Offer Thanks To Nero

Why, one might ask, would modern civilization owe asuicide to avoid execution. Following his death, the
debt of gratitude to the unpopular, infamous Romanlake was drained, the Colosseum constructed in its
emperor Nero, dead two thousand years ago by hisplace, and Nero's colossal head was decapitated from
own hand? For those folks not tuned in to their ownthe colossal body of the Neronis, then replaced with
historical roots, Nero is an important part of yourthe heads of succeeding emperors. Said to be an
culture, not just a computer software tool forembarrassment to the city, the Golden House was
burning compact disks. Nero gathered a magnificentdenuded of its decorations within ten years, and
collection of classical Greek sculpture from all oversubsequently buried beneath new construction within
the Roman Empire, most of which was lost followingforty years.That would seem to be the end of
his downfall. Why should you care about Nero'sNero's Golden House, but something strange
story?--because what happened to him influences thehappened to bring it back to life at the end of the
way you look at the world every day.You may havefifteenth century. A young Roman was walking on
heard the tale of how Nero fiddled while Romethe Aventine hill only to fall into a hole into a
burned in 64 A.D. First, let us lay that story to rest.subterranean wonderland. He landed in the Domus
Despite the hatred he engendered in the RomanAurea, buried beneath the Baths of Trajan. There he
populace for his many atrocities, there is no evidencesaw incredible frescoes, appearing to be freshly
to support this rumor. In fact, he appears to havepainted as if new. The site of this accident drew
been rather helpful to a devastated Rome during thatItalian artists from far and wide.Raphael and
period. No, we cannot give him credit for the burningMichelangelo visited the site, and some artists of the
of Rome, but Nero had many other monstrous actstime inscribed their names into the walls. From the
with which we can credit him--using Christians asdepths of Nero's pleasure palace, from the frescoes,
human torches comes first to mind. One of Nero'smosaics, and sculpture, they took inspiration, an
chief failings was vanity. Nero considered himself toinspiration that would be reflected in the art of the
be enormously talented in all things: art, drama,High Renaissance. As the Domus Aurea with its new
athletics, and, of course, music, a fiddlerantique source material was explored, one classical
extraordinaire he claimed. Perhaps he was. We areGreek sculpture was unearthed on a day that
told that he won every single competition heMichelangelo happened to visit. It was the Laocoon, a
entered, whether artistic or athletic, from fiddling tomarble work by famed Greek Hellenistic sculptors,
chariot racing and every thing in between. We areAthanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of
further told that the reason he always won wasRhodes.Laocoon, a mythological subject, depicts the
because really unpleasant things happened to anyoneTrojan priest Laocoon with his two sons in a struggle
who bested him.Nero made good use of theagainst a giant sea snake, a punishment from the
wide-spread destruction of Rome. The emperor'sgods for warning the Trojans about the Trojan
own house, the Domus Transitoria, was destroyed inhorse. Its powerful emotional content and vigorous
the fire, but free space was now available in themuscularity would soon be reflected in the works of
crowded city, now burned out. Nero took advantageRenaissance giants Michelangelo and Raphael. This
of that space to build a pleasure palace, his Domuswork and others like it from Nero's private collection
Aurea, or Golden House. The Domus Aurea was notof classical Greek sculpture profoundly influenced
a place for sleeping, because Nero had other lodgingsItalian Renaissance art, and it is from this art that we
for that. Nero outfitted his Domus Aurea withhave developed our own modern aesthetic
priceless treasures, including his collection of classicalsensibilities.Had Nero not been the demented,
Greek sculpture.Described by Pliny the Elder, Nerodespotic monster that he was, had his Golden House
built the Domus Aurea of bricks and stucco, lavishlynot been entombed, buried beneath the Baths of
embellished it with gold-leaf decoration and ivoryTrajan for two millennia, his classical Greek sculpture
veneer, and he studded the ceilings withcollection might have been lost like so many other
semi-previous stones. One ceiling actually rotated andsignificant art works of its kind. Without Nero, we
sprinkled perfume, cranked laboriously by slaves. Themight not appreciate beauty when we see it.Brenda
Domus Aurea covered 350 acres, roughly a third ofHarness is an art historian and former university
Rome, spanning four of the Seven Hills of Rome inlecturer writing about a variety of topics pertaining to
the heart of the city. The grounds of the Domusart and art history. She owns Fine Art Touch, a
Aurea featured villas, vineyards, forests, a sacredwebsite devoted to the exploration of Italian
grove, pastures for livestock, and an artificialRenaissance art, featuring articles on works from
lake.Nero erected a 120 foot bronze statue ofRenaissance giants such as Michelangelo and
himself in the center dressed as the sun god, Sol, hisLeonardo to lesser-known artists such as Verrocchio
Colossus Neronis. The Colossus would be the soleand Perugino. The articles include images of the
survivor of Nero's Golden House. In 68 A.D. theartwork to help the reader better understand the
Roman Senate declared Nero an enemy of the state,work being discussed.
a death sentence, and the emperor committed