Skip to content
Register Sign in Wishlist

Nero
Emperor and Court

£22.99

  • Date Published: April 2021
  • availability: Available
  • format: Paperback
  • isbn: 9781108460071

£ 22.99
Paperback

Add to cart Add to wishlist

Other available formats:
Hardback, eBook


Looking for an inspection copy?

This title is not currently available on inspection

Description
Product filter button
Description
Contents
Resources
Courses
About the Authors
  • This book portrays Nero, not as the murderous tyrant of tradition, but as a young man ever-more reluctant to fulfil his responsibilities as emperor and ever-more anxious to demonstrate his genuine skills as a sportsman and artist. This reluctance caused him to allow others to rule, and rule surprisingly well, in his name. On its own terms, the Neronian empire was in fact remarkably successful. Nero's senior ministers were many and various, but notably they included a number of powerful women, such as his mother, Agrippina II, and his second and third wives, Poppaea Sabina and Statilia Messalina. Using the most recent archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic and literary research, the book explores issues such as court-politics, banter and free speech; literary, technological and scientific advances; the Fire of 64, 'the persecution of Christians' and Nero's 'Golden House'; and the huge underlying strength, both constitutional and financial, of the Julio-Claudian empire.

    • Argues for a new view of Nero's principate by focusing on those around him and by directly addressing key topics, such as his mental health and the imperial fiscal system, which are usually side-lined or avoided
    • Takes a particular interest in the role of women in central Roman imperial politics and administration
    • Assumes little or no prior knowledge of the topic or period and is written in accessible and non-technical language
    Read more

    Reviews & endorsements

    'Nero: Emperor and Court is a worthwhile read for those seriously interested in the early Roman Empire.' A. A. Nofi, StrategyPage (www.strategypage.com)

    '… this stimulating, carefully researched and instructive book is an important contribution to the history of Rome in the time of Nero and to the study of political structures and the practice of rule in the early imperial period.' Holger Sonnabend, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

    'This book provides new research on Nero's life and brings to discourse the reasoning behind the common evil stereotypes attributed to Nero … This book, aimed at scholars and students of Roman history, is highly recommended for its bold challenge against the popular perceptions of Nero today.' Philip Mathew, https://www.worldhistory.org

    See more reviews

    Customer reviews

    Not yet reviewed

    Be the first to review

    Review was not posted due to profanity

    ×

    , create a review

    (If you're not , sign out)

    Please enter the right captcha value
    Please enter a star rating.
    Your review must be a minimum of 12 words.

    How do you rate this item?

    ×

    Product details

    • Date Published: April 2021
    • format: Paperback
    • isbn: 9781108460071
    • length: 467 pages
    • dimensions: 229 x 151 x 26 mm
    • weight: 0.7kg
    • contains: 11 b/w illus. 5 maps 4 tables
    • availability: Available
  • Table of Contents

    Part I. Background:
    1. Nero, 'bad' or 'good'?
    2. Agrippina and her legacy
    3. The establishment team
    4. Dissimulation?
    5. Frankness and enquiry
    6. Warfare and the generals
    7. Politics
    Part II. Assessment:
    8. Killer? I – 54-62
    9. Killer? II – 62-68
    10. Arsonist, persecutor and ruthless urban developer?
    11. Divinity, madness, acting, ideology, burn-out
    12. Depravity? 13. Finance
    Part III. End:
    14. Entr'acte – Greece
    15. Fall
    16. Conclusion.

  • Author

    John F. Drinkwater, University of Nottingham
    John F. Drinkwater is Emeritus Professor of Roman Imperial History at the University of Nottingham. He has been joint editor of the Derbyshire Archaeological Journal and is now also honorary lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Sheffield. He has been elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. His principal field of research is the Roman West and his publications include Roman Gaul (1983); The Gallic Empire (1987); Fifth-Century Gaul (ed., with Hugh Elton, Cambridge, 1992); and The Alamanni and Rome 213–496 (2007).

Related Books

also by this author

Sorry, this resource is locked

Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email lecturers@cambridge.org

Register Sign in
Please note that this file is password protected. You will be asked to input your password on the next screen.

» Proceed

You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.

Continue ×

Continue ×

Continue ×
warning icon

Turn stock notifications on?

You must be signed in to your Cambridge account to turn product stock notifications on or off.

Sign in Create a Cambridge account arrow icon
×

Find content that relates to you

Join us online

This site uses cookies to improve your experience. Read more Close

Are you sure you want to delete your account?

This cannot be undone.

Cancel

Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.

If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.

×
Please fill in the required fields in your feedback submission.
×