Nero

Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar, originally Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; A.D. 37–68), Roman emperor. He was the adoptive son of the emperor Claudius, whom he succeeded in A.D. 54. Nero had Claudius's son Britannicus murdered in A.D. 55. In A.D. 59 he killed his mother Agrippina, and in A.D. 62 his wife Octavia, Claudius's daughter. Nero rebuilt Rome after the fire in A.D. 64. He accused the Christians of starting it, and the first Roman persecution followed. His cruelty, instability, and imposition of heavy taxes led to a revolt. Deserted by the Praetorian Guard, Nero committed suicide.

See also: Rome, Ancient.