Emperor Nero
At the age of 17, Nero started his reign over the Roman Empire. He was the last one to be the emperor during the Julio-Claudian dynasty. During his fifth year of rule, he had his mother murdered and took a more active role in politics. However, he also worked as an actor, musician, charioteer, and poet. Some say it undermined his rule. The middle and upper classes hated him for raising taxes to fund both private and public works.
Emperor Nero
What Nero Really Looked Like
Earlier this year, Spanish artists created a lifelike rendering of Nero based on busts, descriptions, and drawings. They got everything right from the smirk to the chinstrap! Rome was set on fire in 64 A.D. but he only dressed up and then sang on the palace roof. The emperor killed himself after declaring “What an artist dies in me!”
What Nero Really Looked Like
