Anthony Everitt

Excellent presentation biography on the strange Roman emperor who muddled his way to his eventual demise leaving a legacy of not much. The book covers every aspect of Nero's rise primarily through his mother Agrippina. He was fortunate to have Seneca as his tutor as a young man and into his ascendency to rule. But as with most things Nero he squandered the wise counsel of this important Stoic. And yes Rome burned under his rule but he did not seem to fiddle but played some sort of harp. He really was a performer at heart yearning for the stage and the chariot but even with this he underperformed. A good and entertaining read for those interested in Rome at its power pinnacle and the failings of its leadership to maintain such.… (more)