Nero died on 9 June 68 CE in Rome, aged 30. The fifth and last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Nero became emperor at 16 after the death of Claudius, who had adopted him. His early years were guided by his tutor Seneca and the prefect Burrus, and brought peace and competent government, but he later had his mother Agrippina and other rivals killed. In 64 a great fire destroyed much of Rome, and he blamed the Christians, who were persecuted, while building a huge new palace, the Golden House. A conspiracy and then revolts in the provinces cost him the support of the army and senate, and he died by suicide in 68. Ancient writers portray him as a tyrant, though he remained popular among the lower classes of the empire.
Before and after
- from 66 CE to 74 CEFirst Jewish-Roman War
- from 66 CE to 135 CEJewish–Roman Wars
- 66 CEDeath of Paul the Apostle
- from June 68 CE to December 69 CEYear of the Four Emperors
- 9 June 68 CEDeath of Nero
- August 70 CEThe Romans destroy the Temple in Jerusalem
- 24 January 76 CEBirth of Hadrian
- 79 CEVesuvius buries Pompeii and Herculaneum
- 24 August 79 CEEruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79
More in Art, literature & culture
- c. 2,100s BCEEpic of Gilgamesh
- c. 1,500 BCEOrigins of Zoroastrianism
- 551 BCEBirth of Confucius
- 6th century BCEOrigins of Judaism
- 33 CEOrigins of Christianity
- 42 CEOrigins of Coptic Orthodox Church
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 1st century.