Arvee and welcome to Emperor of Rome a podcast looking at the rulers of the

ancient Roman Empire. I'm your host Matt Smith and with me as always is Dr.

Rianna Evans, a lecturer in ancient Mediterranean studies at Lottrobe University.

This is episode XXII I, What An Artist dies in Nero.

So previously in the podcast we've heard about Nero, his rise to power as Emperor,

his youth and an experience in the role, his five good years probably put down to five

years of good influence. He starts churning through a number of wives. He has his mother Agrippina

killed, and a fire tears through Rome but on the upside it leaves him the space to build an absolutely smashing palace.

Nero's in a position where he pretty much gets to do what he likes and believe me when I say that he makes the most of it.

Here's Rianin Evans.

After the five good years everything seems to have slid fairly quickly.

Not only is Nero not interested in what Emperor should be interested in or

Roman aristocrats in general military and political affairs, he doesn't train to be an orator he doesn't carry out any of the normal activities

of the high-born Roman male he's much more interested in kind of low-born activities like

he's really interested in music, which is fine, but he's

actually interested in performing, in singing, and acting as well. And that would be

okay as well, but he's interested in doing it on the public stage.

And I think we've mentioned before that actors and singers and gladiators are the lowest

of the low in terms of social scale.

They're seen as kind of equivalent of untouchables.

They're on the same trajectory as prostitutes.

They put their bodies out there for people's pleasure, they actually lose legal rights in Rome.

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