7/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author)
The John Batchelor Show
John Batchelor
4.5 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 11 March 2023
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
@Batchelorshow
7/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author)
https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/
There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him.
But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome’s epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica’s doomed revolt against Nero’s legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This episode is brought to you by Shopify. |
| 0:05.0 | The All in One Commerce platform to start, run and grow your business, |
| 0:09.0 | whether you sell in flaky soul or fine art prints. |
| 0:12.0 | Shopify covers all your sales channels to simplify selling online and in person. |
| 0:17.0 | Plus, they provide industry leading tools and 24-7 supports we can not you grow. |
| 0:22.0 | This is Possibility powered by Shopify. |
| 0:24.0 | To sign up, visit Shopify.co.uk slash podcast23 or lowercase. |
| 0:36.0 | I'm John Datsur with Anthony Everett and Rady Ashworth, |
| 0:39.0 | the authors of the new book, Near Home, |
| 0:41.0 | Matroside Music and Murder in Imperial Rome. |
| 0:44.0 | If you think it's over much so far, here we go. |
| 0:47.0 | The conspirators. |
| 0:49.0 | Pizzo is a man who has everything in life in first century AD Rome. |
| 0:56.0 | He's a poet, he's a stoic, he's wealth to do, he's married to a woman he loves |
| 1:01.0 | so she's not elite as he is. |
| 1:04.0 | He knows Nero, Nero spends time at his villa and yet, Anthony, this conspiracy, |
| 1:10.0 | it arises out of what? |
| 1:13.0 | Alienation from Nero? Money? What drives it? |
| 1:18.0 | You could say almost that Agrippin has disappearance drives it because Agrippin understood the compromises of politics, Nero bit. |
| 1:26.0 | Nero's unwillingness to compromise, built up a well resentment among the senatorial class. |
| 1:35.0 | It was that class where the numbers of the conspiracy were recruited. |
| 1:41.0 | The recruitment is lack of daisicle as Anthony and Rady right, half-hearted and it takes a long time and everybody knows about it. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.