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==Introduction==
Roman history was noted for having very many ‘bad’ emperors. One of the most notorious of these is Nero. He was the last of the Julian-Claudian dynasty and became infamous for his artistic pretensions, hedonism , and his great cruelty. There are many myths about Nero and this often obscured the reality of his reign. The emperor was a very important figure in the history of Rome. He was the last of his dynasty and his death ushered in a period of instability. His death led to a period of civil war the first in almost one hundred years. Nero was the first to persecute Christians and he set a precedent for that groups religion's persecution that was to last on and off for almost three centuries.
[[File: Portrait Bust of the Emperor Nero by Thomas della Porta, the Elder, 1520-1567, gilded bronze and marble with glass stones - Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield, MA - DSC04144.JPG |200px|thumb|left|portrait bust of Nero]]
==Background==
Augustus had brought peace to the Roman Empire and during his reign he amassed a range of powers. He made himself in effect the first Emperor <ref> Tacitus. Annals of Rome. 1</ref>. Such was his prestige and the Roman’s fear of instability that they accepted his step-son, Tiberius as his successor <ref> Suetonius. Life of Tiberius. 4</ref>. This established the hereditary principle in regard to the Imperial succession and the Julian-Claudians were the de-facto royal house of the Empire. Tiberius, who is often portrayed as a depraved and bloody old man, was in fact a very capable leader. He reformed the system of governance and tax-collection and his rule was mild. By the time of his death the hereditary principle was successfully established and his nephew Gaius (Caligula) became Emperor <ref> Suetonius, Life of Caligula. 8</ref>. His four years in power were bizarre and bloody and after his assassination he was succeeded by Claudius. Often portrayed as something of a fool in fact he was another capable leader. He ordered the conquest of Britain and also annexed much of modern-day Morocco for his empire<ref> Suetonius, Life of Claudius, 8 </ref>. In the first-century AD the Empire was at its zenith. There had been peace for several decades and the borders were relatively secure. The majority of provincials were loyal to the Empire and they were increasingly Romanized. The economy of the Empire was generally good. There was also a great cultural flourishing and poets such as Ovid and writers such as Petronius, produced masterpieces of Latin literature that are still read to this day. This was the Empire that Nero inherited <ref> Griffin, Miriam T. Nero: The End of a Dynasty ( London: Yale University Press, 1985), p 12</ref> .