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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;IdesOfMarch01, post: 3378381, member: 39084&quot;]Earlier this week, PBS in my area had a Secret of the Dead show featuring Nero.&nbsp; If you&#039;re not familiar with PBS&#039;s Secret of the Dead series, it uses forensic science and psychology to examine the usual myths about ancient historical figures.</p><p><br /></p><p>In Nero&#039;s case, it examined a lot of his myths and found them to be, well, myths.&nbsp; For example, Nero was said to have poisoned Claudius&#039; son Britannicus (and potential heir to Claudius&#039; title) by a clear, colorless, fast-acting poison introduced in water poured into a glass of wine that was too hot for Britannicus to drink (both Britannicus&#039;s food and drink were tasted prior to his consuming them to guard against poisoning).&nbsp; The program dispels this myth forensically by scientifically analyzing the difficulty that ancients would have had in producing such a fast-acting poison.&nbsp; The experts observe that it was extremely unlikely that Nero poisoned his step-brother, but possibly Britannicus died from an epileptic fit.</p><p><br /></p><p>They show it was equally unlikely that Nero kicked Poppaea to death, pointing out that this was a popular, lurid story that has been told about many powerful rulers.</p><p><br /></p><p>In fact, most of Nero&#039;s myths are dispelled in a similar manner, although he still seems to have murdered his mother Agrippina Senior in some manner, but not in the way described by Suetonius (falling through trap door in a ship).&nbsp; The program concludes that Nero&#039;s obsession with the arts, resulting in his neglect of the military and general welfare of Rome, squandering of Rome&#039;s treasury, associating with actors and performers who were generally believed to be well beneath the dignity of emperors, led to the rebellion of the soldiers and Nero&#039;s ultimate death.</p><p><br /></p><p>So while Nero was a terrible emperor and probably hated, and even killed, his mother, he was not the monster portrayed by ancient writers.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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