Emperor Nero Research Paper

“The Emperor Nero possessed a character so insecure and self-obsessed that he was completely unsuited to govern the Roman Empire.” (Baker 187) Nero rose to power through the conniving tactics of his own mother. This festered inside him his entire career, and the paranoia it caused eventually drove him crazy. With roots in his distrust of his mother and no true appeal to the throne, Nero’s insecurity manifested itself in his lust for attention and disapproval of dissent; this ultimately caused his downfall and the bankrupting of Rome. Nero had no right to the throne. His mother Agrippina was the real kingmaker. She had a want for power, so she used Nero, her son, as her political pawn. She sewed the seed of insecurity into Nero. She cheated her adopted son Britannicus out of his deserved power, instead forcing Nero into the role of Emperor. Even resorting to killing her own husband to forcibly pass down the power of Rome to Nero. This is what would drive Nero crazy. He knew he had no true
He desperately wanted the people of Rome to love him and the easiest outlet for this? The stage. He wanted to perform for the people of Rome. Among the Aristocrats in ancient Rome, acting was a pastime for peasants. It was unheard of for a respectable, powerful man to act. In fact, when there was a revolution against him, he went before the senate proposing he go in front of the opposing army and preform. However, there was also a darker outlet for his insecurity. He made proscription lists and killed anyone who questioned him. Nero knew anyone was a threat to him. He was as qualified as anyone else to be emperor, so he had to suppress anyone who started asking questions. He was like a mobster that took people out for getting themselves into his business. His insecurities went beyond proscriptions though. His own self-doubt and need for approval from the citizens had long term effects on the Roman