How important is theatricality and spectacle to Nero?

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Giverny Robinson-Sivyer                Classical Civilisation AS

Personal Tutor: Catherine Lang                Tutor: Arthur Franklin

How important is theatricality and spectacle to Nero?

Spectacle and the spectacular were obviously greatly important in Nero’s life; both to Nero’s own life and to the way in which Suetonius presents his opinions of Nero.

The earliest mentions of spectacle in the book are of Nero’s ancestors. The incident of the gain of their bronze beard gave his family a distinctive appearance, and also associated them with the gods, a spectacle like no other. However, despite this benefit, the detriments held against his family are far worse, appearing more to be making a spectacle of you than creating something that people want to see for positive reasons.  Chapter 2 gives us the first of the negative images we receive of Nero’s ancestors. One of his ancestors having paraded on an elephant, as though celebrating a triumph without deserving one, was a poor infliction, but showed similarity to Nero’s character, as Nero later wears triumphal dress in chapter 12 when the Armenian king prostrates in front of him.  This would have been beneficial to Suetonius’ presentation of Nero’s life because it develops Nero’s character in a way which shows his vice of pride and his need to feel important above all others; but mostly being willing to humiliate others of high rank to fell this.

Continuing to chapter 5; the main focus is the vices of his father. Having killed a boy whilst driving through a village and gouging out the eye of someone who challenged him in the court, the chapter outlines the vices which Nero shares with his ancestors, this would have been speculated about in Roman times because it appears to this point that the vices of Nero’s family get progressively worse as the generations continue. This would have been more beneficial to Suetonius’ development of Nero’s character because it shows a negative light and associates Nero with cruelty. Furthermore, it is also stated that he altered the prize money, and rules surrounding, of the chariot races. This however, would not have been such an important part of Nero’s life as it is to Suetonius’ telling of it, because Nero was adopted into a well off family.

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The main sign of theatricality in the earliest pages of the book are in chapter 6 at Nero’s birth. This seems almost like a parallel to Nero’s death. In chapter 6, Nero’s birth is described in a glorified way, as if a scene was being set by an orator at the beginning of a play, but at the end of the book in chapter 49, Nero uses many phrases theatrically, despite it being simpler to speak in normal speech. Examples of these are, ‘Hark to the sound I hear! It is hooves of galloping horses.’ And at his death, it ...

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