Aided by his scheming mother, Nero became Roman emperor at the age of 16. Soon he had her murdered. He squandered his power, “fiddling while Rome burned” and becoming an Olympic “champion.” Even his most faithful followers turned against him and he committed suicide before he could be captured and executed.

  • Publisher: Mitchell Lane
  • Series: Biography of Ancient Civilizations
  • Year Published: 2005
  • Age Level: 8-13
  • Category:

Reviews:

Whiting aims to strike a balance, pointing out both successes and failures and strengths and weaknesses. The author clearly knows how to use hooks to keep readers involved—bloody gladiatorial games, potentially dangerous chariot races—and his breezy writing style is generally appealing. (School Library Journal)

Great book! (amazon.com)