NeroThe Roman emperor Nero is remembered by history as the vain and immoral monster who fiddled while Rome burned. Edward Champlin reinterprets Nero's enormities on their own terms, as the self-conscious performances of an imperial actor with a formidable grasp of Roman history and mythology and a canny sense of his audience. Nero murdered his younger brother and rival to the throne, probably at his mother's prompting. He then murdered his mother, with whom he may have slept. He killed his pregnant wife in a fit of rage, then castrated and married a young freedman because he resembled her. He mounted the public stage to act a hero driven mad or a woman giving birth, and raced a ten-horse chariot in the Olympic games. He probably instigated the burning of Rome, for which he then ordered the spectacular punishment of Christians, many of whom were burned as human torches to light up his gardens at night. Without seeking to rehabilitate the historical monster, Champlin renders Nero more vividly intelligible by illuminating the motives behind his theatrical gestures, and revealing the artist who thought of himself as a heroic figure. Nero is a brilliant reconception of a historical account that extends back to Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio. The effortless style and artful construction of the book will engage any reader drawn to its intrinsically fascinating subject. |
Wat mensen zeggen - Een review schrijven
Reviews worden niet geverifieerd, maar Google checkt wel op nepcontent en verwijdert zulke content als die wordt gevonden.
LibraryThing Review
Gebruikersrecensie - PensiveCat - LibraryThingI've never read any Nero biographies before this one, so it's the best one so far. It felt like a collection of themed essays on Nero's life and ways. I can say for a certainty he was a colorful ... Volledige review lezen
Inhoudsopgave
1 | |
Stories and Histories | 36 |
Portrait of the Artist | 53 |
The Power of Myth | 84 |
Shining Apollo | 112 |
Saturnalia | 145 |
One House | 178 |
Triumph | 210 |
Epilogue | 235 |
Note on Sources | 241 |
Bibliography | 243 |
Notes | 271 |
Acknowledgments | 335 |
Illustration Credits | |
Overige edities - Alles bekijken
Veelvoorkomende woorden en zinsdelen
actors actually Agrippina ancient Antony Apollo appears artistic Augustus buildings Caesar called celebrated century Chapter chariot Circus claimed Claudius clear crown death divine Domus dressed early emperor empire fact father figure fire Forum give gods gold Golden House Greece Greek hand Hercules hero honor imperial important included Italy killed king known late later look mean mentions mother murder myth nature Nero Nero's Neronia night noted offered Orestes original Palatine performance perhaps play Pliny Plutarch Poppaea popular portrait presented racing refer reign remarkable reports role Roman Rome seems senate Seneca sing soldiers sources stage statue story Suetonius suggests Tacitus Tacitus 15 Temple theater tion Tiridates took translation triumph turned victory wife women
Verwijzingen naar dit boek
Art as Plunder: The Ancient Origins of Debate about Cultural Property Margaret M. Miles Geen voorbeeld beschikbaar - 2008 |