The reign of Nero is often judged to be the embodiment of the extravagance and the corruption that have, for many, come to symbolise ancient Rome. David Shotter provides a reassessment of this view in this accessible introduction to Nero, emperor of Rome from 54 to 68 AD. All the major issues are discussed including: * Nero's early life and accession to power* Nero's perception of himself* Nero's domestic and international policies* the reasons for Nero's fall from power and its aftermath. This new edition has been revised throughout to take account of recent research in the field.