This biography of Nero penetrates the mists of ancient myth and fantasy, and paints a balanced picture of Nero, man and emperor. Ruler of the gigantic Roman Empire at a time of great material and cultural splendour, he refused to fit into the traditional mould. Preferring Greek custom to Roman, he was an enlightened patron of the visual arts and passionately fond of athletics, music and the theatre. It was unprecedented for a ruler to attach more importance to his role as artist than to affairs of state. And this, inevitably, contributed to Nero's dounfall -- but not for fourteen years. Meanwhile, whenever he was frightened for his own safety, he murdered. But the vast majority of the peoples of the Empire remained unaffected by his acts of violence, and in some areas he was acclaimed for the good sense of his government. -- Book jacket.