Summary
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life of Nero (37-68 AD) who became Emperor at the age of 16. At first he was largely praised for his generosity yet became known for his debauched lifestyle, with allegations he started the Fire of Rome, watching the flames as he played the lyre. Christians saw him as their persecutor, an anti-Christ, and the number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation was thought to indicate Nero. He had confidence in his own artistry, took up acting (which then had a very low status) and, as revolts in the empire grew, killed himself after the Senate condemned him to die as a slave, on a cross.
With
Maria Wyke Professor of Latin at University College London
Matthew Nicholls Fellow and Senior Tutor at St John’s College, University of Oxford
And
Shushma Malik Lecturer in Classics at the University of Roehampton
Producer: Simon Tillotson
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:04.7 | Thanks for downloading this episode of In Our Time. |
| 0:07.2 | There's a reading list to go with it on our website, |
| 0:09.4 | and you can get news about our programs if you follow us |
| 0:12.0 | on Twitter at BBC In Our Time. |
| 0:14.7 | I hope you enjoyed the programs. |
| 0:16.5 | Hello, in 54 AD, Nero became the ruler |
| 0:19.2 | of the Roman Empire, age 16. |
| 0:21.6 | He held power until he was 30, |
| 0:23.5 | when the Senate declared him a public enemy |
| 0:25.6 | and called for his death. |
| 0:27.7 | He'd was claimed that Nero murdered his mother, |
| 0:29.8 | his brother and his wives, set fire to Rome, |
| 0:32.6 | singing as it burned, and used Christians as human torches. |
| 0:36.0 | He squandered fortunes on appellus, |
| 0:38.3 | he married his unix, spot us on Pythagoras, |
| 0:41.5 | and he called himself an artist. |
| 0:43.9 | For early Christians, he became the antichrist, |
| 0:46.0 | and ever since he's been a byword for the pravety |
| 0:48.4 | in books and films, |
| 0:49.7 | yet during his lifetime, |
| 0:51.2 | he was surprisingly popular across the empire. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.