He was Tutored by the great Stoic philosopher Seneca.His brutal and sadistic execution of Christians weren’t unpopular at the time (Christians were a small and unpopular sect), but as Christians rose to prominence in the empire, Nero’s actions were viewed in a much harsher light. He murdered his first wife after banishing her and possibly killed his second wife after kicking her pregnant belly. While contemporaries appreciated much of his work for Rome and the arts, they began to turn on him over treatment of his wives. Even the killing of his mother was quickly forgiven and explained away by contemporary senators and philosophers. All’s Well, That Ends WellĪs emperor, and despite his legacy, Nero enjoyed popular support. However, Nero had her murdered less than two years after becoming emperor. Agrippina all but ruled the empire for Claudius, and expected to do the same for her son. Nero’s mother, Agrippina, married the emperor Claudius and made sure that her son was adopted by the emperor and received all the benefits of the lineage.

The history of Nero is muddled with myth, and at this point, it is difficult to distinguish the facts about Nero from the legends surrounding him. In 14 short years as emperor, Nero became one of the most infamous men in history. Emperor Nero was the last emperor in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Depending on what you’ve heard about Nero, you might not think there can be “fun facts about Nero.” But, you would be mistaken.

Nero 6 or 7