尼禄是朱利奥·克劳迪亚家族中的最后一个，是罗马最重要的家族，产生了前五位皇帝（奥古斯都、提比略、卡里古拉、克劳迪亚斯和尼禄）。尼禄以在罗马被焚毁时观看火势而闻名，然后将被摧毁的地区用作他自己的豪华宫殿，然后将火势归咎于他迫害的基督徒。他的前任克劳迪斯被指控让被奴役的人来指导他的政策，尼禄被指控让生活中的女性，特别是他的母亲来指导他的政策。这并不被认为是一种进步。

尼禄的家庭和教养

尼禄·克劳迪乌斯·凯撒（原名卢修斯·多米修斯·阿赫诺巴布斯）是公元37年12月15日在安蒂姆的格涅乌斯·多米修斯·阿赫诺巴布斯和未来皇帝卡利古拉的妹妹阿格里皮娜的儿子。多米提乌斯在尼禄3岁时去世。卡里古拉放逐了他的妹妹，因此尼禄和他的姑妈多米蒂娅·莱皮达一起长大，多米蒂娅·莱皮达为尼禄的家教选择了理发师（tonsor）和舞蹈家（saltator）。当克劳迪斯在卡里古拉之后成为皇帝时，尼禄的遗产被归还，当克劳迪斯与阿格里皮娜结婚时，年轻的尼禄聘请了一位合适的导师塞内卡。

尼禄的事业

尼禄可能有一个成功的演艺生涯，但至少在官方看来不是这样。在克劳迪斯的统治下，尼禄在法庭上为案件辩护，并获得了讨好罗马人民的机会。克劳迪斯去世时，尼禄17岁。他向宫廷卫兵献身，卫兵宣布他为皇帝。尼禄然后去了医院​参议院授予他适当的帝国头衔。作为皇帝，尼禄曾四次担任领事。

尼禄统治时期富有同情心的元素

尼禄减少了向告密者支付的重税和费用。他给贫困的参议员发工资。他介绍了一些防火和消防创新。苏托尼乌斯说尼禄发明了一种防止伪造的方法。尼禄还用粮食分配取代了公共宴会。他对批评他的艺术技巧的人反应温和。

对尼禄的一些指控

尼禄的一些臭名昭著的行为导致了各省的叛乱，包括对基督徒施加惩罚（并将罗马毁灭性的大火归咎于他们）、性变态、抢劫和谋杀罗马公民、建造奢华的奥里亚庄园“黄金屋”、指控公民叛国罪没收其财产，谋杀了他的母亲和姑妈，并导致（或至少在观看时表演）罗马被焚毁。

尼禄因表演不当而声名狼藉。据说，尼禄去世时哀叹世界失去了一位艺术家。

尼禄之死

尼禄在被捕并被鞭打致死之前自杀了。高卢和西班牙的叛乱曾承诺结束尼禄的统治。几乎所有的员工都抛弃了他。尼禄试图自杀，但需要他的抄写员埃帕夫罗狄特的协助，刺伤自己的脖子。尼禄在32岁时去世。

尼禄的古代资料

塔西佗描述了尼禄的统治，但他的编年史在尼禄统治的最后两年之前就结束了。卡西乌斯·迪奥（LXI-LXIII）和苏埃托尼乌斯也提供了尼禄的传记。

塔西佗谈尼禄在罗马大火后对建筑物的修改

(15.43)"... The buildings themselves, to a certain height, were to be solidly constructed, without wooden beams, of stone from Gabii or Alba, that material being impervious to fire. And to provide that the water which individual license had illegally appropriated, might flow in greater abundance in several places for the public use, officers were appointed, and everyone was to have in the open court the means of stopping a fire. Every building, too, was to be enclosed by its own proper wall, not by one common to others. These changes which were liked for their utility, also added beauty to the new city. Some, however, thought that its old arrangement had been more conducive to health, inasmuch as the narrow streets with the elevation of the roofs were not equally penetrated by the sun's heat, while now the open space, unsheltered by any shade, was scorched by a fiercer glow."​​ -Annals of Tacitus

塔西佗指责尼禄指责基督徒

(15.44)".... But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor, and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration was the result of an order. Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car."​ -Annals of Tacitus