“Previous scholars have noted the parallels between
Tacitus’ account of the reign
of
Tiberius and that of Nero. Beginning with the name shared by the two emperors,
their mother’s manipulative influence, and their rather sketchy ascensions to
power, Tacitus takes the parallels further than do other authors, even using
similar language in his openings of the narratives of the two Julio-Claudians”.
Rebecca M. Edwards
Now this piece is interesting, it providing
an angle that has not occurred to me in my pursuit of the emperor Nero (Damien
F. Mackey).
Edwards: Bringing/Burning
Down the House in the Reign of Tiberius/Nero
Bringing/Burning Down the
House
in the Reign of
Tiberius/Nero
Rebecca M.
Edwards (Wright State University)
Previous scholars have noted the parallels
between Tacitus’ account of the reign of Tiberius and that of Nero. Beginning
with the name shared by the two emperors, their mother’s manipulative
influence, and their rather sketchy ascensions to power, Tacitus takes the
parallels further than do other authors, even using similar language in his
openings of the narratives of the two Julio-Claudians (See esp. Martin, CQ n.s.
5 (1955) 123-128).
The most striking parallel is, of course,
found in the phrases “primum facinus novi principatis” (Ann. 1.6.1) and
“prima novo principatu mors” (Ann. 13.1.1), but others exist. In this
paper I would like to compare the account of the disaster at Fidenae and the
subsequent fire on the mons Caelius in Book 4 of the Annals to
the events of Book 15.
In Book 4 of the Annals, during
a sojourn to Campania specie dedicandi some temples, Tiberius
is nearly killed by a cave-in at Sperlonga (Ann. 4.59). Only the
vigilance of his prefect Sejanus saves him. Tacitus follows his account of the
cave-in at Sperlonga with two natural disasters—a cave-in of the amphitheater
at Fidenae, and the fire on the Mons Caelius—both of which require the aid of the
princeps. The Romans blame their emperor for these natural disasters and the
emperor’s escape from the cave-in at Sperlonga is contrasted with the
casualties at Fidenae. Nevertheless, due to the emperor’s generosity after the
fire, a proposal is made that the Mons Caelius be renamed in his honor, a
proposal which Tiberius turns down. He then leaves Rome for good and ensconces
himself on Capri.
In Book 15, Nero decides to test his
theatrical talent in Campania (Naples).
While Suetonius’ account (Nero 20)
mentions only an earthquake, Tacitus (Ann. 15.34) claims that after the
show was over and everyone had left, the theater collapsed. Subsequently, Nero
decides to turn Rome into his own private playground, and his prefect
Tigellinus, builds a floating island (if you will), around which many of the
debaucheries (like those on Capri) take place. The senate cannot decide if they
are better off when Nero is at Rome or far away, not unlike the position of the
senate under Tiberius. The question is answered when the great fire breaks out,
supposedly caused by Nero’s desire to rebuild the city in his own image and
name it after himself. Nero, instead of leaving town after helping people
recover from the fire, turns the city into his own private house. Instead of
moving the court to Capri, he’s bringing Capri to the court, and in turn, to
Rome.
The language employed by Tacitus in
narrating these episodes as well as the juxtaposition of the episodes of
collapsing theaters and burning cities calls to mind the comparison initiated
by the similarities in the narratives surrounding the successions of Tiberius
and Nero. But these similarities are then used by Tacitus to show the
differences between the reigns of the two emperors. The collapse of the
amphitheater at Fidenae occurs because the emperor hates the theater. That is
obviously not the case with Nero. Likewise, after the fire on the Mons Caelius
Tiberius aids owners in rebuilding their houses but then absconds to Capri to
fulfill his lusts. Nero, on the other hand, absorbs the land cleared by the
fire and fills Rome with his home. Tacitus thus shows how the principate has
come full circle and the problems which began under Tiberius culminate in the
reign of Nero.
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