Nero, by Edward Champlin

Warning: This is a book review that could be very boring if you are not interested. Otherwise, enjoy!

Nero Claudius Caesar (37-68 A.D) was the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. Although Nero is known by many as violent, wild, untamed, and self-indulgent; author Edward Champlin writes the book Nero to mainly focus on the reason for Nero’s actions along with the consequences and why people view him the way that they do based on those actions. “The goal is the same, however- the recovery of another, a different image of the ‘monster’: a man who was very much missed” (Page 10, Champlin). The reason for writing this piece is to create a new outlook and compare it to the emperors public reputation.

Edward Champlin looks very closely into this by studying three main historians Tactius, Cassius Dio, and Suetonius. These writers wrote much about Nero and his time as emperor. Champlin studies intensively on how each historian illustrates Nero himself and his reign. The historians very well do so in claiming that Nero is irrational, harsh, and a greedy ruler, but Champlin does not believe that this seems to be a fair description. In chapter two in fact, Champlin discusses bias that each writer has of Nero. Chapter two really focuses on being skeptical and digging deep into Nero’s suicide. “Nero is a minor matter, and they emphasize the division of opinion between vulgar mob and responsible aristocracy. Here as elsewhere, they mislead” (Page 9, Champlin). That being said, Edward Champlin did not see Nero in the same light as others did, he compared him to a dramatic actor on stage. He argues that Nero did his actions based on himself feeling as though he was a star in his own show. He claims that Nero’s actions were all for a grand performance. Although this can seem as a far-out belief, Champlin explains his thoughts in a very logical way. Nero is known to have always loved theatre, and so Champlin suggests that Nero self consciously acted as if he were in a performance in that time period.

Nero has done many unbelievable things that are mentioned in this book such as: murdering his little brother, murdering his mother (who he possibly slept with), castrated a man because he resembled his wife (in who he also killed while she was pregnant), raced a ten horse chariot into the Olympic games, had Christians burned and hung as lights/lanterns, and finally, played the fiddle while watching Rome burn (which he could have had something to do with), (Chapter 2, Champlin). All of these things seem crazy by almost everyone, even now, but throughout this book Edward Champlin has presented an outsider look of who Nero saw himself as. Nero saw himself as intelligent, heroic, and an artist. On the very first page of the book Champlin says “But even monsters have their good side”, and perhaps that is why he decided to study this particular emperor.

Edward Champlin’s book Nero is very detail oriented and was a good read, but at points it was confusing to me to read and take it all in. The book is not in chronological order of Nero’s life, but rather jumps around. Also, I feel as though while reading the book I needed to do a little more research on what the author was talking about at times; but that makes sense because it is the third book of the series of his. I enjoy reading Champlin’s work because it is not a common perspective on Nero, but it is eye opening in many ways. Normally I would not read a book like this, but I had to for school and it was better than expected. 3/5 stars.

xoxo,

Mia

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