The Life of Nero The Sixth Caesar From Suetonius’ Lives of the Twelve Caesars
The King of Armenia visits Rome
Nero encouraged Tiridates, the King of Armenia,
to visit Rome.
When he arrived, Nero sat on his official chair,
with military standards and symbols all around.
Tiridates came up the sloping ramp to fall at Nero’s knees.
Then Nero took the turban off Tiridates’s head and put a diadem in its place.
Nero performs through an earthquake in Naples
Although Nero had a feeble and husky voice,
he was keen to appear on stage.
He first performed at Naples,
where—even though the theater was suddenly struck by an earthquake—
he did not stop singing until he had finished the tune he had begun.
Nero sings during the Great Fire of Rome
During the fire, through six days and seven nights,
there was terrible destruction.
The people were forced to take shelter in monuments and tombs.
Looking at this blaze from the Tower of Maecenas,
Nero said that he rejoiced “in the beauty of the fire.”
And he sang “The Fall of Troy” in his stage costume.
Nero’s triumphant return from the Athletic Games in Greece
Nero rode in a triumphal chariot, wearing a cloak decorated with golden stars.
He carried the crown from the Olympic Games on his head, and from the Pythian Games in
his right hand.
A procession went in front of him.
Following the chariot came his cheerleaders.
Then he went through the arch in the Circus Maximus.
Everywhere Nero went, animals were killed in sacrifice,
and he was showered with birds, ribbons, and sweets.