Famous Men of Rome · Ch. XXIV, part 1 · Unit 5: The first emperors

35. Nero, part 1: The young emperor

Goal: Your child can name the emperors after Augustus and tell how Nero seemed kind at first but turned cruel.

⏱ About 20 minutes · 6 steps

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You'll need

  • The book, open to this chapter
  • Paper and colored pencils
  • Your timeline strip (see the tips at the top)

What's in the book

Sections I and II of Chapter XXIV: Augustus dies in 14 A.D. and the tyrants Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius follow. Nero becomes emperor in 54 A.D. through his mother Agrippina. At first he seems gentle, then he quarrels with his mother, poisons his stepbrother Britannicus and has his mother killed.

The lesson, step by step

  1. Before you read

    This is one of the darkest chapters in the book: a boy poisoned at dinner and a mother killed by her son. Read it ahead. For a younger or sensitive child, you can tell the outline yourself and read only the first pages aloud.

  2. Set the scene

    SayNot every emperor was good. This chapter shows what can happen when one person has all the power and no one can stop him.

  3. Read the chapter

    Read the first two sections of Chapter XXIV, stopping at section III. It begins:

    On the death of Augustus in the year 14 A.D. his stepson Tiberius became emperor.

  4. Tell it back

    Prompts:

    - Who were the three emperors between Augustus and Nero?

    - What was young Nero like at first?

    - What did his mother Agrippina expect?

    - What did Nero do to keep his power?

  5. Talk it over

    Read what Nero once said:

    I wish I had never learned to write, for then I shouldn't have to sign away men's lives!

    Then:

    But in a very short time it was found that Nero was not at all kind or merciful, but that he was a cruel and wicked man.

    Ask: How can you tell whether someone is truly kind, or just saying kind things?

  6. Remember it

    Add to the timeline: "54 A.D. Nero becomes emperor."

    SayA.D. years count up, the way we count years now.

Tip

If your child is upset, it helps to say that the Romans hated Nero too, and that the book tells his story as a warning.

Answers to the book's problems

Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius. Nero was good-looking, fond of games and music, and seemed kind-hearted. Agrippina expected to rule the empire herself through her son. He poisoned his stepbrother Britannicus and had his mother killed. True kindness shows in what a person does over time, not only in what they say.

Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.

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