Sympathy for the Devil
In Quo Vadis he was completely insane, but I noticed they tried to make him sympathetic in the end. Just wondering, how accurate is the portrayal of Nero in this?
shareThe Colosseum was built six years after Nero's Death, Poppea was long dead by the time of his suicide, (kicked to death by Nero when pregnant), and his last words were, "What an artist the World loses in me".
His concerts were even more boring than portrayed in the film. Women gave birth and people faked heart attacks to escape the interminable performances.
Apart from that he is presented pretty much as Suetonius presented him, but he did NOT burn Rome, in fact he organized relief for the victims. He was suspected because he built the Golden House, one of the extraordinary palaces in history, on part of the land destroyed in the fire. It has recently been excavated and studied. Legend has it that many guests were once smothered by the weight of rose petals and perfume that were released from above onto them.
He was sort of part Michael Jackson, part Pol Pot.
But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.
Nero's depicted in this book/film is not accurate at all, he was a Tyrant but a component one. He was actually popular with the people.
"When the chips are down... these Civilized people... will Eat each Other"
It is hardly competent to so scandalize the military and social elites that they force you to commit suicide ... the people loved him because he ruined the economy treating them to ever more extravagant shows and spectacles... and of course, free bread was provided to the common people so that they were free to attend his marathon spectaculars.
But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.
It doesn't take much to turn the elite against you, especially in Ancient Rome.
Our 3 main source son Nero (Tacitus, Suetonius and To) where all latter historians of the Senatorial class, the had a bias. Contemporary sources like Josephus paint a fairly different picture, especially of Poppea.
"When the chips are down... these Civilized people... will Eat each Other"
"... it doesn't take much" ... perhaps, but "fatally" would appear to be just enough.
But you ARE Blanche ... and I AM.
He was sort of part Michael Jackson, part Pol Pot.
I'm sorry, but what the hell do you mean by this? What did Nero have in common with Michael Jackson?
Intelligence and purity. share
[deleted]
So you reply to a sixteen months old post just to insult MJ and his fans, on a board about "Quo vadis", which really has nothing to do with him? Real mature.
Intelligence and purity.
[deleted]
First of all, I started nothing. I wasn't the one, who brought up MJ in this thread, even though he doesn't have anything to do with "Quo vadis". And secondly, I didn't ask you anything. As a matter of fact, the person, who I did ask about it, actually answered sixteen months ago! So there was no need to revisit the subject now. And thirdly, if you can't stop yourself from insulting people, maybe you shouldn't say anything at all?
Intelligence and purity.