NERNST LAMP. See ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
NE'RO (A.n. 37-68). A Roman Emperor (A.n. 54-68). He was born at Antium, on the (mast of Latium. December 15, A.D. 37. and was the son of Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus and of Agrippina, the daughter of Gernianicus Ca•sar, and sister of Caligula. His mother afterwards became the wife of the Emperor Claudius, who adopted him (A.o. 50), and his name. originally L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, was changed to Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germaniens. After the death of Claudius (A.D. 54), the Praetorian Guards., at the instigation of Afranins Burils• their prefect, de dared him Emperor, instead of Claudius's son Britannieus, and their choice was aeknowledg,ed both by the Senate and the provinces. His reign began under the guidance of Burros and his tutor, Seneca, the philosopher; but the influence of his mother. together with his own moral weakness and sensuality, frustrated their efforts. and he soon plunged into debanehory. extravagance. and tyranny. He caused Britannieus. the son of Claudius, to be poisoned at the age of fonrteen, because he dreaded him as a rival, and (A.D. 59) procured the death of his own mother. Agrippina. to please his mistress, l'oppra Sabina. She was the wife of his principal boon companion, Otho. afterwards Emperor. and in order to marry her he divoreed and afterwards put to death his wife Oclavia. the sister of Bri t:milieus (AA). G2). The affairs of the Empire were at this time far from tranquil. In A.D. GI an insurreetion broke out in Britain among the leeni under their Queen. Boadicea, which was, however. suppressed IT Suetonius Paulinus. The following year saw an misneeessful war against the Parthians in Armenia. At home matters were not much better. The Emperor was lam pooned in verse; the Senate and priesthood, alike venal, were also satirized by audacious malcon tents; Burnt, died, and even Seneca removed from t ourt. In July. 64. occurred a great con
flagration in Rolm., by which two-thirds of the eit3 was reduced to ashes. Nero himself is usually helieved to have been the incendiary. It is said that he admired the spectacle from a dis reciting verses about the burning of Troy, but many scholars are doubtful whether lie really hail any hand in it. At all events, he laid the blame on the l'hristians, and persecuted them with great fury. He rebuilt the city with great magnificence. and reared for himself a splendid p;tlace extending from the Palatine Hill over the intervening valley to the slojws of the Esquiline, called, from the immense profusion of its golden ornaments. the Donnts Urea or Golden Douse; and in order to provide for this expenditure. and for the gratification of the Roman populace by spectacles and distributions of corn, Italy and the unsparinglv plundered, A conspiracy against him failed in the year 65. and Seneca and the poet Luean fell victims to his vengeance. ln a fit of passion he killed his wife Poppaer. Ile then proposed marriage to Antonia. the daughter of Claudius, but was re fused, whereupon lie caused her to be put. to death, and married Statilia Alessalina, after killing her husband, llis vanity led him to seek distinction as a poet, a philosopher, an actor, a musician, and a charioteer, and lie received applause. not only in Italy, also in Greece, which. upon invitation of the Greek cities, he visited in 07. In 68 the Gallic and Spanish legions, and after them the Pnetorian Guards, rose against him, proelaimed Galba Emperor. and Nero fled from Rome to the house of a freedman, Phaon, about four miles distant. The Senate, which had hitherto been most subservient, de clared him all enemy of his country, and the tyrant ended his life by suicide, dime 9, 68.