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