Nero, The Man Behind the Myth

Today we saw a fascinating exhibit at the British Museum on the life of the Roman Emperor Nero and his reputation, established almost 2000 years ago, as a degenerate and cruel sovereign.  After his father died, Nero was brought up by his mother, Julia Agrippina, a sister to Caligula, the third emperor of Rome. After reputedly poisoning her second husband, Agrippina became the wife of the fourth emperor, Claudius. Wanting her son Nero to succeed as emperor (rather than Claudius' son Britannicus), Agrippina ostensibly had Claudius poisoned. 

A marble statue of Nero as a young boy, AD 50-54

Marble statue of Tiberius
Second emperor of Rome

Nero

Marble statue of Emperor Claudius
Fourth Emperor of Rome

Marble statue of Mesallina Valeria
Third wife of Emperor Claudius
Who was said to have had 150 lovers

Marble state of Nero, AD 54-9,
After Nero became emperor statues like this were created
to serve a rising demand for his images.

Thanks to his mother's machinations, Nero became the fifth Roman emperor at the age of 16 years in the year AD 54.  Nero ruled for 14 years during which time he had Britannicus, Agrippina and his first two wives put to death. He set Rome on a fire and fiddled as the city burned.  He blamed the fire on Christians, and had many of them burned, crucified and fed to lions. When the senate declared Nero to be an enemy of the state, he committed suicide at the age 30.  This is the narrative that we have been told for almost 2000 years but is it the truth?

Agrippina Crowns Her Son Nero
A copy of a relief from present day Turkey

Soldiers of the Praetorian Guard, AD 50-51
A commemoration plaque celebrating Claudius' conquest of Britain in AD 43

A marble cast of Seneca, AD 200-24, Nero's tutor.
Highly admired but forced to commit suicide toward end of his reign.

Chains found in a lake in Wales BC 100  - AD 70

A small bronze statue of Nero in military garb

A bronze head of Nero, found in Colchester England AD 54-61
Statue perhaps decapitated in battle with Queen Boudicca of the Celtic Iceni tribe.

A marble statue AD 59-64 of Nero to mark his 5th year anniversary as emperor
Marble theater masks AD 1-79,from Pompeii.

A plaster and paint wall painting AD 62-79
depicting the story of Orestes
From a house in Pompeii

A stucco and painted panel AD 62-79
from a house in Pompeii.

Nero's third wife Statilia Messalina
Little is known about her.

Nero's 2nd wife, Poppaea Sabina

A dark green stone statue of Agrappina AD 49-59
Nero justified her death to the senate claiming
that Agrippina had planned to assassinate him

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A terracotta panel depicting the Circus Maximus in Rome, AD 40-70

A terracotta panel depicting the Circus Maximus in Rome, AD 40-70

A marble statue of Nero AD 64-8 perhaps made to commemorate his 10-yr anniversary as emperor
His hairstyle set a new trend that remained fashionable for decades

The exhibit at the British Museum asks us to consider not only who crafted the oft-told stories about Nero but, more importantly, why, acknowledging that Nero had a lot powerful enemies who felt their secrets, schemes and status were threatened by him.  

Hogarth House

William Hogarth (1697-1764) was the most celebrated British illustrator of his day. A witty satirist, social critic and a sympathetic portrait painter, he recorded the changing society in which he lived.  He is probably best known for his series addressing moral issues, including The Rake's Progress depicting the life of a son of a rich merchant who spends all his money on gambling and prostitutes and ends up in Bedlam Psychiatric Hospital.  Hogarth's characters are often bawdy and grotesque.

We visited his house in Chiswick, London, where he lived for 15 years until his death.  The house is 300 years old with very small rooms and floors that now dramatically slope.

I am a big fan of William Hogarth's works and I understand why he was so popular in his day.

Hogarth's burial place in Churchyard of St. Nicholas

There are some lovely homes in Chiswick near Hogarth House

The house is now situated by the busy A4 Road
one of the busiest roads in all the UK.

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The Rake's Progress, Told in 8 Pictures

Oriel Window Likely Installed by Hogarth

A Few Paintings I saw Today in the National Gallery

The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine, about 1530.
By Parmigianino.

The Conversion of Mary Magdalene, about 1548
Taken to the temple by her sister Martha, Mary Magdalene
is overcome on hearing Jesus preach.
By Paolo Veronese.

Christ Crowned by Thorns, about 1500.
Probably by Pietro Perugino.

Saint Catherine of Alexander, about 1507
Catherine leans on the wheel upon which
she was condemned to die.
By Rafael.

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Virgin & Child, about 1485.
By Alvise Vivarini.

The Virgin Child, about 1485
By Giovanni Bellini.

Madonna on the Meadow, about 1500
by Giovanni Bellini.

Buckingham Palace State Rooms

Today we took a guided tour of the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace, the setting for official ceremonial occasions.  For security reasons, we were not able to take photographs.  For one hour we wandered through various drawing rooms and galleries, and up and down staircases. One highlight was the Throne Room. The focus of the enjoyable and educational tour was the history of the building and the people occupying it over time.  Queen Victoria was the first sovereign to rule from Buckingham Palace in 1837.  Fortunately, Britain's Royal Family escaped the fate of other royals such as the Romanoffs of Russia or Marie Antoinette of France in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Buckingham Palace today is undergoing a major renovation, which will cost around 500 million US dollars,.  The renovation of the 775-room Palace, should be completed in 2027.  Eddie and I agreed that one or two of the rooms were a little musty-looking but most of the rooms were magnificent.  We'll have to wait and see what changes William and Kate will make to the grand home and museum.

The Hurlingham Club

Continuing our tour of gardens, today we visited Hurlingham, a private sporting and social club in Fulham, West London.  The estate covers 42 acres and is an amalgamation of three separate Thameside villas of the 18th century.  Membership is closed so I have no idea how much it cost to belong to such a club.  Everywhere we strolled were courts for tennis, croquet, and lawn bowling.  There was a cricket field, an outdoor swimming pool, banquet rooms, and of course beautiful gardens.