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No ruler of antiquity has such a bad reputation as Nero. He is considered a monster who had his mother killed and a psychopath who set Rome on fire. What is the truth behind this image? How insane was Nero really? According to chroniclers, Nero killed or had killed numerous people close to him. His mother is not the only person who falls victim to him. He also had his first wife Octavia and his stepbrother murdered. He forced his mentor, the philosopher Seneca, to commit suicide. But does that make him a mad murderer, given that murder was a common means of maintaining power in antiquity? And what about the theory that Nero set Rome on fire? The fire raged for six days in 64 AD. Historians report that Nero himself set the city on fire and played a string instrument. In fact, Nero was not in Rome when the fire broke out, but at his country estate, but he subsequently looked after the homeless and rebuilt Rome with stricter fire safety measures. The fire was therefore probably blamed on him. What is certain is that Nero liked to perform as an artist, which the Roman elite considered unworthy behavior for an emperor. He liked to act eccentrically, had an excessive sex life and appeared as an actor in the theater or as a singer. The Senate saw Nero as a disgrace, as a mad artist who, moreover, with his love of pomp and extravagance, was no longer tenable for the state. Nero's enemies then worked to demonize him and erase his memory, and Nero's long-lasting bad reputation was created. A complex ruler became a beast. 00:00 Intro 00:35 I. Nero, a psychopathic murderer? 05:49 II. Did Nero set Rome on fire? 10:11 III. Was Nero a crazy artist? Author: Danilo Gerul Editing: Fabian Brokmeier Graphics: Maximilian Rügamer This video is a production of ZDF, in collaboration with Bilderfest. #TerraX #Nero #AltesRom Subscribe? Just click here – / @terraxhistory All films and information about Terra X can be found here – https://terra-x.zdf.de/#xtor=CS3-82 Terra X on Facebook – / zdfterrax Terra X on Instagram – / terrax