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Nero - Revision Booklet
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A revision booklet, detailing the reign of Nero, including: his accession, the quinquennium aureum, his relationship to the Senate, and his relationship to the plebeian class.
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NeroRevision Worksheet
Suetonius
× He was born after this period, writing during the Flavian
dynasty. However, his position as an imperial
secretary, and director of the archive, would have
granted him access to exclusive, existing literary
accounts.
× Suetonius enjoyed scandal, often sensationalising his
work, and making it more salacious.
Opinion on Nero:
× Suetonius is highly critical of Nero, from his passion for
music and chariot-racing, to his “insolence, lust,
extravagance, greed and cruelty he at first revealed
only gradually and secretly,” but formed his entire
persona.
Tacitus
× He was born during the reign of Nero, but was
evidently writing some time afterward.
× Tacitus claimed to provide moral teaching, through
his work; thus, he could have been emphasising the
negativity of each emperor, to prevent repetition.
× He was a member of the Roman Senate. Whilst he
would have been able to access existing literary
accounts, he also would have been opposed to
absolute power.
Opinion on Nero:
× He was critical of his excessive behaviour, and he was
highly prejudiced against the women in Nero’s life.
Dio
× Dio was born in the third century, a considerable
amount of time after this period.
× From a similar perspective to Tacitus, Dio was a
member of the Roman Senate, and consequently
despised the imperial hold on absolute power.
Opinion on Nero:
× He was equally sexist and misogynistic toward the
powerful women, present during Nero’s reign. This
was due to his elitist, conservative nature.
, His accession
Author Source Quotation Evaluation
Reference
Tacitus Annals, 12.68- “The appropriate steps were being taken to Unreliable: Tacitus disliked powerful
12.69 secure Nero’s accession. First Agrippina, with women, and he would want to
heart-broken demeanour, held Britannicus to undermine Agrippina by presenting
her as though to draw comfort from him [and] her as devious.
prevented him from leaving his room. . .
Burrus. . . conducted [Nero] into the Guard’s Reliable: Nero and Britannicus had
camp, [there] he was hailed as emperor.” a known rivalry, when it came to
becoming the next emperor; this
summited with Britannicus being
poisoned, in AD 55.
The Quinquennium Aureum
Author Source Quotation Evaluation
Reference
Suetonius Nero, 10-11. “He promised to model on his rule on the Unreliable: It is possible that he was
principles laid down by Augustus, and never exaggerating this aspect of Nero’s
missed an opportunity of being generous or reign, in order to make him seem
merciful or of showing what a good worse, later on.
companion he was.”
Reliable: Suetonius would not
“He lowered, if he could not abolish, [some usually be so generous is his
taxation]. . . He presented the people with 400 presentation of Nero, thus
sesterces each, settled annual salaries on suggesting that this is a genuine
distinguished but impoverished senators -to account.
the amount of 500,000 sesterces in some
causes – and granted the praetorian cohorts
a free monthly issue of grain.”
“He gave an immense variety of
entertainment – youth games, chariot races in
the Circus, stage plays, a gladiatorial show –
persuading even old men of consular rank,
and old ladies too, to attend.”
Non-applicable Aureus, AD 54. Claudius is depicted, alongside the phrase, Unreliable: Coinage was used as
‘Divine Claudius Augustus.’ propaganda, and expected.
Reliable: It is a contemporary
source.
Tacitus Annals, 14.2. “Agrippina’s passion to retain power carried Unreliable: Tacitus subsequently
her so far.” suggested that Agrippina used sex
to control her son; his hatred of
powerful women is implicit, in
addition to his hatred for Nero.
Reliable: The quinquennium aureum
ended in 59 AD, the same year that
Agrippina was put to death.
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