1 00:00:02,202 --> 00:00:09,441 ¶¶ 2 00:00:09,477 --> 00:00:12,111 -History has portrayed Roman Emperor Nero 3 00:00:12,146 --> 00:00:14,480 as one of the great villains, 4 00:00:14,515 --> 00:00:17,416 a cruel insane despot responsible 5 00:00:17,451 --> 00:00:19,451 for the Great Fire of Rome. 6 00:00:21,722 --> 00:00:25,190 Nero's name is synonymous with evil, 7 00:00:25,226 --> 00:00:27,626 killer of his own mother and wife, 8 00:00:27,661 --> 00:00:32,231 poisoner of his stepbrother, and persecutor of Christians. 9 00:00:32,266 --> 00:00:35,367 He lived a debauched and decadent life. 10 00:00:37,505 --> 00:00:40,606 This is the judgment passed by history. 11 00:00:40,641 --> 00:00:42,574 -There was no form of historical record 12 00:00:42,610 --> 00:00:45,177 similar to our modern understanding of history. 13 00:00:45,212 --> 00:00:47,079 The writings were politically motivated, 14 00:00:47,114 --> 00:00:48,647 captivating literature. 15 00:00:48,682 --> 00:00:52,051 -And yet, new discoveries suggest history 16 00:00:52,086 --> 00:00:54,887 may have gotten it wrong. 17 00:00:54,922 --> 00:00:59,058 Now, a forensic profiler considers new evidence 18 00:00:59,093 --> 00:01:02,728 to discover the truth about the controversial emperor. 19 00:01:02,763 --> 00:01:05,731 -As the writers would appear to be unreliable, 20 00:01:05,766 --> 00:01:07,032 they would not be considered 21 00:01:07,068 --> 00:01:10,002 objective witnesses by modern standards. 22 00:01:10,037 --> 00:01:19,211 ¶¶ 23 00:01:19,246 --> 00:01:21,046 -"The Nero Files." 24 00:01:21,082 --> 00:01:26,552 ¶¶ 25 00:01:27,854 --> 00:01:33,292 -Rome, 64 AD, the night of July 18th. 26 00:01:33,327 --> 00:01:35,794 The city is in flames. 27 00:01:35,830 --> 00:01:39,231 The fire will burn for 9 days, 28 00:01:39,266 --> 00:01:43,168 large areas of Rome completely destroyed. 29 00:01:43,204 --> 00:01:45,671 The rumor that the narcissistic tyrant Nero 30 00:01:45,706 --> 00:01:49,875 started the blaze has persisted for 2,000 years. 31 00:01:49,910 --> 00:01:51,610 His alleged motivation? 32 00:01:51,645 --> 00:01:53,946 Artistic inspiration. 33 00:01:53,981 --> 00:01:56,215 The emperor is said to have watched the disaster 34 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:59,017 from the roof of his palace while making music, 35 00:01:59,053 --> 00:02:00,385 or as legend has it, 36 00:02:00,421 --> 00:02:05,324 he fiddled while Rome burned and his subjects died. 37 00:02:05,359 --> 00:02:08,794 But are these tales of the mad tyrant true? 38 00:02:08,829 --> 00:02:10,796 There are significant doubts. 39 00:02:12,867 --> 00:02:15,434 ¶¶ 40 00:02:15,469 --> 00:02:17,503 Forensic psychologist Thomas Mueller 41 00:02:17,538 --> 00:02:22,074 has studied numerous criminals over the course of his career. 42 00:02:22,109 --> 00:02:25,577 Now, he turns his attention to Nero's legacy 43 00:02:25,613 --> 00:02:29,047 using a cold-case approach, establishing the facts 44 00:02:29,083 --> 00:02:32,584 and examining the veracity of the sources. 45 00:02:32,620 --> 00:02:35,654 Can the accusations leveled at Nero withstand 46 00:02:35,689 --> 00:02:39,858 modern investigative methods? 47 00:02:39,894 --> 00:02:42,661 -Is it possible that Nero was also a victim 48 00:02:42,696 --> 00:02:44,563 or even the victim? 49 00:02:47,401 --> 00:02:49,568 -Rome, 54 AD. 50 00:02:49,603 --> 00:02:52,371 16-year-old Nero and his mother, Agrippina, 51 00:02:52,406 --> 00:02:54,339 rush to the emperor's bedside. 52 00:02:54,375 --> 00:02:59,545 ¶¶ 53 00:02:59,580 --> 00:03:02,915 Emperor Claudius, Agrippina's husband, is dying. 54 00:03:02,950 --> 00:03:05,350 He is attended to by his biological children 55 00:03:05,386 --> 00:03:07,152 from a previous marriage -- 56 00:03:07,188 --> 00:03:10,923 his daughter, Octavia, and his son, Britannicus. 57 00:03:10,958 --> 00:03:13,992 Britannicus is the legitimate heir to the throne, 58 00:03:14,028 --> 00:03:17,462 but he is only 13 years old. 59 00:03:17,498 --> 00:03:20,098 Nero is merely the emperor's stepson, 60 00:03:20,134 --> 00:03:22,467 but he is 3 years older. 61 00:03:22,503 --> 00:03:27,406 If the emperor dies now, Nero will become his successor. 62 00:03:27,441 --> 00:03:29,875 Accounts suggest Claudius was murdered, 63 00:03:29,910 --> 00:03:32,844 possibly with poisoned food. 64 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:38,317 Doctors rush to save him... 65 00:03:38,352 --> 00:03:40,018 but it is too late. 66 00:03:42,389 --> 00:03:44,690 Agrippina has achieved her goal. 67 00:03:44,725 --> 00:03:47,793 Nero's ambitious mother only married Claudius 68 00:03:47,828 --> 00:03:50,896 to ensure Nero, her son from her first marriage, 69 00:03:50,931 --> 00:03:52,965 would become emperor. 70 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,668 Does she kill Claudius before Britannicus can come of age 71 00:03:56,704 --> 00:03:59,238 so Nero can take the throne? 72 00:03:59,273 --> 00:04:06,345 ¶¶ 73 00:04:06,380 --> 00:04:09,181 -Murder and violent removal of political opponents 74 00:04:09,216 --> 00:04:11,850 were an everyday occurrence in imperial Rome. 75 00:04:11,885 --> 00:04:15,053 Assuming power was not done by democratic means. 76 00:04:15,089 --> 00:04:21,059 Power was achieved by violence, aggression, and assassinations. 77 00:04:21,095 --> 00:04:24,463 -Historians suspect Agrippina is responsible 78 00:04:24,498 --> 00:04:26,031 for the emperor's murder. 79 00:04:26,066 --> 00:04:31,136 With Claudius' death, Nero now becomes emperor at just 16, 80 00:04:31,171 --> 00:04:36,575 even though he is not the legitimate heir. 81 00:04:36,610 --> 00:04:38,710 -One could say that Agrippina was a woman 82 00:04:38,746 --> 00:04:40,479 fully aware of her power 83 00:04:40,514 --> 00:04:42,281 and that she knew how to take advantage 84 00:04:42,316 --> 00:04:45,250 of any opportunity that presented itself. 85 00:04:45,286 --> 00:04:48,987 We cannot say with any certainty whether she did kill Claudius, 86 00:04:49,023 --> 00:04:51,123 but people at the time immediately accused 87 00:04:51,158 --> 00:04:54,526 her of doing so. 88 00:04:54,561 --> 00:04:57,562 -This suspicion casts a shadow over Nero's reign 89 00:04:57,598 --> 00:05:00,499 from its outset. 90 00:05:00,534 --> 00:05:04,369 -The question is, "How is it possible that an emperor of Rome 91 00:05:04,405 --> 00:05:06,138 became the bastard of history?" 92 00:05:06,173 --> 00:05:08,440 Who told us that he was such a monster? 93 00:05:08,475 --> 00:05:10,776 Where does our information actually come from, 94 00:05:10,811 --> 00:05:14,179 and can the witnesses stand up to examination? 95 00:05:14,214 --> 00:05:16,782 -Three Roman writers are primarily responsible 96 00:05:16,817 --> 00:05:19,384 for having recorded the details of Nero's life, 97 00:05:19,420 --> 00:05:21,119 even though they never met him. 98 00:05:21,155 --> 00:05:24,122 Tacitus was 10 years old when Nero died. 99 00:05:24,158 --> 00:05:27,025 Suetonius was born 2 years later, 100 00:05:27,061 --> 00:05:28,860 and Cassius Dio wasn't born 101 00:05:28,896 --> 00:05:31,797 until a century after Nero's reign. 102 00:05:31,832 --> 00:05:35,167 They created the image of the mad tyrant, 103 00:05:35,202 --> 00:05:39,237 and yet each writer's story is different. 104 00:05:39,273 --> 00:05:42,007 One questions whether Nero had anything to do 105 00:05:42,042 --> 00:05:43,942 with the Great Fire of Rome, 106 00:05:43,977 --> 00:05:48,213 while another is convinced he started the blaze, 107 00:05:48,248 --> 00:05:51,216 and the third writer suggests Nero fiddled 108 00:05:51,251 --> 00:05:53,251 while his city burned. 109 00:05:53,287 --> 00:05:55,320 Who can one trust? 110 00:05:57,925 --> 00:05:59,424 -As a criminal psychologist, 111 00:05:59,460 --> 00:06:02,427 I've experienced this over and over again. 112 00:06:02,463 --> 00:06:04,062 People see what they want to see, 113 00:06:04,098 --> 00:06:06,064 and sometimes they will write or say 114 00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:09,067 whatever it is they want to convey. 115 00:06:09,103 --> 00:06:12,971 The fact is, all three writers lived after Nero's time. 116 00:06:13,006 --> 00:06:15,006 They did not know him personally, 117 00:06:15,042 --> 00:06:17,776 and their knowledge was based on stories. 118 00:06:17,811 --> 00:06:23,448 Did they, perhaps, add elements that were important to them? 119 00:06:23,484 --> 00:06:26,718 -Just 13 when his father dies, Britannicus, 120 00:06:26,754 --> 00:06:31,223 the emperor's biological son, is frail and possibly epileptic, 121 00:06:31,258 --> 00:06:34,926 and yet he might pose a threat to young Emperor Nero 122 00:06:34,962 --> 00:06:36,661 should he lay claim to the throne 123 00:06:36,697 --> 00:06:38,363 when he reaches maturity. 124 00:06:38,399 --> 00:06:46,405 ¶¶ 125 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,941 -[Speaks Latin] -It is 55 AD, 126 00:06:49,977 --> 00:06:53,011 and Nero has been emperor for several months, 127 00:06:53,046 --> 00:06:55,947 a feast in the palace. 128 00:06:55,983 --> 00:07:00,152 The imperial family has invited guests. 129 00:07:00,187 --> 00:07:04,623 As is customary, Britannicus selects his favorite dishes. 130 00:07:04,658 --> 00:07:07,492 It is business as usual in the palace. 131 00:07:07,528 --> 00:07:14,499 ¶¶ 132 00:07:14,535 --> 00:07:17,969 And yet, according to accounts, before the meal is over, 133 00:07:18,005 --> 00:07:20,305 Britannicus will be assassinated. 134 00:07:20,340 --> 00:07:21,306 The killer? 135 00:07:21,341 --> 00:07:22,908 Nero. The weapon? 136 00:07:22,943 --> 00:07:25,677 A powerful poison. 137 00:07:25,712 --> 00:07:29,881 Using poison to commit murder is difficult in ancient Rome, 138 00:07:29,917 --> 00:07:33,819 as the meals of the rich and powerful are tasted in advance. 139 00:07:33,854 --> 00:07:42,494 ¶¶ 140 00:07:42,529 --> 00:07:46,498 In Tacitus' account, Nero manages to avoid the taster 141 00:07:46,533 --> 00:07:50,168 by slyly placing the poison in Britannicus' drink 142 00:07:50,204 --> 00:07:51,870 rather than his food. 143 00:07:51,905 --> 00:07:56,141 ¶¶ 144 00:07:56,176 --> 00:07:59,778 Drinks are also sampled by the taster, but Nero is clever. 145 00:07:59,813 --> 00:08:03,048 He has a harmless, but very hot, drink served. 146 00:08:03,083 --> 00:08:12,791 ¶¶ 147 00:08:12,826 --> 00:08:16,261 Britannicus is unable to drink it. 148 00:08:16,296 --> 00:08:20,031 Cold, clear water is added to cool the drink. 149 00:08:20,067 --> 00:08:21,733 The water is poisoned 150 00:08:21,768 --> 00:08:26,204 and is poured without being sampled by the taster. 151 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,308 According to Tacitus, the poison races through Britannicus' body, 152 00:08:30,344 --> 00:08:33,512 making it impossible for him to breathe or speak. 153 00:08:33,547 --> 00:08:39,985 ¶¶ 154 00:08:40,020 --> 00:08:44,489 And all three writers agree he dies almost immediately. 155 00:08:44,525 --> 00:08:48,593 A potential adversary has been removed, 156 00:08:48,629 --> 00:08:50,662 but there are doubts about the poison plot 157 00:08:50,697 --> 00:08:52,397 as the writers present it. 158 00:08:56,203 --> 00:08:59,571 Mueller explains. 159 00:08:59,606 --> 00:09:02,841 -In terms of criminal psychology, using poison means 160 00:09:02,876 --> 00:09:05,544 committing murder without leaving scars. 161 00:09:05,579 --> 00:09:08,713 However, murder by poison is easier to describe 162 00:09:08,749 --> 00:09:11,283 than to commit, even in ancient Rome. 163 00:09:11,318 --> 00:09:14,319 The descriptions of Britannicus' death 164 00:09:14,354 --> 00:09:16,655 suggests a rapidly acting poison 165 00:09:16,690 --> 00:09:19,457 that was both colorless and odorless. 166 00:09:19,493 --> 00:09:22,827 Did such a poison even exist in the age of Nero? 167 00:09:26,967 --> 00:09:29,534 -In antiquity, the most effective poisons 168 00:09:29,570 --> 00:09:32,237 were plant toxins from yew trees, 169 00:09:32,272 --> 00:09:36,575 lily of the valley, hemlock, and wolfsbane. 170 00:09:36,610 --> 00:09:39,377 Today, scientists in a modern forensic lab 171 00:09:39,413 --> 00:09:41,413 are testing whether any of these poisons 172 00:09:41,448 --> 00:09:45,550 could have killed Britannicus in the manner described. 173 00:09:45,586 --> 00:09:49,087 The poison had to have been both colorless and odorless. 174 00:09:49,122 --> 00:09:50,689 Otherwise, it would have been immediately 175 00:09:50,724 --> 00:09:52,357 detectable in the water, 176 00:09:52,392 --> 00:09:55,527 and it had to take effect within seconds. 177 00:09:59,199 --> 00:10:01,433 In order to put the poison in the water, 178 00:10:01,468 --> 00:10:05,704 the toxin would have had to be extracted from the plant first. 179 00:10:05,739 --> 00:10:09,174 One way to do this was by boiling the plants. 180 00:10:09,209 --> 00:10:15,914 ¶¶ 181 00:10:15,949 --> 00:10:18,883 The more the water is reduced during the boil, 182 00:10:18,919 --> 00:10:22,287 the more concentrated the poison will be, 183 00:10:22,322 --> 00:10:26,257 but the color and aroma also become more intense. 184 00:10:29,830 --> 00:10:34,833 Even when strained to remove impurities, the color remains. 185 00:10:38,772 --> 00:10:42,807 Tacitus writes that the poison is placed in a jug of water 186 00:10:42,843 --> 00:10:46,211 that was used to cool Britannicus' hot drink. 187 00:10:46,246 --> 00:10:47,646 If that was the case, 188 00:10:47,681 --> 00:10:50,615 the poison had to have been very concentrated 189 00:10:50,651 --> 00:10:55,553 in order to remain effective after being watered down twice. 190 00:10:55,589 --> 00:11:01,493 ¶¶ 191 00:11:01,528 --> 00:11:04,596 -If one considers all the steps that are required to create 192 00:11:04,631 --> 00:11:07,666 an odorless and colorless poison that is sufficiently 193 00:11:07,701 --> 00:11:10,869 toxic enough to be effective, then one must accept 194 00:11:10,904 --> 00:11:12,804 that it was practically impossible at the time, 195 00:11:12,839 --> 00:11:15,240 considering the methods that were available. 196 00:11:17,577 --> 00:11:20,111 -Nor does the time line, as described, 197 00:11:20,147 --> 00:11:21,980 withstand close scrutiny. 198 00:11:24,184 --> 00:11:26,251 -If a plant toxin is ingested orally, 199 00:11:26,286 --> 00:11:27,852 it takes time for the poison to cross 200 00:11:27,888 --> 00:11:30,221 from the digestive system into the bloodstream. 201 00:11:30,257 --> 00:11:32,123 Then, it must still be transported to the part 202 00:11:32,159 --> 00:11:34,025 of the body where it takes effect. 203 00:11:34,061 --> 00:11:36,261 It is, therefore, fundamentally inconceivable 204 00:11:36,296 --> 00:11:40,165 that death could occur within seconds. 205 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,601 -The writers' claims of a sudden death caused by poison 206 00:11:43,637 --> 00:11:46,705 already appear somewhat unreliable. 207 00:11:49,209 --> 00:11:52,043 -According to the toxicologist's conclusions, 208 00:11:52,079 --> 00:11:54,179 there was no poison that would have had 209 00:11:54,214 --> 00:11:56,648 the effects described by the writers. 210 00:11:56,683 --> 00:11:59,851 So given the circumstances, is it not possible 211 00:11:59,886 --> 00:12:03,488 that an epileptic fit was seen as attempted murder? 212 00:12:03,523 --> 00:12:07,459 After all, people believed Nero was capable of anything. 213 00:12:11,098 --> 00:12:13,531 -Agrippina has not made Nero emperor 214 00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:16,334 out of a mother's love for her son. 215 00:12:16,369 --> 00:12:19,771 She sees herself as the true ruler of the empire 216 00:12:19,806 --> 00:12:21,806 and Nero as a mere puppet. 217 00:12:23,844 --> 00:12:26,177 She is the power behind the throne, 218 00:12:26,213 --> 00:12:28,613 and she makes no effort to conceal it, 219 00:12:28,648 --> 00:12:32,951 as coins from the era reveal. 220 00:12:32,986 --> 00:12:35,553 -When Nero ascends to the throne in 54 AD, 221 00:12:35,589 --> 00:12:39,657 something very unusual happens to the Roman currency. 222 00:12:39,693 --> 00:12:42,560 The first coins that are minted show both the reigning emperor 223 00:12:42,596 --> 00:12:46,030 and, at eye level and the same size, his mother. 224 00:12:46,066 --> 00:12:49,968 This hadn't happened before, and it would not happen again. 225 00:12:50,003 --> 00:12:52,203 Agrippina publicly lays claim to power, 226 00:12:52,239 --> 00:12:55,807 and the first conflicts between mother and son soon follow. 227 00:12:55,842 --> 00:12:58,343 The coins show this very clearly. 228 00:12:58,378 --> 00:13:00,044 Just a few months after the first coins 229 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,681 find their way into circulation, a second coin is released. 230 00:13:03,717 --> 00:13:06,217 The new coin still includes Agrippina, 231 00:13:06,253 --> 00:13:09,487 but she has now moved into the background. 232 00:13:09,523 --> 00:13:11,556 She no longer holds the same significance 233 00:13:11,591 --> 00:13:14,025 she did at the beginning of Nero's reign. 234 00:13:14,060 --> 00:13:15,326 A few months later, 235 00:13:15,362 --> 00:13:18,163 she has vanished from the currency altogether. 236 00:13:18,198 --> 00:13:20,899 Her declining influence and the looming conflict 237 00:13:20,934 --> 00:13:24,569 with her son are clearly visible on the faces of Rome's coins. 238 00:13:24,604 --> 00:13:29,841 ¶¶ 239 00:13:29,876 --> 00:13:33,645 -Nero grows up, maturing into an adult. 240 00:13:33,680 --> 00:13:38,683 ¶¶ 241 00:13:38,718 --> 00:13:41,619 He is now 21 years old. 242 00:13:41,655 --> 00:13:44,389 He has reigned successfully for 5 years, 243 00:13:44,424 --> 00:13:47,826 something even the writers are prepared to admit. 244 00:13:47,861 --> 00:13:51,596 Nero is an ambitious emperor with progressive ideas, 245 00:13:51,631 --> 00:13:55,099 building public baths and markets for his subjects. 246 00:13:55,135 --> 00:13:58,203 They, in turn, revere their ruler. 247 00:13:58,238 --> 00:14:02,006 He is interested in the arts, sports, and science. 248 00:14:02,042 --> 00:14:05,243 He has grand architectural plans for Rome, 249 00:14:05,278 --> 00:14:08,479 but his relationship with his mother has suffered. 250 00:14:11,151 --> 00:14:14,619 Nero is at the Baiae resort on the Gulf of Pozzuoli, 251 00:14:14,654 --> 00:14:17,255 north of Naples, where ancient Rome's rich 252 00:14:17,290 --> 00:14:20,792 and famous go to escape the city. 253 00:14:20,827 --> 00:14:23,528 He has supposedly invited his mother to Baiae 254 00:14:23,563 --> 00:14:27,031 so they can share a meal and resolve their differences. 255 00:14:27,067 --> 00:14:33,071 ¶¶ 256 00:14:33,106 --> 00:14:39,110 ¶¶ 257 00:14:39,145 --> 00:14:43,414 But according to the writers, the invitation is merely a ruse 258 00:14:43,450 --> 00:14:45,550 to lure her to her death. 259 00:14:45,585 --> 00:14:50,922 ¶¶ 260 00:14:50,957 --> 00:14:53,925 Tacitus writes that Nero accompanies Agrippina 261 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,494 as she leaves his palace in Baiae. 262 00:14:56,529 --> 00:14:58,496 His last glimpse of his condemned 263 00:14:58,531 --> 00:15:01,099 mother touches his cold heart. 264 00:15:01,134 --> 00:15:08,773 ¶¶ 265 00:15:08,808 --> 00:15:12,043 He has ordered her death for that very night. 266 00:15:12,078 --> 00:15:20,285 ¶¶ 267 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,253 Nero returns to his villa 268 00:15:22,289 --> 00:15:25,757 while the murder plot unfolds on the high seas. 269 00:15:25,792 --> 00:15:27,992 Both Tacitus and Cassius Dio 270 00:15:28,028 --> 00:15:32,530 provide detailed accounts of the fateful night. 271 00:15:32,565 --> 00:15:36,234 According to their descriptions, Nero has a trusted assistant 272 00:15:36,269 --> 00:15:39,704 prepare Agrippina's yacht with a trapdoor 273 00:15:39,739 --> 00:15:42,607 that will open and sweep her out to sea. 274 00:15:45,011 --> 00:15:48,613 Cassius Dio writes the mechanism would then close, 275 00:15:48,648 --> 00:15:50,982 and the boat would continue sailing 276 00:15:51,017 --> 00:15:53,518 as though nothing had happened. 277 00:15:53,553 --> 00:15:57,288 Nero could easily have disguised a crime on the ship. 278 00:15:57,324 --> 00:16:00,959 As Tacitus wrote, "Nothing allowed of accidents 279 00:16:00,994 --> 00:16:02,493 so much as the sea." 280 00:16:02,529 --> 00:16:06,664 -When investigating disasters at sea or at higher elevations, 281 00:16:06,700 --> 00:16:09,634 specialists and experts for the relevant structures, 282 00:16:09,669 --> 00:16:12,704 wind and weather conditions, and water currents 283 00:16:12,739 --> 00:16:14,272 play an important role. 284 00:16:14,307 --> 00:16:15,707 Let us follow the evidence 285 00:16:15,742 --> 00:16:17,942 to determine whether the story told 286 00:16:17,978 --> 00:16:20,545 by the writers would stand up in court. 287 00:16:22,615 --> 00:16:25,450 -An experiment in a ship model basin 288 00:16:25,485 --> 00:16:28,019 will hopefully reveal the truth. 289 00:16:28,054 --> 00:16:31,789 According to Tacitus, Agrippina's yacht was a trireme, 290 00:16:31,825 --> 00:16:35,560 a galley with three banks of oars on either side. 291 00:16:35,595 --> 00:16:38,663 The mother of the Emperor would have had a luxurious cabin 292 00:16:38,698 --> 00:16:40,398 at the stern of the ship. 293 00:16:42,402 --> 00:16:44,635 Agrippina's yacht is reconstructed 294 00:16:44,671 --> 00:16:48,773 at a scale of 1 to 9 in the ship model basin. 295 00:16:48,808 --> 00:16:51,209 The aim of the experiment is to determine 296 00:16:51,244 --> 00:16:53,945 what kind of modifications would have been necessary 297 00:16:53,980 --> 00:16:58,616 to create an opening in the ship that someone could fall through. 298 00:16:58,651 --> 00:17:01,219 The experts are certain that trapdoors would have been 299 00:17:01,254 --> 00:17:03,087 the only possibility, 300 00:17:03,123 --> 00:17:06,457 and they install two flaps at the stern of the model. 301 00:17:06,493 --> 00:17:10,728 One opens inward, while the other opens out into the water. 302 00:17:10,764 --> 00:17:17,635 ¶¶ 303 00:17:17,670 --> 00:17:20,972 On dry land, both trapdoors work perfectly. 304 00:17:21,007 --> 00:17:24,275 In the water, though, things are very different. 305 00:17:26,513 --> 00:17:29,881 Now it's time to test the trapdoor theory. 306 00:17:29,916 --> 00:17:33,584 The depth of the hull is reconstructed exactly. 307 00:17:36,723 --> 00:17:40,324 The flaps are now underwater. 308 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:43,861 The door opening into the ship would have let the water flow 309 00:17:43,897 --> 00:17:48,900 in immediately, stopping anyone from falling out 310 00:17:48,935 --> 00:17:52,837 and also quickly sinking the ship. 311 00:17:52,872 --> 00:17:54,405 Given these results, 312 00:17:54,441 --> 00:17:59,510 the trapdoor must have opened outwards, and yet it can't. 313 00:17:59,546 --> 00:18:01,979 The water pressure keeps the flap closed, 314 00:18:02,015 --> 00:18:05,183 and the ship sails on as normal. 315 00:18:05,218 --> 00:18:07,952 Perhaps more force is required. 316 00:18:07,987 --> 00:18:12,190 Weights are placed on the trapdoor. 317 00:18:12,225 --> 00:18:15,460 So much weight is needed to force the flap open, 318 00:18:15,495 --> 00:18:17,662 the ship begins to sink. 319 00:18:17,697 --> 00:18:20,231 Approximately 2 tons would have been required 320 00:18:20,266 --> 00:18:21,933 to force the door open, 321 00:18:21,968 --> 00:18:23,634 but that would have sunk the ship 322 00:18:23,670 --> 00:18:25,503 before it ever left the harbor. 323 00:18:25,538 --> 00:18:28,005 Additionally, once the door opened out, 324 00:18:28,041 --> 00:18:29,807 there wouldn't have been a way to close it. 325 00:18:29,843 --> 00:18:33,044 Water would have flooded in and sunk the ship. 326 00:18:33,079 --> 00:18:38,316 The writers' descriptions just aren't reliable as evidence. 327 00:18:38,351 --> 00:18:41,452 -Telling the truth didn't mean providing descriptions 328 00:18:41,488 --> 00:18:45,490 or reconstructions of events that were 100 percent accurate. 329 00:18:45,525 --> 00:18:48,493 Rather, the story had to be told well 330 00:18:48,528 --> 00:18:50,495 and had to be built around a sweet center 331 00:18:50,530 --> 00:18:54,365 that increased the appetite and the attention of the readers. 332 00:18:58,638 --> 00:19:01,606 -Efforts to tell a good story have made it difficult 333 00:19:01,641 --> 00:19:04,575 for modern-day experts to determine the truth. 334 00:19:06,913 --> 00:19:08,946 -There was no form of historical record 335 00:19:08,982 --> 00:19:11,816 similar to our modern understanding of history. 336 00:19:11,851 --> 00:19:13,651 The writings were politically motivated, 337 00:19:13,686 --> 00:19:17,088 captivating literature, and that is an important point. 338 00:19:17,123 --> 00:19:21,125 It is literature rather than a scientific approach to history. 339 00:19:21,161 --> 00:19:23,594 Its primary purpose was to be exciting. 340 00:19:23,630 --> 00:19:25,897 At the time, this was the pinnacle of writing, 341 00:19:25,932 --> 00:19:27,665 stylistically sophisticated, 342 00:19:27,700 --> 00:19:30,468 excitingly told, and attractively presented. 343 00:19:33,873 --> 00:19:37,408 -According to the writers, the attempted murder fails, 344 00:19:37,443 --> 00:19:41,445 and Agrippina manages to reach land. 345 00:19:41,481 --> 00:19:44,982 Nero panics and, fearing his mother's revenge, 346 00:19:45,018 --> 00:19:48,653 sends armed men to her villa to kill her. 347 00:19:48,688 --> 00:19:53,424 Cassius Dio claims that Nero has his mother's dead body uncovered 348 00:19:53,459 --> 00:19:56,060 so he can examine it himself, 349 00:19:56,095 --> 00:19:59,397 while Tacitus questions whether this is really true. 350 00:20:02,335 --> 00:20:04,001 -There were no witnesses. 351 00:20:04,037 --> 00:20:06,537 We know that Agrippina was killed, 352 00:20:06,573 --> 00:20:09,574 but it is impossible to recreate the details of her death, 353 00:20:09,609 --> 00:20:13,144 which is why, in antiquity, this story was invented 354 00:20:13,179 --> 00:20:17,215 and passed on to create a particularly dramatic tale 355 00:20:17,250 --> 00:20:19,517 of how a son killed his mother. 356 00:20:19,552 --> 00:20:24,822 ¶¶ 357 00:20:24,857 --> 00:20:26,857 -But the fact remains. 358 00:20:26,893 --> 00:20:29,460 Whether Nero gave the order to kill his mother 359 00:20:29,495 --> 00:20:32,296 or she died by other means, her death 360 00:20:32,332 --> 00:20:35,566 and the rumors surrounding it were a burden Nero carried 361 00:20:35,602 --> 00:20:38,236 for the rest of his life and beyond. 362 00:20:42,308 --> 00:20:45,643 The writers' horrifying stories about Agrippina's death 363 00:20:45,678 --> 00:20:51,215 continue to shape perceptions of Nero to this day. 364 00:20:51,251 --> 00:20:55,486 What really happened that night, however, will remain a mystery. 365 00:20:58,491 --> 00:21:01,459 -As the writers would appear to be unreliable, 366 00:21:01,494 --> 00:21:03,894 they would not be considered objective witnesses 367 00:21:03,930 --> 00:21:05,696 by modern standards. 368 00:21:05,732 --> 00:21:07,498 In summary, there are reports 369 00:21:07,533 --> 00:21:09,900 that Nero had his mother murdered, 370 00:21:09,936 --> 00:21:11,869 but there's no material evidence, 371 00:21:11,904 --> 00:21:14,205 and there are no convincing leads. 372 00:21:18,678 --> 00:21:21,812 -Rome, the summer of 64 AD. 373 00:21:21,848 --> 00:21:24,982 The city is in flames, again. 374 00:21:25,018 --> 00:21:29,287 Fire was a constant danger, but this time, it's different. 375 00:21:29,322 --> 00:21:34,258 The blaze spreads faster and farther than any before it. 376 00:21:34,294 --> 00:21:37,228 Suetonius and Cassius Dio accuse Nero 377 00:21:37,263 --> 00:21:41,032 of starting the fire and suggest two possible motives. 378 00:21:41,067 --> 00:21:44,268 Either he wanted to create space for the Domus Aurea, 379 00:21:44,304 --> 00:21:47,305 his new golden palace, or alternatively, 380 00:21:47,340 --> 00:21:50,508 he wanted Rome to burn to serve as inspiration 381 00:21:50,543 --> 00:21:55,313 for his artistic endeavors, so he could serenade the flames. 382 00:21:55,348 --> 00:21:59,984 Tacitus, the third writer, doesn't offer a theory. 383 00:22:00,019 --> 00:22:03,654 -So did Nero have a motive to set fire to Rome? 384 00:22:03,690 --> 00:22:06,924 We have been forced to accept that the writers were prepared 385 00:22:06,959 --> 00:22:10,194 to write down their own versions of the truth, 386 00:22:10,229 --> 00:22:11,962 for whatever reasons. 387 00:22:11,998 --> 00:22:14,231 But what really happened in the days and nights 388 00:22:14,267 --> 00:22:17,935 while Rome burned? 389 00:22:17,970 --> 00:22:22,306 -At this moment in history, Rome is a bustling metropolis. 390 00:22:22,342 --> 00:22:24,642 Its streets are filled with people. 391 00:22:24,677 --> 00:22:29,447 In fact, the capital is bursting at the seams. 392 00:22:29,482 --> 00:22:32,516 People elbow their way through the hot, narrow alleys 393 00:22:32,552 --> 00:22:35,720 that make up most of the city. 394 00:22:35,755 --> 00:22:38,089 Land is extremely valuable, 395 00:22:38,124 --> 00:22:43,961 and urban planning and fire safety are of little concern. 396 00:22:43,996 --> 00:22:46,464 Buildings are made of substandard quality, 397 00:22:46,499 --> 00:22:50,000 and many are made of wood and built close together. 398 00:22:50,036 --> 00:22:52,903 On this fateful day, this construction method 399 00:22:52,939 --> 00:22:55,906 seals the fate of much of the eternal city. 400 00:22:59,345 --> 00:23:02,680 The fire starts late in the evening near the Circus Maximus, 401 00:23:02,715 --> 00:23:05,750 a popular nighttime haunt in ancient Rome. 402 00:23:05,785 --> 00:23:08,552 The inferno rages for 9 days. 403 00:23:08,588 --> 00:23:10,354 Excavations have confirmed 404 00:23:10,390 --> 00:23:13,457 the blaze affected two-thirds of the city. 405 00:23:13,493 --> 00:23:16,594 The rapid spread of the fire and the scale of destruction 406 00:23:16,629 --> 00:23:20,131 immediately give rise to rumors of arson. 407 00:23:20,166 --> 00:23:22,533 -How did the fire spread so rapidly? 408 00:23:22,568 --> 00:23:26,704 Was it the work of arsonists who set fires in various locations, 409 00:23:26,739 --> 00:23:29,840 or was a spark enough to cause the blaze? 410 00:23:32,645 --> 00:23:37,148 -On this July day, the city is in the grip of a heat wave. 411 00:23:37,183 --> 00:23:41,419 There has been no rain for days, even weeks. 412 00:23:41,454 --> 00:23:44,622 The summer sun has left Rome's wooden buildings 413 00:23:44,657 --> 00:23:47,158 as dry as kindling. 414 00:23:47,193 --> 00:23:48,926 As evening falls, 415 00:23:48,961 --> 00:23:52,897 Romans light thousands of torches and oil lamps. 416 00:23:52,932 --> 00:23:56,634 An experiment demonstrates how the fire might have started 417 00:23:56,669 --> 00:23:58,702 and then spread so quickly. 418 00:23:58,738 --> 00:24:02,039 A small mishap, like an overturned oil lamp, 419 00:24:02,074 --> 00:24:05,743 would have been enough to start a fire that moved quickly, 420 00:24:05,778 --> 00:24:09,547 the flames igniting the wooden walls and furnishings. 421 00:24:09,582 --> 00:24:13,784 A hot, dry wind is blowing on this particular evening, 422 00:24:13,820 --> 00:24:17,555 helping the fire spread. 423 00:24:17,590 --> 00:24:20,458 Once the fire burns the length of the Circus, 424 00:24:20,493 --> 00:24:26,464 it moves into an area of densely built apartment blocks. 425 00:24:26,499 --> 00:24:28,933 In this lower part of the city, 426 00:24:28,968 --> 00:24:31,936 there aren't any large structures like temples 427 00:24:31,971 --> 00:24:36,006 or open spaces that could have slowed the fire's pace. 428 00:24:39,846 --> 00:24:42,179 Once it starts in earnest, 429 00:24:42,215 --> 00:24:45,416 the fire is essentially unstoppable. 430 00:24:45,451 --> 00:24:52,790 ¶¶ 431 00:24:52,825 --> 00:24:56,594 -If one objectively evaluates all the individual elements, 432 00:24:56,629 --> 00:24:59,363 then a single spark in challenging conditions 433 00:24:59,398 --> 00:25:00,698 would have been enough 434 00:25:00,733 --> 00:25:03,567 to reduce the metropolis to ash and cinders, 435 00:25:03,603 --> 00:25:07,771 whether the spark was caused intentionally or by accident. 436 00:25:07,807 --> 00:25:10,541 The center of the city is soon in ashes, 437 00:25:10,576 --> 00:25:12,142 as are the imperial palaces 438 00:25:12,178 --> 00:25:15,212 located close to where the fire starts. 439 00:25:15,248 --> 00:25:18,015 Nero's palace is among those destroyed, 440 00:25:18,050 --> 00:25:20,818 making it impossible for him to have stood on the roof, 441 00:25:20,853 --> 00:25:22,786 serenading the blaze. 442 00:25:22,822 --> 00:25:28,292 ¶¶ 443 00:25:28,327 --> 00:25:32,429 -I think that the story of Nero rushing back to Rome to serenade 444 00:25:32,465 --> 00:25:34,999 the burning city from the roof of his palace 445 00:25:35,034 --> 00:25:39,537 can safely be classified as nothing more than myth. 446 00:25:39,572 --> 00:25:42,206 His palace had been consumed by the flames. 447 00:25:42,241 --> 00:25:45,643 So Nero couldn't have performed music on its roof. 448 00:25:49,448 --> 00:25:52,082 -The claim that Nero had the fire started to make room 449 00:25:52,118 --> 00:25:55,920 for his new palace doesn't stand up to examination either. 450 00:25:59,725 --> 00:26:01,959 -If Nero really had wanted to find space 451 00:26:01,994 --> 00:26:03,827 to build his new palace, 452 00:26:03,863 --> 00:26:06,797 he would have had any number of other possibilities. 453 00:26:06,832 --> 00:26:08,866 He could have simply confiscated properties 454 00:26:08,901 --> 00:26:10,968 and had buildings torn down. 455 00:26:14,574 --> 00:26:17,007 -And Nero's beloved art collection 456 00:26:17,043 --> 00:26:19,176 is destroyed by the flames. 457 00:26:19,211 --> 00:26:22,146 -If one takes all the circumstances into account, 458 00:26:22,181 --> 00:26:23,714 the historical records, 459 00:26:23,749 --> 00:26:26,617 the architecture, and the resulting scenarios, 460 00:26:26,652 --> 00:26:29,320 there would have been no clear motive for Nero 461 00:26:29,355 --> 00:26:30,921 to set fire to Rome. 462 00:26:30,957 --> 00:26:35,726 It is more likely that the fire started by accident. 463 00:26:35,761 --> 00:26:38,228 -This is a very different portrait of Nero 464 00:26:38,264 --> 00:26:39,964 than we are familiar with. 465 00:26:43,803 --> 00:26:45,869 -He oversees the firefighting efforts. 466 00:26:45,905 --> 00:26:48,706 He proves himself a ruler concerned for his people. 467 00:26:48,741 --> 00:26:51,041 He has the parks opened for the homeless. 468 00:26:51,077 --> 00:26:53,644 He ensures there is sufficient grain. 469 00:26:53,679 --> 00:26:56,080 Essentially, he fulfills all the expectations 470 00:26:56,115 --> 00:26:58,682 the Roman populace has in this situation, 471 00:26:58,718 --> 00:27:01,385 which absolutely does not conform to the image 472 00:27:01,420 --> 00:27:04,355 of an insane, power-hungry tyrant. 473 00:27:04,390 --> 00:27:08,292 Indeed, he sounds more like a reasonable, responsible ruler. 474 00:27:08,327 --> 00:27:13,764 ¶¶ 475 00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:17,101 -Even Tacitus, the only one of the three writers alive 476 00:27:17,136 --> 00:27:18,469 during the disaster, 477 00:27:18,504 --> 00:27:22,506 credits Nero with effective crisis management. 478 00:27:22,541 --> 00:27:25,509 The emperor remains in Rome while the city burns 479 00:27:25,544 --> 00:27:27,945 and helps coordinate the rescue efforts, 480 00:27:27,980 --> 00:27:29,780 visiting those affected. 481 00:27:32,385 --> 00:27:35,119 In order to save sections of the Roman capital, 482 00:27:35,154 --> 00:27:38,288 Nero has firebreaks cut through the streets. 483 00:27:38,324 --> 00:27:40,924 Unfortunately, this only leads to accusations 484 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:45,829 he's responsible for further destruction of the city, 485 00:27:45,865 --> 00:27:48,432 and still the fire continues to tear through 486 00:27:48,467 --> 00:27:50,934 the wooden labyrinth of narrow alleys. 487 00:27:50,970 --> 00:27:56,173 Of Rome's 14 districts, only four are unaffected. 488 00:27:56,208 --> 00:28:00,144 As the rebuilding begins, Nero insists on new procedures 489 00:28:00,179 --> 00:28:03,814 to prevent future fires. 490 00:28:03,849 --> 00:28:05,282 -After the fire, 491 00:28:05,317 --> 00:28:08,719 Nero proves himself to be a forward-thinking statesman. 492 00:28:08,754 --> 00:28:11,722 He orders the implementation of construction regulations 493 00:28:11,757 --> 00:28:14,358 designed to prevent a repeat of the catastrophe Rome 494 00:28:14,393 --> 00:28:16,393 has just experienced. 495 00:28:16,429 --> 00:28:19,797 For example, he mandates that fire-resistant materials 496 00:28:19,832 --> 00:28:22,366 be used during reconstruction and that there must 497 00:28:22,401 --> 00:28:25,035 be sufficient space between the buildings. 498 00:28:28,741 --> 00:28:37,448 ¶¶ 499 00:28:37,483 --> 00:28:41,251 -The Rome that rises from the ruins has far wider streets, 500 00:28:41,287 --> 00:28:43,420 and Nero's fire safety regulations 501 00:28:43,456 --> 00:28:47,024 remain in place into late antiquity. 502 00:28:47,059 --> 00:28:50,227 But immediately after the blaze, rumors surface 503 00:28:50,262 --> 00:28:52,696 that the fire was caused by arson 504 00:28:52,732 --> 00:28:55,365 and that the emperor may be responsible. 505 00:28:57,470 --> 00:29:00,738 -In order to quell the accusations leveled at him, 506 00:29:00,773 --> 00:29:03,407 Nero had to find someone to hold responsible 507 00:29:03,442 --> 00:29:05,709 for the Great Fire of Rome. 508 00:29:05,745 --> 00:29:07,644 Some in his inner circle suggested 509 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,981 that the Christians would make ideal scapegoats. 510 00:29:13,552 --> 00:29:17,488 -Nero is often portrayed as the Antichrist. 511 00:29:17,523 --> 00:29:20,090 He is said to have had hundreds of innocent Christians 512 00:29:20,126 --> 00:29:21,525 brutally put to death, 513 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,628 the first persecution of Christians in history. 514 00:29:24,663 --> 00:29:28,766 This is the beginning of a legend, Nero the Insane, 515 00:29:28,801 --> 00:29:32,469 the sadist, the personification of evil. 516 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,241 The roots of this myth lie in the ashes 517 00:29:37,276 --> 00:29:39,877 of the Great Fire of Rome. 518 00:29:39,912 --> 00:29:41,912 Given the extent of the destruction, 519 00:29:41,947 --> 00:29:46,617 Romans refuse to believe the fire started accidentally. 520 00:29:46,652 --> 00:29:49,253 Nero is under increasing public pressure 521 00:29:49,288 --> 00:29:51,755 to find someone to blame. 522 00:29:51,791 --> 00:29:55,793 Eventually, the emperor settles on a new religious sect 523 00:29:55,828 --> 00:29:59,596 that is widely disliked and seems to have a motive. 524 00:29:59,632 --> 00:30:02,966 -There has never been a disaster which didn't immediately cause 525 00:30:03,002 --> 00:30:06,136 a psychological quest to find a guilty party. 526 00:30:06,172 --> 00:30:08,739 The same applies to the Great Fire of Rome. 527 00:30:08,774 --> 00:30:11,175 But why were the Christians targeted? 528 00:30:11,210 --> 00:30:13,977 What was their significance in ancient Rome? 529 00:30:14,013 --> 00:30:15,746 What were their goals? 530 00:30:18,050 --> 00:30:21,185 -The Romans view this new Christian religion 531 00:30:21,220 --> 00:30:22,686 with suspicion. 532 00:30:22,721 --> 00:30:26,824 They have strange rituals, burying their dead in catacombs, 533 00:30:26,859 --> 00:30:28,892 belief in a single god, 534 00:30:28,928 --> 00:30:32,229 refusing to believe in the divine nature of the emperor, 535 00:30:32,264 --> 00:30:35,232 all of which are counter to Roman custom. 536 00:30:38,737 --> 00:30:42,673 Christian religious history has often censored, 537 00:30:42,708 --> 00:30:46,443 exaggerated, or falsified facts. 538 00:30:46,478 --> 00:30:49,513 The same applies to Nero's alleged persecution 539 00:30:49,548 --> 00:30:51,248 of Christians. 540 00:30:53,686 --> 00:30:56,153 In addition to their unfamiliar practices, 541 00:30:56,188 --> 00:30:58,155 early Christians might have hoped 542 00:30:58,190 --> 00:31:01,291 for a disaster like the Great Fire. 543 00:31:01,327 --> 00:31:08,332 ¶¶ 544 00:31:08,367 --> 00:31:15,405 ¶¶ 545 00:31:15,441 --> 00:31:22,446 ¶¶ 546 00:31:22,481 --> 00:31:25,115 -In this early period, the Christians yearned 547 00:31:25,150 --> 00:31:29,653 for the end of the world, and yet it refused to arrive. 548 00:31:29,688 --> 00:31:31,655 The first Christians died, 549 00:31:31,690 --> 00:31:33,690 and there was still no indication 550 00:31:33,726 --> 00:31:36,326 of an approaching Armageddon. 551 00:31:36,362 --> 00:31:39,096 It is, therefore, easy to imagine 552 00:31:39,131 --> 00:31:41,798 that the early Christians celebrated an event 553 00:31:41,834 --> 00:31:44,201 such as the Great Fire of Rome 554 00:31:44,236 --> 00:31:49,740 as a signal that the end of the world was finally near. 555 00:31:49,775 --> 00:31:55,746 ¶¶ 556 00:31:55,781 --> 00:32:01,151 -This new religion holds that the world will end in flames. 557 00:32:01,186 --> 00:32:03,820 Is the fire the long-awaited moment? 558 00:32:03,856 --> 00:32:05,355 Tacitus even states, 559 00:32:05,391 --> 00:32:08,926 "The Christians admit to starting the fire." 560 00:32:08,961 --> 00:32:17,668 ¶¶ 561 00:32:17,703 --> 00:32:20,671 -[Speaking German] 562 00:32:20,706 --> 00:32:23,573 -Jesus told his apostles to follow him, 563 00:32:23,609 --> 00:32:27,678 and it was widely understood that he also meant in death 564 00:32:27,713 --> 00:32:29,846 and in the manner of death. 565 00:32:29,882 --> 00:32:33,417 Jesus Christ was executed by the Romans. 566 00:32:33,452 --> 00:32:36,820 Accordingly, the early Christians would have considered 567 00:32:36,855 --> 00:32:42,392 their execution at the hands of the Romans an honorable death. 568 00:32:42,428 --> 00:32:45,729 In this context, it made sense to claim responsibility 569 00:32:45,764 --> 00:32:47,264 for the fire, 570 00:32:47,299 --> 00:32:52,636 accept blame, and be executed in order to get into Heaven. 571 00:32:54,907 --> 00:32:57,341 -Whether or not the Christians set the fire, 572 00:32:57,376 --> 00:33:03,046 their claims of responsibility bring them sudden notoriety. 573 00:33:03,082 --> 00:33:05,449 The previously unknown sect 574 00:33:05,484 --> 00:33:08,352 is now infamous throughout the city. 575 00:33:08,387 --> 00:33:18,061 ¶¶ 576 00:33:18,097 --> 00:33:22,165 The people want a scapegoat, and Nero offers one up. 577 00:33:25,604 --> 00:33:28,071 He punishes the Christians in accordance 578 00:33:28,107 --> 00:33:29,806 with the law at the time. 579 00:33:29,842 --> 00:33:33,210 Arsonists are publicly burned at the stake. 580 00:33:33,245 --> 00:33:35,812 It is a cruel method of execution, 581 00:33:35,848 --> 00:33:39,383 a spectacle, theater for the people of Rome, 582 00:33:39,418 --> 00:33:42,853 and it serves to strengthen Nero's authority. 583 00:33:42,888 --> 00:33:47,424 For Nero, the matter is finished. 584 00:33:47,459 --> 00:33:51,695 And there's no evidence he ever targeted Christians again. 585 00:33:55,267 --> 00:33:58,168 -People get the culture and the laws they deserve, 586 00:33:58,203 --> 00:34:00,871 and this also applied during the time of Nero. 587 00:34:00,906 --> 00:34:03,907 As emperor, he had to deal with a major catastrophe -- 588 00:34:03,942 --> 00:34:05,609 the Great Fire of Rome. 589 00:34:05,644 --> 00:34:09,079 According to the historians, he found the guilty parties 590 00:34:09,114 --> 00:34:11,982 and had them publicly punished in accordance 591 00:34:12,017 --> 00:34:13,750 with the laws of the time 592 00:34:13,786 --> 00:34:17,054 so that his people's sense of pain and loss 593 00:34:17,089 --> 00:34:20,057 could be drowned in the thrill of revenge. 594 00:34:20,092 --> 00:34:23,193 One could almost say that he acted in the only way 595 00:34:23,228 --> 00:34:25,595 he could to preserve his reign. 596 00:34:25,631 --> 00:34:30,367 ¶¶ 597 00:34:30,402 --> 00:34:33,570 -Remnants of the Roman Forum today. 598 00:34:33,605 --> 00:34:37,307 Nero's greatest treasure, the Domus Aurea, 599 00:34:37,342 --> 00:34:38,875 or golden house, 600 00:34:38,911 --> 00:34:43,046 lies buried below these ruins surrounding the Colosseum. 601 00:34:43,082 --> 00:34:46,450 His great palace would ultimately earn the emperor 602 00:34:46,485 --> 00:34:49,186 a reputation as a megalomaniac. 603 00:34:49,221 --> 00:34:51,721 Nero's grand estate was eventually 604 00:34:51,757 --> 00:34:54,491 submerged below other structures. 605 00:34:54,526 --> 00:34:59,329 No trace remains, at least at ground level. 606 00:34:59,364 --> 00:35:03,533 The building were only discovered by accident in 1480, 607 00:35:03,569 --> 00:35:05,402 when someone fell through a hole 608 00:35:05,437 --> 00:35:07,971 in the remains of the Baths of Trajan. 609 00:35:08,006 --> 00:35:12,275 Below the baths were the high rooms of the Domus Aurea. 610 00:35:12,311 --> 00:35:15,946 Many frescoes and wall decorations were still intact. 611 00:35:15,981 --> 00:35:19,149 Nothing like it had been seen before. 612 00:35:19,184 --> 00:35:22,652 Only now, after many years of extensive research, 613 00:35:22,688 --> 00:35:26,089 is it possible to reconstruct the palace compound 614 00:35:26,125 --> 00:35:29,493 at its full scale and artistic beauty. 615 00:35:29,528 --> 00:35:35,699 ¶¶ 616 00:35:35,734 --> 00:35:41,872 ¶¶ 617 00:35:41,907 --> 00:35:45,642 -With the Domus Aurea, Nero fulfills his dream 618 00:35:45,677 --> 00:35:49,713 of creating a life shaped by the arts. 619 00:35:49,748 --> 00:35:52,315 The emperor has artists brought in from all 620 00:35:52,351 --> 00:35:57,621 over the Roman Empire to decorate his golden house. 621 00:35:57,656 --> 00:36:00,657 Nero wants to make a statement with the palace. 622 00:36:00,692 --> 00:36:04,961 Here is what art and technology can achieve. 623 00:36:04,997 --> 00:36:06,496 The frescoes on the walls 624 00:36:06,532 --> 00:36:12,269 and domes cover an area of 300,000 square feet. 625 00:36:12,304 --> 00:36:15,305 But Nero's dream is enormously expensive, 626 00:36:15,340 --> 00:36:17,941 and he demands tribute from Rome's nobility 627 00:36:17,976 --> 00:36:19,376 in order to pay for it. 628 00:36:19,411 --> 00:36:22,412 The Domus Aurea marks the start of his conflict 629 00:36:22,447 --> 00:36:26,216 with the aristocracy and the beginning of Nero's end. 630 00:36:28,554 --> 00:36:31,955 -One of the main reasons Nero became so unpopular 631 00:36:31,990 --> 00:36:34,324 with the governing political class 632 00:36:34,359 --> 00:36:37,494 was that he started this massive construction project in Rome 633 00:36:37,529 --> 00:36:39,629 to build his golden house, 634 00:36:39,665 --> 00:36:42,999 the likes of which had never been seen in the city before. 635 00:36:47,639 --> 00:36:50,640 -The palace complex, located in the heart of Rome, 636 00:36:50,676 --> 00:36:54,411 consists of several buildings surrounded by extensive gardens, 637 00:36:54,446 --> 00:36:56,780 lakes, and pools to cool the air. 638 00:36:56,815 --> 00:36:59,916 Nero even has some of the roofs covered in gold, 639 00:36:59,952 --> 00:37:03,520 which gives rise to the name the Golden House. 640 00:37:07,125 --> 00:37:10,126 Many rulers engage in ostentatious behavior, 641 00:37:10,162 --> 00:37:12,929 but Nero seemingly eclipses them all. 642 00:37:12,965 --> 00:37:17,100 This massive palace, built over the remains of parts of the city 643 00:37:17,135 --> 00:37:20,770 decimated by fire, soon causes controversy. 644 00:37:20,806 --> 00:37:23,573 It is enormously expensive to maintain. 645 00:37:23,609 --> 00:37:25,976 Behind the scenes, an army of servants 646 00:37:26,011 --> 00:37:29,246 is at the emperor's beck and call day and night. 647 00:37:29,281 --> 00:37:32,148 Rose petals fall from the ceiling of some rooms 648 00:37:32,184 --> 00:37:34,117 when Nero is present. 649 00:37:34,152 --> 00:37:36,886 In fact, the great halls of the palace 650 00:37:36,922 --> 00:37:39,889 may represent the zenith of Nero's power. 651 00:37:39,925 --> 00:37:43,560 He successfully waged war against Armenia and Britain, 652 00:37:43,595 --> 00:37:47,030 finally ending conflicts that simmered for years, 653 00:37:47,065 --> 00:37:50,567 but Domus Aurea earns him political enemies. 654 00:37:50,602 --> 00:37:54,404 Nero is accused of being a megalomaniac and wasteful. 655 00:37:54,439 --> 00:37:55,939 According to Suetonius, 656 00:37:55,974 --> 00:37:58,508 Nero claims he's finally inhabiting 657 00:37:58,543 --> 00:38:01,578 a home fit for a human being. 658 00:38:01,613 --> 00:38:10,020 ¶¶ 659 00:38:10,055 --> 00:38:11,388 -Mmm. 660 00:38:11,423 --> 00:38:14,090 After considering all the psychological details 661 00:38:14,126 --> 00:38:17,794 of Nero's behavior, one question is unavoidable. 662 00:38:17,829 --> 00:38:19,929 What was Nero's mental state? 663 00:38:19,965 --> 00:38:22,732 Was he insane, a megalomaniac? 664 00:38:22,768 --> 00:38:27,771 Was he, in fact, not responsible for his actions due to insanity? 665 00:38:31,276 --> 00:38:33,343 -Nero has a statue of himself 666 00:38:33,378 --> 00:38:36,079 built at the heart of the Domus Aurea. 667 00:38:36,114 --> 00:38:40,850 The statue is nearly 100 feet high and visible across Rome. 668 00:38:40,886 --> 00:38:44,688 Many, including Rome's elites, as well as later historians, 669 00:38:44,723 --> 00:38:47,424 feel that he has lost touch with reality. 670 00:38:47,459 --> 00:38:50,694 ¶¶ 671 00:38:50,729 --> 00:38:53,396 -[Speaks German] 672 00:38:53,432 --> 00:38:56,666 -Nero was not an insane ruler. 673 00:38:56,702 --> 00:39:00,270 The writers subsequently painted this picture of the emperor, 674 00:39:00,305 --> 00:39:03,406 but he was certainly not psychologically ill. 675 00:39:03,442 --> 00:39:05,408 He simply behaved in a manner 676 00:39:05,444 --> 00:39:08,211 that did not suit the politics of the day. 677 00:39:12,217 --> 00:39:15,885 -Increasingly, Nero concentrates on his own interests 678 00:39:15,921 --> 00:39:19,422 and longs for a family to inhabit his majestic home. 679 00:39:19,458 --> 00:39:24,494 ¶¶ 680 00:39:24,529 --> 00:39:26,129 Intent on settling down, 681 00:39:26,164 --> 00:39:29,466 he falls in love with a woman named Poppaea Sabina, 682 00:39:29,501 --> 00:39:34,003 stunningly beautiful, educated, intelligent and flirtatious. 683 00:39:34,039 --> 00:39:37,974 They marry, and in 65 AD, she becomes pregnant. 684 00:39:38,009 --> 00:39:41,044 According to Tacitus, Poppaea is the victim of Nero's 685 00:39:41,079 --> 00:39:46,516 most brutal crime, one he carries out himself. 686 00:39:46,551 --> 00:39:49,319 -Once again, in the case of Poppaea's death, 687 00:39:49,354 --> 00:39:51,588 there are alleged witness statements, 688 00:39:51,623 --> 00:39:54,190 but there's no material evidence. 689 00:39:54,226 --> 00:39:56,359 -Recent research might shed some light 690 00:39:56,395 --> 00:39:59,729 on this dark episode in Nero's history. 691 00:39:59,765 --> 00:40:01,431 In the late 19th century, 692 00:40:01,466 --> 00:40:04,901 British archaeologists discovered hundreds of papyri 693 00:40:04,936 --> 00:40:08,638 during excavations in the Egyptian town of Oxyrhynchus. 694 00:40:11,476 --> 00:40:13,209 During the Roman Empire, 695 00:40:13,245 --> 00:40:17,580 Oxyrhynchus had a population of approximately 10,000 people. 696 00:40:17,616 --> 00:40:24,754 ¶¶ 697 00:40:24,790 --> 00:40:28,158 The archaeologists put the pieces of papyrus back together 698 00:40:28,193 --> 00:40:32,762 as though completing a puzzle and revealed a piece of writing. 699 00:40:32,798 --> 00:40:35,198 Unfortunately, they were unable to read it, 700 00:40:35,233 --> 00:40:37,834 and the content of the papyrus remained a mystery 701 00:40:37,869 --> 00:40:40,637 for more than a century. 702 00:40:40,672 --> 00:40:44,407 A few years ago, a team of experts devoted itself 703 00:40:44,443 --> 00:40:47,076 to figuring out what the text said. 704 00:40:47,112 --> 00:40:49,512 -I didn't have the slightest idea 705 00:40:49,548 --> 00:40:52,482 what this papyrus was going to be. 706 00:40:52,517 --> 00:40:56,419 I started working on the text, deciphering the text 707 00:40:56,455 --> 00:41:00,590 from a very badly preserved piece of papyrus. 708 00:41:02,694 --> 00:41:05,462 -The document was written in classical Greek 709 00:41:05,497 --> 00:41:08,865 nearly 200 years after Nero's death. 710 00:41:08,900 --> 00:41:12,335 Translating the ancient language wasn't the problem. 711 00:41:12,370 --> 00:41:17,874 Rather, only a few fragments survived the millennia. 712 00:41:17,909 --> 00:41:23,513 -All of a sudden, I stumbled upon the name of Nero, 713 00:41:23,548 --> 00:41:25,381 and I couldn't believe my eyes. 714 00:41:25,417 --> 00:41:28,084 What was he doing there? 715 00:41:28,119 --> 00:41:32,889 And I kept reading, and there came another occurrence of Nero 716 00:41:32,924 --> 00:41:34,757 somewhere else in the text, 717 00:41:34,793 --> 00:41:39,362 and then another time, and a fourth time. 718 00:41:39,397 --> 00:41:44,634 There was Nero in four places in what was actually a poem. 719 00:41:44,669 --> 00:41:48,137 -The experts found references to a woman who was dying, 720 00:41:48,173 --> 00:41:51,741 Nero's wife, Poppaea. 721 00:41:51,776 --> 00:41:54,344 But there was no mention of her murder, 722 00:41:54,379 --> 00:41:57,347 let alone at the hand of Nero. 723 00:41:57,382 --> 00:42:00,884 -This is quite a surprise in our papyrus. 724 00:42:00,919 --> 00:42:05,421 This woman doesn't die from a violent death. 725 00:42:05,457 --> 00:42:10,593 On the contrary, the story as you find it on this papyrus 726 00:42:10,629 --> 00:42:17,800 tells you about the love between Poppaea and her husband, Nero. 727 00:42:17,836 --> 00:42:23,640 And this is really not the story that we find in other sources, 728 00:42:23,675 --> 00:42:29,479 where, allegedly, Nero kicked his wife in her belly 729 00:42:29,514 --> 00:42:32,916 while she was pregnant and killed her. 730 00:42:32,951 --> 00:42:39,222 This story of the kick in the belly is simply not credible. 731 00:42:39,257 --> 00:42:42,592 -Profiler Mueller cautions against taking any reports 732 00:42:42,627 --> 00:42:44,827 about Nero at face value. 733 00:42:47,098 --> 00:42:49,165 -We should not give into the temptation 734 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:52,969 to condemn the writers' works as untrustworthy 735 00:42:53,004 --> 00:42:55,638 and then be willing to unconditionally believe 736 00:42:55,674 --> 00:42:59,842 reports that provide a more positive impression of Nero. 737 00:42:59,878 --> 00:43:01,611 The same applies to both. 738 00:43:01,646 --> 00:43:04,280 They are stories that mainly reflect 739 00:43:04,316 --> 00:43:06,349 the intentions of the writers. 740 00:43:08,587 --> 00:43:11,421 -But the Oxyrhynchus text does confirm 741 00:43:11,456 --> 00:43:14,891 that there are sources besides the three main writers. 742 00:43:14,926 --> 00:43:20,597 ¶¶ 743 00:43:20,632 --> 00:43:22,832 Nobody knows what really happened. 744 00:43:22,867 --> 00:43:24,968 Historians suspect Poppaea died 745 00:43:25,003 --> 00:43:28,905 as a result of complications during pregnancy. 746 00:43:28,940 --> 00:43:32,275 Was the story of the kick to the stomach ever believable? 747 00:43:32,310 --> 00:43:36,913 It seems the writers recycled an often-used literary device. 748 00:43:40,118 --> 00:43:42,318 -What is particularly interesting about this story 749 00:43:42,354 --> 00:43:44,020 is that it reappears again and again 750 00:43:44,055 --> 00:43:46,656 with different protagonists in different eras. 751 00:43:46,691 --> 00:43:48,324 This shows that the writers knew 752 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:51,227 they would never discover the truth about Poppaea's death, 753 00:43:51,262 --> 00:43:53,963 but that they intended to represent Nero as evil. 754 00:43:53,999 --> 00:43:56,733 The easiest way to do this was to repeat the story 755 00:43:56,768 --> 00:43:58,868 that had been around for centuries 756 00:43:58,903 --> 00:44:02,839 that tyrants kill pregnant women. 757 00:44:02,874 --> 00:44:09,379 ¶¶ 758 00:44:09,414 --> 00:44:10,613 -[Speaks German] 759 00:44:10,649 --> 00:44:12,215 -The most interesting aspect 760 00:44:12,250 --> 00:44:14,317 is that an important writer like Tacitus 761 00:44:14,352 --> 00:44:18,488 was willing to adopt this story and then present it as fact. 762 00:44:18,523 --> 00:44:22,525 This shows just what the writers considered historical truth -- 763 00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:24,594 not the facts as they occurred, 764 00:44:24,629 --> 00:44:26,796 but their own personal version of the truth. 765 00:44:26,831 --> 00:44:29,232 And their version of the truth was to find a story 766 00:44:29,267 --> 00:44:32,335 that plausibly painted Nero as a tyrant. 767 00:44:37,142 --> 00:44:41,077 -The Roman city of Pompeii was buried beneath lava and ash 768 00:44:41,112 --> 00:44:44,814 after Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, 769 00:44:44,849 --> 00:44:47,350 buried, but not destroyed. 770 00:44:47,385 --> 00:44:51,120 Today, its excavation is an important source of information 771 00:44:51,156 --> 00:44:54,357 about ancient Roman life. 772 00:44:54,392 --> 00:44:56,359 In Pompeii, there are, in fact, 773 00:44:56,394 --> 00:45:00,430 indications that Nero was beloved by his subjects... 774 00:45:03,201 --> 00:45:04,901 inscriptions on the walls, 775 00:45:04,936 --> 00:45:09,839 graffiti that reveals the attitudes of the populace. 776 00:45:09,874 --> 00:45:14,777 -What really surprised me when I started doing my field work 777 00:45:14,813 --> 00:45:18,314 was how small these inscriptions are. 778 00:45:18,349 --> 00:45:22,285 So we, modern 21st century people, think of graffiti, 779 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:23,853 and we think of spray paint, 780 00:45:23,888 --> 00:45:28,191 or we think of big, big statements. 781 00:45:28,226 --> 00:45:33,496 But in the ancient world, you get very small writing. 782 00:45:37,168 --> 00:45:40,203 -Most of the graffiti was found in the ruins of the houses 783 00:45:40,238 --> 00:45:41,904 in the Via dell'Abbondanza, 784 00:45:41,940 --> 00:45:45,074 which suffered further damage during World War II, 785 00:45:45,110 --> 00:45:48,211 although photos still remain. 786 00:45:48,246 --> 00:45:54,283 -So we have 80 graffiti written by the man on the street, 787 00:45:54,319 --> 00:45:57,019 the general population in Pompeii, 788 00:45:57,055 --> 00:45:59,122 and we find them throughout the town. 789 00:45:59,157 --> 00:46:00,757 We find them in people's houses. 790 00:46:00,792 --> 00:46:02,792 We find them in people's kitchens. 791 00:46:02,827 --> 00:46:07,130 These are inscriptions that are writing the emperor's name. 792 00:46:07,165 --> 00:46:08,664 They weren't removing them. 793 00:46:08,700 --> 00:46:14,704 Not a single one has a negative aspect or characteristic to it. 794 00:46:14,739 --> 00:46:21,644 So these graffiti are really showing us how popular Nero was. 795 00:46:21,679 --> 00:46:22,879 -This bit of graffiti 796 00:46:22,914 --> 00:46:26,149 was found in the house of Paquius Proculus. 797 00:46:26,184 --> 00:46:28,251 It was written by the slave Cucuta, 798 00:46:28,286 --> 00:46:33,723 who proudly left his name next to that of Nero's. 799 00:46:33,758 --> 00:46:35,591 Another example, gladiators 800 00:46:35,627 --> 00:46:37,827 who went through the imperial training school 801 00:46:37,862 --> 00:46:42,198 called themselves Neroiani, after their emperor, 802 00:46:42,233 --> 00:46:47,804 and their graffiti suggests why he was so popular. 803 00:46:47,839 --> 00:46:53,376 -In Pompeii, we think that Nero probably canceled a ban 804 00:46:53,411 --> 00:46:56,913 on gladiatorial games that had been put into play. 805 00:46:56,948 --> 00:46:59,348 The city of Pompeii wasn't allowed to hold 806 00:46:59,384 --> 00:47:01,918 gladiatorial spectacles for a period of 10 years. 807 00:47:01,953 --> 00:47:03,719 The people were pretty unhappy. 808 00:47:03,755 --> 00:47:06,622 Nero comes in and says, "All right. You can go ahead 809 00:47:06,658 --> 00:47:10,893 and go back to holding games," and the people loved him. 810 00:47:10,929 --> 00:47:15,131 -Bread and circuses, a strategy used by many Roman emperors 811 00:47:15,166 --> 00:47:17,400 to ensure their own popularity. 812 00:47:17,435 --> 00:47:19,001 But in ancient Rome, 813 00:47:19,037 --> 00:47:22,438 popularity is not the same thing is political power. 814 00:47:22,473 --> 00:47:24,941 The aristocracy, and therefore the Senate, 815 00:47:24,976 --> 00:47:28,110 feel Nero is no longer serving its interests. 816 00:47:28,146 --> 00:47:29,512 As Mueller explains, 817 00:47:29,547 --> 00:47:32,348 Nero's popularity with the citizens of Rome 818 00:47:32,383 --> 00:47:34,750 angers the empire's political class. 819 00:47:34,786 --> 00:47:39,355 -Nero was popular because he obviously knew how to satisfy 820 00:47:39,390 --> 00:47:42,592 the demands of his subjects in order to distract 821 00:47:42,627 --> 00:47:46,162 from his own occasionally excessive needs. 822 00:47:46,197 --> 00:47:51,400 However, Rome's elites wanted to establish their own popularity 823 00:47:51,436 --> 00:47:54,036 with the people with a set of values 824 00:47:54,072 --> 00:47:56,539 that were very different from Nero's. 825 00:47:56,574 --> 00:48:01,344 This had to lead to an escalation. 826 00:48:01,379 --> 00:48:04,046 -The political elite also disapprove of what they see 827 00:48:04,082 --> 00:48:08,618 as Nero's extravagant lifestyle. 828 00:48:08,653 --> 00:48:12,788 Suetonius describes a wanton lazy existence. 829 00:48:12,824 --> 00:48:16,592 The emperor is considered decadent and depraved. 830 00:48:18,897 --> 00:48:20,963 But perhaps the real problem 831 00:48:20,999 --> 00:48:24,300 is that Nero never wanted to be emperor. 832 00:48:24,335 --> 00:48:27,136 At heart, he is an artist. 833 00:48:27,171 --> 00:48:28,738 His ambitious mother, Agrippina, 834 00:48:28,773 --> 00:48:31,574 may have trained him in the ways of a statesman, 835 00:48:31,609 --> 00:48:35,711 but he has no passion for it. 836 00:48:35,747 --> 00:48:38,948 Nero is particularly attracted to acting, 837 00:48:38,983 --> 00:48:42,718 frequently engaging in challenging voice exercises. 838 00:48:42,754 --> 00:48:47,957 -[ Vocalizes ] 839 00:48:47,992 --> 00:48:52,295 -He is, quite simply, a free spirit, 840 00:48:52,330 --> 00:48:54,764 but emperors, statesmen, and politicians 841 00:48:54,799 --> 00:48:57,166 are expected to follow a moral code 842 00:48:57,201 --> 00:48:59,969 and meet their political responsibilities. 843 00:49:00,004 --> 00:49:03,239 Any artistic pursuit goes against the Roman values 844 00:49:03,274 --> 00:49:07,376 of aggression, bravery and a defiance of death. 845 00:49:07,412 --> 00:49:11,447 But Nero is unable to let go of his artistic dreams. 846 00:49:11,482 --> 00:49:14,050 He continues to study acting, 847 00:49:14,085 --> 00:49:17,820 using lead weights to strengthen his respiratory muscles 848 00:49:17,855 --> 00:49:20,656 and learning how to control his breath. 849 00:49:20,692 --> 00:49:24,760 His goal is to one day perform on stage. 850 00:49:24,796 --> 00:49:34,503 ¶¶ 851 00:49:34,539 --> 00:49:38,407 In 66 AD, the emperor takes a large entourage 852 00:49:38,443 --> 00:49:40,843 on an extended journey around Greece 853 00:49:40,878 --> 00:49:42,845 that lasts more than a year. 854 00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:46,148 Above all, Nero hopes to visit the games in Olympia 855 00:49:46,184 --> 00:49:48,584 and attend the large theater performances. 856 00:49:48,619 --> 00:49:52,588 His intention is to participate as an athlete and an actor. 857 00:49:52,623 --> 00:49:59,428 ¶¶ 858 00:49:59,464 --> 00:50:01,630 [ Applause ] 859 00:50:01,666 --> 00:50:04,633 Nero neglects his duties as a political leader 860 00:50:04,669 --> 00:50:05,935 and ignores his role 861 00:50:05,970 --> 00:50:08,604 as a representative of Roman values. 862 00:50:08,639 --> 00:50:11,273 Primarily interested in other pursuits, 863 00:50:11,309 --> 00:50:14,977 Nero pays less and less attention to affairs of state 864 00:50:15,013 --> 00:50:17,847 or to what is going on behind the scenes. 865 00:50:19,917 --> 00:50:23,152 Nero becomes a huge admirer of Greece. 866 00:50:23,187 --> 00:50:26,188 During his journey, he give the inhabitants of the Achea 867 00:50:26,224 --> 00:50:29,291 province in the Peloponnese region their freedom, 868 00:50:29,327 --> 00:50:33,763 which means that they no longer have to pay taxes to Rome, 869 00:50:33,798 --> 00:50:39,301 a generous and expensive gesture that angers the Roman Senate. 870 00:50:39,337 --> 00:50:41,504 But it's his passion for the arts 871 00:50:41,539 --> 00:50:43,806 that ultimately does Nero in. 872 00:50:47,078 --> 00:50:50,446 -Actors, singers, musicians, 873 00:50:50,481 --> 00:50:54,583 these were jobs with terrible status in Roman antiquity. 874 00:50:54,619 --> 00:50:58,320 Performers were at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, 875 00:50:58,356 --> 00:51:01,857 and had an extremely questionable reputation. 876 00:51:01,893 --> 00:51:04,060 It was simply unthinkable that an emperor 877 00:51:04,095 --> 00:51:09,031 could move in these circles, let alone perform himself. 878 00:51:11,402 --> 00:51:12,735 -From today's point of view, 879 00:51:12,770 --> 00:51:15,938 the idea of a ruler simultaneously being an artist 880 00:51:15,973 --> 00:51:17,706 doesn't sound so terrible. 881 00:51:17,742 --> 00:51:19,842 However, Nero crossed a line. 882 00:51:19,877 --> 00:51:22,211 Over the years, he allowed his artistic endeavors 883 00:51:22,246 --> 00:51:25,147 to assume so much significance that he was essentially 884 00:51:25,183 --> 00:51:29,118 no longer able to fulfill his responsibilities as an emperor. 885 00:51:29,153 --> 00:51:31,353 He became more an artist than a ruler 886 00:51:31,389 --> 00:51:32,955 in the public consciousness, 887 00:51:32,990 --> 00:51:37,326 and this unquestionably went too far for many of Rome's elites. 888 00:51:40,531 --> 00:51:42,565 -The Senate has had enough of Nero, 889 00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:44,600 as have parts of the military. 890 00:51:44,635 --> 00:51:46,969 Revolts break out in the provinces, 891 00:51:47,004 --> 00:51:50,473 and the empire is in danger of collapse. 892 00:51:50,508 --> 00:51:53,576 The Senate declares the emperor an enemy of the state, 893 00:51:53,611 --> 00:51:56,045 stripping him of his imperial role 894 00:51:56,080 --> 00:52:00,049 and sentencing him to death. 895 00:52:00,084 --> 00:52:01,383 -When we look back now, 896 00:52:01,419 --> 00:52:04,487 Rome's emperors always appear omnipotent. 897 00:52:04,522 --> 00:52:06,589 However, they were only all-powerful 898 00:52:06,624 --> 00:52:08,958 when they had the support of the Praetorian Guard, 899 00:52:08,993 --> 00:52:10,993 the army, and most of the Senate. 900 00:52:11,028 --> 00:52:12,394 In fact, much of the time, 901 00:52:12,430 --> 00:52:14,697 they were exceedingly vulnerable. 902 00:52:14,732 --> 00:52:17,733 If they lost the support of just one of these groups, 903 00:52:17,768 --> 00:52:22,037 they quickly became powerless. 904 00:52:22,073 --> 00:52:27,743 ¶¶ 905 00:52:27,778 --> 00:52:29,812 -Abandoned by his followers, 906 00:52:29,847 --> 00:52:33,182 Nero flees to a small estate near Rome. 907 00:52:33,217 --> 00:52:35,417 He knows what fate awaits him. 908 00:52:35,453 --> 00:52:38,487 Roman law dictates he be stripped naked 909 00:52:38,523 --> 00:52:41,524 and his neck painfully pinned to a forked stick 910 00:52:41,559 --> 00:52:43,559 before being led out of jail. 911 00:52:43,594 --> 00:52:45,628 After severe corporal punishment, 912 00:52:45,663 --> 00:52:47,730 he will be thrown off a cliff. 913 00:52:47,765 --> 00:52:53,602 ¶¶ 914 00:52:53,638 --> 00:53:00,009 The only way Nero can escape punishment is to commit suicide. 915 00:53:00,044 --> 00:53:04,747 Suetonius is the only writer to describe Nero's final hours. 916 00:53:04,782 --> 00:53:07,550 He paints a particularly humiliating picture 917 00:53:07,585 --> 00:53:09,285 of the emperor's death. 918 00:53:13,891 --> 00:53:15,491 According to Suetonius, 919 00:53:15,526 --> 00:53:18,360 Nero finally decides to take his own life 920 00:53:18,396 --> 00:53:21,830 as Roman guards come to arrest him. 921 00:53:21,866 --> 00:53:24,533 He hesitates, and a loyal servant steps 922 00:53:24,569 --> 00:53:26,502 in to offer encouragement. 923 00:53:28,839 --> 00:53:32,708 But how could Suetonius know these intimate details? 924 00:53:32,743 --> 00:53:35,945 He wasn't in the room. 925 00:53:35,980 --> 00:53:40,115 Another reason to question his dark biography of Nero. 926 00:53:40,151 --> 00:53:49,558 ¶¶ 927 00:53:49,594 --> 00:53:59,001 ¶¶ 928 00:53:59,036 --> 00:54:00,336 Almost before Nero 929 00:54:00,371 --> 00:54:02,004 is even buried, 930 00:54:02,039 --> 00:54:06,375 the defamation and character assassination begin, 931 00:54:06,410 --> 00:54:08,544 and while his infamy grows 932 00:54:08,579 --> 00:54:11,680 as a result of the three writers' accounts, 933 00:54:11,716 --> 00:54:13,816 there's little historical evidence 934 00:54:13,851 --> 00:54:17,820 to support the crimes he's accused of. 935 00:54:17,855 --> 00:54:20,689 -If each of these events is investigated 936 00:54:20,725 --> 00:54:23,492 using modern criminalistic methods, 937 00:54:23,527 --> 00:54:27,630 and if experts in different fields are called in to assist, 938 00:54:27,665 --> 00:54:30,733 it soon becomes clear that objectivity 939 00:54:30,768 --> 00:54:34,003 rapidly took a backseat to speculations, 940 00:54:34,038 --> 00:54:37,339 conjecture, and subjective representations. 941 00:54:37,375 --> 00:54:41,677 It is questionable whether Nero could even be put on trial 942 00:54:41,712 --> 00:54:43,612 in a modern legal system. 943 00:54:43,648 --> 00:54:47,116 Without a doubt, he would never be convicted 944 00:54:47,151 --> 00:54:50,919 of all the crimes he's accused of. 945 00:54:50,955 --> 00:54:52,721 -The images we have of Nero 946 00:54:52,757 --> 00:54:54,657 are the ones placed in our consciousness 947 00:54:54,692 --> 00:54:58,327 by those who emerged from history victorious. 948 00:54:58,362 --> 00:55:03,032 Forced to take his own life, Nero was a victim of history, 949 00:55:03,067 --> 00:55:05,801 perhaps in more ways than one. 950 00:55:05,836 --> 00:55:10,506 ¶¶ 951 00:55:12,008 --> 00:55:13,776 To order this program on DVD, 952 00:55:13,811 --> 00:55:17,713 visit ShopPBS or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS. 953 00:55:17,748 --> 00:55:20,549 This program is also available on Amazon Prime Video.