Sculptures of a young and adult Nero.
Nero became emperor of the Roman Empire in AD 54, and reigned for 13 years before committing suicide in AD 68. Nero is remembered as being particularly notorious -very few surviving ancient sources paint him in a favourable light, and he is often noted today for his persecution of the Christians.
Much of what our Roman historians record can’t be taken at face value, but it provides some entertaining reading nonetheless. Below is my personal favourite account of Nero:
Suetonius, Life of Nero, 23:
“While he was singing no one was allowed to leave the theatre even for the most urgent reasons. And so it is said that some women gave birth to children there, while many who were worn out with listening and applauding, secretly leaped from the wall, since the gates to the entrance were closed, or faked death and were carried out as if for burial.”
The first sculpture shown is courtesy of and located at the Romisch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne; and the second, the Glyptothek. Photos taken by Carole Raddato and F. Tronchin.