Dan Snow's History Hit: "Emperor Nero"

Release Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Dan Snow
Guest: Dr. Shushma Malik, Lecturer at Cambridge and author of Nero: The Antichrist

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the life and reputation of Emperor Nero, Rome's notorious ruler whose name has become shorthand for tyranny, depravity, and imperial dysfunction. Host Dan Snow is joined by Dr. Shushma Malik, an expert on Nero, to explore how much of his infamy is earned and how much might be the result of historical spin. Together, they unravel what made Nero a unique figure in the Roman world, examine his relationship with power, his infamous acts, and discuss whether he really was the "worst Roman emperor."

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Nero’s Infamous Reputation

• Historical Image: Dan Snow opens with a rundown of Nero’s often-quoted crimes and excesses, from entering rigged contests to murdering family and rivals, and presiding over Rome’s catastrophic fire ([02:07]-[05:10]).
• Public Perception: Dr. Malik notes that “If you stop someone on the street, probably the fire of Rome is the one that comes up the most” when talking about Nero ([05:32]).

2. The Fire of Rome (64 AD)

• Blame and Reality: Ancient and modern accounts often blame Nero for starting the fire, but Dr. Malik suggests this is likely exaggerated:
  “Rome did burn down quite a lot...but on this scale...this one was very big...but whether he did or didn’t [set the fire] is a difficult question. I personally think probably not." ([05:52]-[06:10])
• Nero’s Response: He scapegoated Christians, punishing them with unusual cruelty: “He used his gardens to essentially crucify people and also set them alight.” —Dr. Malik ([06:00])

3. Imperial Tyranny and Dysfunction

• Archetype of Despotism: Nero’s reign sets the template for 'bonkers' despots: participating in the Olympics, enforcing ovations, and eliminating rivals ([07:10]).
• Succession Problems:
  “The primary job of being an emperor ruler is the succession...He dies a fugitive and there’s a civil war after he dies. That’s kind of a black mark.” —Dan Snow ([08:24])
• Dr. Malik contextualizes Nero’s succession challenges as common for the Julio-Claudians: dynastic continuity was rare and fraught ([08:36]-[09:09]).

4. Rome’s Stability Amid Chaos

• Political Chaos at the Center: Despite palace intrigue, poisonings, and coups, the empire itself continued: “How do you get such a sort of powerful empire with such a chaotically dysfunctional core?” —Dan Snow ([10:50])
• Senate's Role: Dr. Malik emphasizes the resilience of the Roman system: “There is an ability, probably inbuilt in the system, that means the empire can withstand a bad emperor.” ([11:28]-[13:13])

5. Nero's Family and Early Rule

• Agrippina the Younger: Nero’s mother was a political force in her own right: “She is phenomenally larger than life as an imperial woman...a kind of imperial woman we haven’t seen before, someone having that sort of status and that sort of power.” —Dr. Malik ([14:21]-[16:09])
• Rumored Murders:
  • Claudius, Nero’s stepfather, dies mysteriously—possibly poisoned ([16:09]-[16:20]).
  • Britannicus, Claudius’ son, is poisoned after embarrassing Nero at dinner, further eliminating rivals ([16:37]).
  • The public face: coins show Nero and his mother as near-equals early on ([17:27]-[17:35]).
• Agrippina’s Death: “He tries to have her killed a few times...the boat does collapse, and Agrippina manages...to swim to shore...he sends someone to stab her.” —Dr. Malik ([18:04]-[19:41])

6. Nero’s Marriages and Other Murders

• Troubled Relationships:
  • Octavia, Nero’s first wife, is exiled and executed after false accusations of infertility and infidelity ([20:12]-[21:19]).
  • Poppaea, his mistress-turned-wife, is killed—allegedly by Nero himself while she was pregnant ([21:41]-[21:43]).
• Summary of Atrocities: “Responsible for the death of his predecessor, Claudius, possibly responsible for the death of his stepbrother, responsible for the death of his wife and stepsister and mother...” —Dan Snow ([25:03]-[25:24])

7. Was Nero All Bad?

• Positive Aspects: Nero’s legislative approach is sometimes praised: "Nero was quite a good legislator...he let the Senate go and legislate." —Dr. Malik ([25:32]-[26:25])
• Patron of the Arts:
  • Dr. Malik challenges the idea that performing on stage should be a grave mark against Nero, noting that by modern standards it's relatively innocuous, though for Romans it violated social hierarchies.
  • “He was very popular in Greece...he freed the province of Achaia from taxation, which was quite symbolic but very important.” —Dr. Malik ([28:13]-[28:49])
• Travel and Absence from Rome: Nero’s prolonged absence to tour Greece and pursue artistic ambitions—leaving a freedman in charge—was scandalous to Roman elites and contributed to later instability ([29:56]-[31:45]).

8. Fall of Nero

• Revolts and Economic Issues:
  “He goes to Greece in 66, comes back in 67, but doesn’t return to Rome right away...there’s a revolt by Galba, and the Senate back Galba...he’s the antithesis to Nero.” —Dr. Malik ([34:08]-[35:03])
• Debasement of Coinage: Economic pressure from massive spending pushed Nero to reduce silver content in coinage, undermining confidence in imperial finance ([35:10]-[36:17]).
• Opening Up Succession: The Senate naming Galba, not of the Julio-Claudian line and outside Rome, as the next emperor is seen as revolutionary ([36:17]-[37:23]).

9. Nero’s Death and Aftermath

• The Last Days:
  “He panics, tries to find one of his favourite gladiators to kill him...he’s crawling through brambles...realizes that the Senate have declared him a public enemy...so decides to take his own life, but still struggles...one of his freedmen helps him.” —Dr. Malik ([41:47]-[43:00]) “What an artist dies with me.” —Nero’s reported final words ([43:04])
• Consequences:
  • Nero’s death plunged Rome into the civil war of the "Year of the Four Emperors" ([44:27]).
  • Despite conflict at the center, most of the empire functioned and local issues were handled—Rome's administrative apparatus proved robust ([45:54]).

10. Evaluating Nero’s Legacy

• Universal Tyrant? Dr. Malik argues the erosion of imperial credibility came from both Nero’s own missteps and the evolving political structures in Rome. “I don’t think he was a good emperor...he seems to have misunderstood quite a lot of what it is to be an emperor and a leader in the model Augustus set up...But what does Nero look like from Greece? From Syria? From Gaul? Does he really look that different from any other emperor?” ([46:25]-[47:43])

• Contextual Competition: Nero is part of a long line of notorious emperors—Caligula, Domitian, Commodus, and the barely-believable Elagabalus ([47:43]-[50:06]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rome’s ability to survive bad emperors:

  “There is an ability, I think probably inbuilt in the system, that means that you can withstand...a bad emperor.”
  — Dr. Shushma Malik ([11:28])

• On Nero’s relationships:

  “Nero’s legitimacy is fundamentally tied to her [Agrippina]...as Nero is Agrippina’s child, so is his claim to the throne.”
  — Dr. Shushma Malik ([14:28])

• On public attitudes to Nero:

  “Nero fiddles while Rome burns is a meme. Right? It’s such a well known phrase that it has sort of become a meme.”
  — Dr. Shushma Malik ([07:24])

• On legacy from outside Rome:

  “What does Nero look like from Greece? What does Nero look like from Syria? ...In some places I think probably the answer is yes [he was worse]. And in other places, not...he might be seen as a better emperor than some.”
  — Dr. Shushma Malik ([46:25]-[47:43])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:07] Introducing Nero and his historical reputation
• [05:32] The Fire of Rome and blame
• [14:21] Nero’s mother, Agrippina, and her influence
• [16:09] Deaths of Claudius and Britannicus
• [19:41] Agrippina’s failed assassination and death
• [20:12] Nero’s wives: Octavia and Poppaea
• [25:24] Tallying Nero’s crimes
• [28:13] Nero as patron of the arts and Greek popularity
• [29:56] Nero’s absence from Rome and scandal
• [34:08] Revolts and economic strains
• [41:47] Nero’s death and his last words
• [44:27] The Year of the Four Emperors and aftermath
• [47:43] Reassessing Nero’s legacy and rivals for "worst emperor"

Conclusion

This episode presents Nero as a complex and much-maligned figure, whose excesses and crimes were real, but whose infamy has been sharpened by hostile ancient sources and by the needs of subsequent emperors to contrast their own rule. While Nero’s personal conduct and failure to secure a stable succession damaged Rome, Dr. Malik argues that his impact varied across the empire and that Rome’s governance systems often absorbed imperial folly. The "worst emperor" label, Dan and Dr. Malik suggest, is crowded territory.