traditional conservative parties were angry at this transformation; he received much praise and adoration from the Greek and poorly endowed Romans.[Ferrary, 56]
After Rome was burnt...