swimmer escaped the scuttling ship by swimming to the coast. The second attempt on his mother’s life was successful. Agrippina was stabbed to death in 59 AD. The next few years following his mother’s death, Nero grew paranoid. He had nightmares about his mother. He felt haunted by her memory and what he had done. He began to experiment with acting singing more. Many Romans were shocked when Nero appeared as an actor on stage in a religious drama. Franzero addresses the most prominent contributor to the demonization of Nero, as well as the ignition of the decline of Rome. The perverse image that Nero had earned is a direct result of the times in which he lived. Rome’s decay began when Caesar seized power. As the Roman Empire strengthened and grew outward, encompassing much of Europe, during the glory days of the republic, Roman citizens became more and more pampered. The city of Rome and its people evolved into a place corrupted and spoiled by the splendor and success of its past. Romans grew accustomed to excess. Pride in their conquests and the increasing splendor of their city soon gave the people of Rome a new attitude to life: it made them consider manual work as unworthy of conquerors and fit only for slaves and subjected peoples. The expansion of the pool of Senators also contributed to the decay of Rome. Many Senators were Roman only be name. They originated from places such as Spain, France, Africa, and Asia. These foreign Senators were only interested in the acquisition of capital and were indifferent to the genuine interests of the city and its citizens. Franzero’s explanation of Nero’s most notorious act is very different from other popular accounts of the fire that burned two-thirds of Rome in 64 AD. Most popular accounts describe a jubilant emperor playing his lyre as the once magnificent city is being charred to ruins. Franzero insists that Nero did all he could to help the...
