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Nero’s Early Years
Nero's rule began well in 54 CE. A Julio-Claudian, he was tutored by the Praetorian Prefect Burrus and the philosopher Seneca the Younger. These two helped him initially to make good on his promises of good government, with the first five years of his government, 55-61 CE, later called quinquennium Neronis (Nero's five good years).
One of Nero’s greatest successes was the implementation of a long-lasting Parthian policy. In the last days of Claudius, the Parthian King Vologases made his brother Tiridates the King of Armenia, bringing Parthia and Armenia a little too close for Rome’s liking. After multiple battles and culminating in a war from 58-63 CE, with a near-defeat for Rome in 62, the Parthians were finally driven out of Asia Minor by the general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo. Peace terms dictated that Tiridates could be king, but that he and his successors would have to come to Rome to be granted the emperor’s approval. This was an odd policy, but it worked for the next 200 years.
Corruption under Nero
Nero had ascended to the Principate at the age of 16, with his mother Agrippina assuming that she would rule through him. While she did, for a time, assuring her power by having several relatives that would challenge the throne killed, Nero bristled under her control as he grew older, and eventually had her killed. With the death of his mother, the real Nero stepped forward. From then on, he totally neglected military and provincial matters, coming to be known as the “actor-emperor” for his inappropriate dedication to poetry, music, and athletics. After Burrus’s death in 62 CE, he alienated both Seneca and the Senate, turning away from a policy of respectability and appointing new Praetorian prefects (such as Ofonius Tigellinus) known for their cruelty.
The Great Fire of Rome
On July 18, 64 CE, Rome burned. Three of its 14 neighborhoods were totally razed, while seven more sustained serious damage. Nero did surprisingly well after the disaster, providing relief to the homeless survivors. However, he also used the opportunity to begin construction on his opulent Domus Aurea (Golden House), which, along with the general popular hatred of him, gave rise to the suspicion that he either started the fire or purposely let it consume Rome. To deflect such criticisms, he laid blame on the Christians of Rome. City-wide persecutions of Christians thus commenced, ending with brutal executions by animal, crucifixion, or being burned alive. These were the first recorded Roman persecutions of Christians.
Attempted Coups and Conspiracies
In 65 CE, the Pisonian conspiracy sought to overthrow Nero and have the Praetorian Guard champion Gaius Calpurnius Piso as his replacement. This conspiracy was supported by several Senators and other high-ranking officials, such as tribunes, centurions, and equites. However, the plot was discovered, and in the ensuing terror of vengeance, several major Rome personalities were executed— including Seneca and Piso himself. It became increasingly widespread, with Tiberian-era treason trials returning en masse.
A second coup attempt was led by Annius Vinicianus, the son-in-law of the famed general Corbulo. Wary of his possible involvement in the coup as well as his popularity with the Roman people, Nero ordered him to commit suicide. Nero proceeded to do this with several generals from the upper and lower Rhine region as well, thus alienating the army as a whole.
Trouble in Judea
At this point, in 66 CE, Judea reemerged as a trouble spot. Ever since Caligula’s blunders, there had been prolonged socioeconomic and religious tensions between upper and lower class Jews, as well as between Jews and pagans (mostly Greek). In 66 CE, conflict between the Greeks and Jews of Caesarea, the Roman capital of Judea, turned into a full-scale rebellion after Gessius Florus, the Roman governor, seized funds from the temple in Jerusalem. Florus called upon the legate of Syria, Cestius Gallus, for aid, but the latter withdrew his forces after major losses. The Jews created a provisional government after their victory, but it was not to last, because Nero sent General Vespasian to suppress the rebellion in 67 CE. He was able to defeat the rebels in most of Judea, but left the work unfinished.
The Death of Nero
Early in 68, the governor of southern Gaul, Gaius Julius Vindex revolted. He was joined by the Iberian governor Severius Sulpicius Galba, who was proclaimed the new princeps by Vindex. Even after Vindex was defeated, Galba’s popularity was only growing, with both the Praetorian Guard and the Senate accepting him. Nero fled, having his secretary assist him in suicide, and thus ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty, with Galba officially becoming the new princeps.
