HISTORY
A rchaeologists in Rome think they may have found the ruins of Nero’s theatre, a first-century imperial performance space that was widely described in ancient Roman texts but whose whereabouts had remained largely elusive. The theatre is named after Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, who served as Roman emperor from 54 CE to his death in 68 CE. Officials are calling the discovery of the theatre, located just east of Vatican City, “exceptional.” It was likely where Nero rehearsed poetry and put on musical performances.
Almost a millennium after his death, Nero remains one of ancient Rome’s most infamous rulers, accused of playing his fiddle while the city burned to the ground during an epic fire. While much has been written about the atrocities and poor governance that occurred under his leadership – he allegedly killed his own mother and two wives and lavishly and indulgently spent Rome’s money – he’s also remembered as a lover of music and the arts, leading him to offer public performances at his theatre, an act that the elite usually didn’t partake in. He was particularly fond of playing the cithara, a portable harp-like instrument with seven strings. But when the powerful Praetorian Guard, the force in charge of protecting the emperor, withdrew their support of him, he reportedly took his own life, uttering: “What an artist dies in me!”
Researchers unearthed a variety of artefacts scattered among the building’s ruins. These included seven ornate medieval glass chali
