In the first year of his rule, Nero was a big hit. He built a wooden amphitheatre in the Campus Martius, flooded it, and held a naval battle with sea monsters. In his gladiator shows, nobody died, not even criminals. But then… Nero fell in love.

If you're seeing this message, it means you aren't logged in as a subscriber. If want to listen to the premium episodes of the series - hundreds of episodes on the lives of Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero and the Year of the Four Emperors - you’ll need to become one of our subscribers. REGISTER NOW to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's (thank you, Jesus, for that quote).