Period of Imperial Rome following the Roman Republic (27 BC–476 AD)
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In this episode, I welcome back author and scholar Peter Mark Adams for a rich and far-reaching conversation centred on his upcoming book from Theion Publishing "Ritual & Epiphany in the Mysteries of Mithras – The Secret Cult of Saturn in Imperial Rome" an extraordinary and deeply thoughtful study of the cult of Mithras. Peter takes us through the ancient layers beneath Mithraic practice — its origins, iconography, cosmology, and initiatory structure — tracing a lineage from early Mesopotamian myths such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, through the cultic worship of Saturn, and into the esoteric heart of Imperial Rome. What emerges from his research is a profound view of Mithraism not simply as a Roman mystery cult, but as the survival of a much older, animistic, star-oriented cosmology. It is a vision of reality structured around spirit, fate, celestial forces, and the metamorphosis of the human soul.Peter takes us through the complex ideas behind his thesis weaving in insights from recent advances in anthropology, ethnography, and comparative religion. He draws particularly from the Orphic mysteries to illuminate the metaphysical architecture underpinning the Mithraic rites. We unpack how the mysteries functioned as both a lived, embodied practice and a carefully guarded initiatic system, intended to bring about deep spiritual transformations in their adherents. The conversation explores the mythic grammar encoded in the Tauroctony — the slaying of the bull — not as a static religious image but as a dynamic, performative act tied to the movement of the heavens and the soul's journey through the stars.In the Plus show, Peter also shares fascinating insights into the seven grades of Mithraic initiation, each representing different spiritual and cosmic stations, and the curious fact that while the cult is famous for these grades, only two formal initiation rituals are known. We delve into the frescoes at St. Capua Vetere, rare depictions that provide intimate glimpses into the ritual life of Mithraic initiates, and discuss how sacred art served not merely as decoration but as an active, living technology for transformation.Along the way, we touch on the challenges faced by modern researchers and practitioners in articulating and re-contextualising these ancient experiences in a world that has largely lost the language for mystery. We talk about the difficulty of bridging the gap between ancient participatory worldviews and the post-Enlightenment skepticism that dominates contemporary thought — and how, paradoxically, the sciences of anthropology and archaeology often come closest to glimpsing the ancient mysteries, even as they struggle to fully comprehend them.Show notes:Peter's site https://petermarkadams.comPeter's instagram https://www.instagram.com/petermarkadams/Peter's Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/petermarkadams/postsTheion Publishing https://theionpublishing.com/shop/pma-ritualepiphany/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJt5h9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHrcrTB0SZCnZKoBiV8ekJtAVHGQawQVzitb5lGAscZwhU94lYmX-PLrQDWW9_aem_NJX2uq5lcQtsID72NJrHJASola-Busca Workshop, Turin https://www.houseofzophiel.com/sola-busca.htmlCosmic or Orphic egg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_eggPhanes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhanesTauroctony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TauroctonySt. Capua Vetere https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_Capua_VetereEpic of Gilgamesh https://www.britannica.com/topic/Epic-of-GilgameshOrphism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OrphismMithras https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MithraismHenosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HenosisLeontocephaline https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9461/2/2/3Chora https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KhôraApogenesis https://www.iasdurham.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Hannah_From-Here-to-the-Hereafter-Genesis-and-Apogenesis-in-Ancient-Philosophy-and-Architecture.pdfKeep in touch?https://linktr.ee/darraghmasonMusic by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka
From Gladiator to Rome Total War to I, Claudius, today the Cohortēs praetōriae are one of the most distinctive military units of Imperial Rome. It was their job to protect the Roman Emperor and his household, a task for which they hold a somewhat ‘chequered' record (especially when we focus in on the Praetorian Prefects). But what do we know about this unit's origins? How did this powerful force become protectors of the Emperor and his household? What other functions did they serve? And how did they differ from the standard Roman legions in their structure?To talk through the rise of the Praetorian Guard, with a specific focus on the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, Tristan caught up with historian Lindsay Powell at Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex. Lindsay is the author of several books about the Early Roman Imperial Period. His latest book, Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome, is out now.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.All music from Epidemic SoundsSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.This episode first aired in October 2021.
En av Roms mest ökända kejsare som gått till historien som en tyrannisk primadonna, en grym, dekadent despot. För maktens och sin fåfängas skull var han beredd att offra vad som helst: sin stad och till och med sin egen mor. Nya avsnitt från P3 Historia hittar du först i Sveriges Radio Play. Redaktionen för detta avsnitt består av:Cecilia Düringer – programledare och manusEmilia Mellberg – producent, research och manus Zardasht Rad – scenuppläsareViktor Bergdahl – ljuddesign och slutmixMedverkar gör också Ida Östenberg professor i antikens kultur- och samhällsliv vid Göteborgs universitetVill du veta mer om kejsar Nero? Här är några av böckerna som legat till grund för avsnittet: Roms kejsare av Mary BeardKejsarbiografier av Suetonius Nero – the end of a dynasty av Miriam T. Griffin Nero – Matricide, Music and Murder in Imperial Rome av Anthony Everitt och Roddy AshworthRome is burning – Nero and the fire that ended a dynasty av Anthony Barrett
Many people will have visited or been visited by their adult children over the holidays. Being a parent to adult children, as well as being the adult child, can be complicated. What are the pitfalls? How can we ensure that relationship stays strong? Clare McDonnell is joined by psychotherapist Dr Julia Samuel and actor and author Helen Lederer to discuss.‘Unfortunately, she was a Nymphomaniac' – that's the title of a new book written to debunk the misogynist myths of Imperial Rome and to put the record straight about the lives and fates of Roman women. Its author, the journalist Joan Smith, joins Clare to give us a fresh perspective on the ancient world.New Dolly Parton musical Here You Come Again is packed with the biggest and most rhinestoned hits from the country legend, and is currently playing at the Riverside Studios in London before it heads on tour across the UK next month. Actress Tricia Paoluccio joins Clare to discuss what it's like becoming Dolly in the show – and gives a special live performance in the studio. Presenter: Clare McDonnell Producer: Lottie Garton
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author of 'I, Claudius' who was also one of the finest poets of the twentieth century. Robert Graves (1895 -1985) placed his poetry far above his prose. He once declared that from the age of 15 poetry had been his ruling passion and that he lived his life according to poetic principles, writing in prose only to pay the bills and that he bred the pedigree dogs of his prose to feed the cats of his poetry. Yet it's for his prose that he's most famous today, including 'I Claudius', his brilliant account of the debauchery of Imperial Rome, and 'Goodbye to All That', the unforgettable memoir of his early life including the time during the First World War when he was so badly wounded at the Somme that The Times listed him as dead. WithPaul O'Prey Emeritus Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Roehampton, LondonFran Brearton Professor of Modern Poetry at Queen's University, BelfastAndBob Davis Professor of Religious and Cultural Education at the University of GlasgowProducer: Simon TillotsonRobert Graves (ed. Paul O'Prey), In Broken Images: Selected Letters of Robert Graves 1914-1946 (Hutchinson, 1982)Robert Graves (ed. Paul O'Prey), Between Moon and Moon: Selected letters of Robert Graves 1946-1972 (Hutchinson, 1984)Robert Graves (ed. Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward), The Complete Poems (Penguin Modern Classics, 2003)Robert Graves, I, Claudius (republished by Penguin, 2006)Robert Graves, King Jesus (republished by Penguin, 2011)Robert Graves, The White Goddess (republished by Faber, 1999)Robert Graves, The Greek Myths (republished by Penguin, 2017)Robert Graves (ed. Michael Longley), Selected Poems (Faber, 2013)Robert Graves (ed. Fran Brearton, intro. Andrew Motion), Goodbye to All That: An Autobiography: The Original Edition (first published 1929; Penguin Classics, 2014)William Graves, Wild Olives: Life in Majorca with Robert Graves (Pimlico, 2001)Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves: The Assault Heroic, 1895-1926 (Macmillan, 1986, vol. 1 of the biography)Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves: The Years with Laura, 1926-1940 (Viking, 1990, vol. 2 of the biography)Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves and the White Goddess, 1940-1985 (Orion, 1995, vol. 3 of the biography)Miranda Seymour: Robert Graves: Life on the Edge (Henry Holt & Co, 1995)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the author of 'I, Claudius' who was also one of the finest poets of the twentieth century. Robert Graves (1895 -1985) placed his poetry far above his prose. He once declared that from the age of 15 poetry had been his ruling passion and that he lived his life according to poetic principles, writing in prose only to pay the bills and that he bred the pedigree dogs of his prose to feed the cats of his poetry. Yet it's for his prose that he's most famous today, including 'I Claudius', his brilliant account of the debauchery of Imperial Rome, and 'Goodbye to All That', the unforgettable memoir of his early life including the time during the First World War when he was so badly wounded at the Somme that The Times listed him as dead. WithPaul O'Prey Emeritus Professor of Modern Literature at the University of Roehampton, LondonFran Brearton Professor of Modern Poetry at Queen's University, BelfastAndBob Davis Professor of Religious and Cultural Education at the University of GlasgowProducer: Simon TillotsonRobert Graves (ed. Paul O'Prey), In Broken Images: Selected Letters of Robert Graves 1914-1946 (Hutchinson, 1982)Robert Graves (ed. Paul O'Prey), Between Moon and Moon: Selected letters of Robert Graves 1946-1972 (Hutchinson, 1984)Robert Graves (ed. Beryl Graves and Dunstan Ward), The Complete Poems (Penguin Modern Classics, 2003)Robert Graves, I, Claudius (republished by Penguin, 2006)Robert Graves, King Jesus (republished by Penguin, 2011)Robert Graves, The White Goddess (republished by Faber, 1999)Robert Graves, The Greek Myths (republished by Penguin, 2017)Robert Graves (ed. Michael Longley), Selected Poems (Faber, 2013)Robert Graves (ed. Fran Brearton, intro. Andrew Motion), Goodbye to All That: An Autobiography: The Original Edition (first published 1929; Penguin Classics, 2014)William Graves, Wild Olives: Life in Majorca with Robert Graves (Pimlico, 2001)Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves: The Assault Heroic, 1895-1926 (Macmillan, 1986, vol. 1 of the biography)Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves: The Years with Laura, 1926-1940 (Viking, 1990, vol. 2 of the biography)Richard Perceval Graves, Robert Graves and the White Goddess, 1940-1985 (Orion, 1995, vol. 3 of the biography)Miranda Seymour: Robert Graves: Life on the Edge (Henry Holt & Co, 1995)In Our Time is a BBC Studios Audio Production
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 5/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1922 Nero
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 8/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1888 Nero suicide
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 7/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1900 Missing Agrippina
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 6/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1850 murdering Agrippina
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 4/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1880 Nero
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 3/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1876 Nero
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 2/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1790
EMPEROR AGRIPPINA THE YOUNGER WAS THE DREAM: 1/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1799 Agrippina the Younger
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire.
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Across the vast expanse of the Roman Empire, anxieties about childbirth tied individuals to one another, to the highest levels of imperial politics, even to the movements of the stars. Birthing Romans: Childbearing and Its Risks in Imperial Rome (Princeton UP, 2024) sheds critical light on the diverse ways pregnancy and childbirth were understood, experienced, and managed in ancient Rome during the first three centuries of the Common Era. In this beautifully written book, Anna Bonnell Freidin asks how inhabitants of the Roman Empire—especially women and girls—understood their bodies and constructed communities of care to mitigate and make sense of the risks of pregnancy and childbirth. Drawing on medical texts, legal documents, poetry, amulets, funerary art, and more, she shows how these communities were deeply human yet never just human. Freidin demonstrates how patients and caregivers took their place alongside divine and material agencies to guard against the risks inherent to childbearing. She vividly illustrates how these efforts and vital networks offer a new window onto Romans' anxieties about order, hierarchy, and the individual's place in the empire and cosmos. Unearthing a risky world that is both familiar and not our own, Birthing Romans reveals how mistakes, misfortunes, and interventions in childbearing were seen to have far-reaching consequences, reverberating across generations and altering the course of people's lives, their family histories, and even the fate of an empire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 3/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1899 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 1/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1900 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 2/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1838 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 4/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1656 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 6/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1900 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 7/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1759 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 8/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1850 ROME
TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ACTORS AND EMPIRES: 5/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1778 ROME
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS SON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 7/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1770 COLISEUM ROME
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 4/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1658 ROMAN CAVALRY
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 8/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1900 ROME
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 5/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1718 ROME
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 6/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. UNDATED NEERO
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 3/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. Q650 ROMAN INFANTRY
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 2/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1599 ROME
A ROMAN IRON AGE EMPEROR FAILS ON THE GREEK BRONZE AGE STAGE. 1/8: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1902
A Sermon for Ascension Sunday 1 St. Peter 4:7-11 & St. John 15:25-16:4 by William Klock Today is that Sunday in the Church Year that has us sitting with the disciples as they wait for the fulfilment of Jesus' promise of God's Spirit. It's a little bit like the scene of them on Easter Day. Think of Mary, confused and distressed, running to tell Peter and John about the empty tomb and finding them, hunkered down in a dark house with the doors and shutters locked tight. Both times, the disciples sat in a house in Jerusalem waiting. On Easter Day, they were waiting out of fear. Jesus had been executed and, if they weren't careful, they'd probably be executed too. They were waiting for the Passover festival to end, for the crowds to start leaving the city, so that maybe they could just blend into the crowds streaming out through the gates and down the roads, so they could make their way back to Galilee and hopefully just go back to their old lives and forget—and everyone else forget—that they'd been followers of Jesus. And so they waited. In the dark. Fearful. Barely talking in whispers. Today the disciples are, again, waiting in Jerusalem. But today is different. Late on Easter Day Jesus had appeared in that locked room, risen, and not just alive like, say, Lazarus was alive again after he came out of his tomb. Jesus wasn't just alive. He'd been made new. The same Jesus they knew, even bearing the marks of his crucifixion, and yet different. This new Jesus, resurrected from the dead, was as at home in heaven as he was on earth and as at home on earth as he was in heaven. This Jesus embodied their hope of an Israel, of a whole human race, set to rights. In him they were confronted with the birth of God's new creation. And everything the Prophets had said and everything Jesus had said about God setting the world to rights now made sense—at first, suddenly, it made sense at a gut level, but then as this risen Jesus walked them through the scriptures—probably the same scriptures he'd walked them through umpteen times before—gradually it all finally started to make sense in their heads, too. Jesus' resurrection changed everything. But most of all, they saw the hopes of generation after generation after generation of Jews for a world set to rights, they saw that hope fulfilled in Jesus, and in that they saw the glory of God like no one had seen the glory of God since—well maybe since the Exodus. And so, for forty days, Jesus met with his disciples and with hundreds of others, and they studied the scriptures and, I expect, they worshiped and glorified the God of Israel who had done this amazing thing and, who, right before their eyes, was fulfilling his promises. And then he led them out to the Mount Olives and ascended into the clouds. Jesus had prepared them for this. He'd said before that eventually he would be leaving them. These passages have been our Gospels for the last three weeks. Remember John 16: “In a little while you won't see, but a little while after that you will see me, because I'm going to the Father.” Or two Sundays ago, “I'm going to the one who sent me and it's important that I do, so that I can send the one who will come along side you on my behalf, the Helper.” And last Sunday, “I'm leaving the world and going to the Father. In the world you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world.” That last bit from John 16:33 surely underscored for them the lordship of Jesus. Now it was time for him to take his throne in the heavenlies. And so Jesus commissioned them to take this gospel, this good news, back to Jerusalem and to all of Judea, and eventually even to the Samaritans and then to the nations. And as he commissioned them he rose on the clouds to his throne. Jesus didn't have to do it that way. It's not like heaven is literally up there somewhere. You can't get there with a rocket any more than the Babylonians could build a tower to get there. Jesus could have just winked out here and winked in there. But even here at the end of his ministry, he acts out a prophecy as he was so fond of doing. It was Daniel's vision of the son of man, coming to the ancient of days and to his throne on the clouds of heaven, it was that vision happening in real life as they watched. And, too, the disciples were familiar with the iconography of Imperial Rome. When Julius Caesar died, a comet appeared in the sky. His heir, Augustus, declared that the comet was the divine Caesar ascending to heaven. At Augustus' order, gold comets were added to the statues of Caesar and coins were stamped with the image of that comet on the back. And, of course, Augustus then took the title, “Son of God”. Everyone knew it wasn't really true. It was political. But here was Jesus ascending to heaven for real. For all his power, Caesar was a cheap copy, a fake king playing at divinity. Jesus was the real deal, the world's true Lord. And that was heart of the message that Jesus sent his friends out to tell. That's the heart of the gospel: This Jesus, crucified and risen, is Lord of all. Remember what that word “gospel” means. It literally means “good news”, but it's important to remember how it was used. Think of those familiar words from Isaiah 52: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” In those days it was an image of a royal herald, returning to Jerusalem from the battle front to announce the good news that the king had won the battle against the enemy. And in the world of the Greeks and Romans, “good news” was proclaimed by imperial heralds. Good news! A new Caesar has ascended to the imperial throne! Good news! Your city has been conquered by Rome and you are blessed to receive Caesar as your new king! And in that there's something really important that we often miss. All too often we think of the gospel, of this good news about Jesus, more as good advice. We “share” the gospel with people, telling them about it as something they ought to try, to see if it works for them, because we've been better off with it, so they ought to be too. We treat this good news like another option on the religious smorgasbord. Give Jesus a try. If you don't like him, well, okay. But, Brothers and Sisters, Jesus isn't a new restaurant. Jesus isn't a new brand of laundry detergent any more than Caesar was. Imagine Rome conquering your country and you telling the Romans that Caesar really isn't your thing, so no thanks. Simon bar Kokhba tried that in 115. He declared himself prince of the Jews, raised a revolt, and was brutally crushed by the Romans. Brothers and Sisters, the good news of Jesus, crucified, risen, and Lord isn't good advice. It's good news. It's good news that he is the world's true Lord and that he sits on this throne, and that this good news will conquer the world until every last one of his enemies has been put under his feet. It's a proclamation—and we're the royal heralds—that God's king, his new creation, has begun and we can either be a part of it or we can face destruction when Jesus comes in glory one day to wipe every last bit of evil of sin and of death from its face. This was Jesus commission to his friends as he ascended. Go out and tell the world that it has a new king. And it's not hard to imagine them chomping at the bit to run into Jerusalem and to start proclaiming this good news in the streets and in the synagogues and even in the temple. But Jesus knew better. Because excitement about good news will only get you so far. And so Jesus told them to go back into the city to wait—to wait for the Helper, the Holy Spirit. In fact, he talked about them being baptised with the Holy Spirit in the way that John had baptised them with water. And it was in the power of the Holy Spirit—not just the power of their excitement about Jesus' resurrection—in the power of the Holy Spirit they would go out to proclaim this news to Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the whole world. And so, today we sit with the disciples as they wait. But this time it's a very different sort of waiting. On Easter they were waiting to go out, afraid for their lives, just wanting to get out of the city as quietly as possible. Today we sit with them as they wait and as they pray, having spent forty days with the risen Jesus, waiting as they're just about bursting with this good news. They've been commission to be the royal heralds of the King. They're full of excitement this time. Raring to go. Ready to proclaim this good news. Even knowing that this might mean their own deaths. And, maybe that's what gives them patience for the fulfilment of Jesus promise of this power from God. Because excitement over something new is never enough. Excitement eventually wanes. And when we try to do the work of the kingdom in our own power, we're sure to make a mess of it. The power lies not with us, but with God's word and with God's Spirit and when rely on word and Spirit we do things differently than we might do them in our own power. One of the things that strikes me from our Epistle today is the set of gospel mission priorities it lays out for us. Here are Peter's Spirit-inspired words. This is 1 Peter 4:7-11. The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7) The end of all things is at hand. This doesn't mean that end of history or of the universe or whatever is at hand. That wouldn't make sense. From our perspective the end of space and time obviously wasn't at hand for Peter—unless you can somehow twist “at hand” to mean “two thousand plus years”. More important, it doesn't make sense, because that would hardly be a vindication of the God who made the world, who loves it, and who gave his son to die for it, and who has commissioned a people to carry this good news into it. What Peter means is that God, through Jesus, has begun the process of making his creation new and the sign of this renewal is the renewal of a people, the renewal of men and women who share in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And that means that we'd better show that renewal in our lives. Peter says that our work will be accomplished through self-control and being sober-minded. Peter knew that opposition and persecution were coming and that our natural inclination when that happens is to panic—to start running around waving our hands or to run away and hide, to lose focus on the mission. So he says, as people renewed by God's Spirit, be self-controlled and sober-minded. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. Self-control is—or should be—a defining characteristic of people who are united to Jesus by the Holy Spirit. And being sober-minded is the fruit of our minds having been renewed by the Holy Spirit. Again, Jesus has given us work to do and it's not going to get done if we're in a panic. Instead of getting worked up, instead of panicking, Peter tells us: pray. When Jesus was under pressure, he undergirded his work with prayer. Our response to the pressure and weight of our calling also needs to be prayer. And as the Church we need to work together, to stick together—to be the Church. Peter goes on in verses 8-9: Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. It's easy to drive each other away. It's easy to be offended by what this person says or what that person does. We sadly see it all too often in the Church. Someone offends someone else and off they go. It's especially sad when you find out that the offense was an accident or that what was said or done was misconstrued—that no offense was ever intended. Some people can be difficult and, over and over, I've seen Christians who treat difficult people in ways that put them at the fringe or drive them off. Some people just sometimes wander away from the Church and no one goes after them to check up on them. But Peter says that we're to hold unfailing love for each other—unfailing. Hebrews 10:24-25 tells us something similar: Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. “The Day” is drawing near. Jesus has given us God's own Spirit to carry his work of renewal into the world. So stir each other up to love and good works and do not neglect to meet together. If someone asked me to write a letter exhorting the Church as to what to do in light of the end of all things being at hand, I'd probably write something about getting out into the world to tell people about Jesus—and to do so with a sense of urgency. But Peter (and the writer of Hebrews) instead tells us to love each other. Brothers and Sisters, what they're saying—and this is important—is that before we do anything else, we, the Church, need to be the Church, we need to be the body of Christ. Loving each other, supporting each other, showing hospitality to each other—even when we're sometimes difficult to get along with or overly needy or whatever makes us difficult—and we can all be like this sometimes—loving each other despite our flaws and difficulties and allowing our love for each other to cover those difficulties and offenses and things that can sometimes be abrasive. That kind of love, the love that God has shown us in Jesus, that's what binds us together. And being bound together two things happen. First, we function the way Jesus and the Spirit intend. The Spirit has given us all unique gifts. When we work together we complement each other as we fulfil the mission Jesus has given. But the love we're called to show each other is also a powerful part of our witness of renewal and of God's new creation. There is no other organization or institution in this world that brings together people of such different backgrounds and culture and age and temperament than the Church and in that we have a powerful witness to the redeeming grace of God. In last week's Epistle, James told us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. This is what that looks like. And it's this love and light that plays out amongst Jesus' people—amongst us—that not only holds us together, but it draws in, it attracts outsiders. Good theology and right doctrine are important, but what witnesses our renewal and God's new creation is the fruit of the Spirit and, as Paul writes, the greatest of these is love. When Jesus says to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” it won't be because we've spent our lives parsing out the subtle philosophical nuances of the Trinity or the Incarnation. It will be because we have been faithful with the gifts he's given through his Spirit, for how we've loved each other and for being faithful stewards of his good news. Peter goes on in verses 10-11: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. The Spirit has equipped each of us and we're called to use these gifts to serve each other. The Spirit doesn't give us gifts to squander or to use for our own gain. They're meant to build up the Church and to help us fulfil our mission. And Peter here calls us to be good stewards. And we're not just accountable to God; we're accountable to each other as stewards. How often do we think it's just “between myself and God”? Regularly I find myself talking to people who tell me that that instead of being part of the Church, they're opting to live their faith privately and on their own. I have to say I'm always more than a little suspicious of the genuineness of someone's claim to be a Christians when they have no interest in the Church. You can't claim to love Jesus and then despise his body! There's no such thing as a loner Christian and this is in part why. Imagine if tomorrow your eyes or your feet, your heart or your mind decided they weren't interested in being part of your body. You'd be in a world of hurt and the same goes for the Church. There are, I think, two reasons the church fails. First, we fail when we become worldly and mired in the things of this age that is passing away, instead of being witnesses to God's new creation. There's a fine line. The church, for example, can witness God's new creation through involvement in politics and the state, but it's also very easy to get carried away with the worldly and corrupt aspects of politics and the power of the state and to lose our witness. But, second, we fail when we steward the gifts of the Spirit poorly. And so Peter urges us that if God has gifted you—and he's generously gifted all of us—don't hold out. He's gifted you, he's equipped you for a reason. Think of it this way: To ignore the gifts the Spirit has given us, to squander them, to steward them badly is to live as if Jesus ascended to heaven and then left us all on our own—as if he hadn't sent his Spirit to come alongside us and to equip us for ministry. To be poor stewards of the Spirit's gifting is to live as if Jesus died for our sins, but did nothing more—no regenerate heart, no renewed mind. To live apart from the Church. Or to be part of the Church, but to fail to live with each other in unfailing love, Brothers and Sisters, is to live as if there is no Holy Spirit. All these things are the Spirit's work and the Spirit's fruit in the life of the Church. They're not optional extras. Consider that Jesus thought it important enough we have these things that he left, he ascended, so that he could send the one who would supply and equip us with them. We could have had Jesus with us all the time, to visit our churches to teach us, to sit down with us individually to talked to us and to comfort us, but he thought it was more important for us to have the gift of the Holy Spirit and so he left that the Spirit might be sent. Think on that this week. Jesus commissioned his people and he sent the Spirit to equip us to get the job done. Someday Jesus will return when the Spirit's work through us has been finished. In the meantime, we've been given a huge job. Don't panic. Don't freak out. Be self-controlled and sober-minded. Commit yourselves to prayer, show each other unfailing love, and work together as the body of Christ, being faithful stewards of the gifts the Spirit has given. Let us pray: Gracious Father, as we acknowledged in the Collect, Jesus has ascended to his heavenly throne, but you have not left us comfortless. You've graciously given us the gift of your Spirit and by your Spirit you unite us to Jesus, you transform and sanctify us, and you equip us to do the work Jesus has given. Give us grace and teach us to be faithful stewards of the Spirit's gifts. Teach us to bear the Spirit's fruit and let us live that fruit in practical ways and especially as we love one another and as we support one another in using the gifts the Spirit has given as we make Jesus and his kingdom known to the world. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 1/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome 1886 JEAN PAUL MOTTEROMAN: VERCENGETORIX SURRENDERS TO CAESAR.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 2/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1836 CATO'S SUICIDE, BY CHARLES LEBRUN
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 3/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1790 SULLA'S DEATH LIST.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 4/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1871 ATHENS
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 5/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1850 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS ARCH
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 6/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1838 ABDICATION OF SULLA
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 7/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1910 CARTHAGE THEATER
WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH AN ACTOR IN CHARGE: 8/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome. 1863 JEAN PAUL LAURENS: CATO'S SUICIDE
Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow His dream was the stage: 2/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome.
Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow His dream was the stage: 3/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome.
Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow His dream was the stage: 1/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome.
Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow His dream was the stage: 6/8:: Nero: Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome by Anthony Everitt (Author), Roddy Ashworth (Author) https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/sunspot-update-after-going-through-the-roof-last-month-sunspots-drop-into-the-attic-this-month/ There are many infamous stories about the Roman emperor Nero: He set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. Cruel, vain, and incompetent, he then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. Nero has long been the very image of a bad ruler, a legacy left behind by the historians of his day, who despised him. But there is a mystery. For a long time after his death, anonymous hands laid flowers on his grave. The monster was loved. In this nuanced biography, Anthony Everitt, the celebrated biographer of classical Greece and Rome, and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero and offer a reappraisal of his life. Contrary to popular memory, the empire was well managed during his reign. He presided over diplomatic triumphs and Rome's epic conquest of Britain and British queen Boudica's doomed revolt against Nero's legions. He was also a champion of arts and culture who loved music, and he won the loyalty of the lower classes with fantastic spectacles. He did not set fire to Rome.
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