Nero emperor

Eugène Delacroix 1798-1863 Frankrijk

The image of a crazed and capricious Emperor Nero is immortalised in popular culture: from fiddling while Rome burns to having a sexual relationship with his mother. The historical evidence, however, is rather different.

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In about 750 BC, a tribe of people who spoke a language called Latin settled on the banks of the River Tiber in Italy. This settlement became a town called.

Roman Emperor from 54 to 68 C.E. Adopted by Emperor Claudius, he succeeded him upon his death. His reign was characterized by extravagance and tyranny. Morally weak and extremely sensual, he was guilty of many murders, including his wife’s. He was accused of allowing the fire that destroyed two-thirds of Rome to burn. Nero escaped being overthrown by committing suicide. Restorers' Comment: This Figure was given a lavish new wardrobe, and the body was extensively reworked.

Nero (emperor from 54 AD – 68 AD) is famous for allegedly singing and playing the fiddle while much of Rome burned to the ground during the Great Fire of Rome. It was later speculated that this account was false, and that it was propaganda created by the next emperor. A key piece of evidence: the fiddle wasn’t invented yet, and Nero wasn’t even in Rome at the time of the fire.

From the Atlantic to the Euphrates, from the Rhine and the Danube to the edge of the Sahara, Rome transformed and refashioned the cultures it absorbed, and we live today with the aftermath of its conquests.

A new exhibition at the British Museum introduces visitors to the man behind the mythical Roman ruler