1 00:00:02,570 --> 00:00:07,190 while Roman legions wage brutal wars to expand the empire. 2 00:00:09,250 --> 00:00:12,570 At home, violence is a spectacle. 3 00:00:14,350 --> 00:00:20,150 Gladiators battle for glory in lavish games staged by Rome's leaders 4 00:00:20,150 --> 00:00:23,830 to enthrall and distract the masses. 5 00:00:24,530 --> 00:00:30,050 Putting on gladiatorial fights is a way of impressing the ordinary people of 6 00:00:30,050 --> 00:00:31,050 Rome. 7 00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:33,600 A staging of Roman power. 8 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:38,640 And this was another way to exert control over the populace of Rome. 9 00:00:40,700 --> 00:00:46,300 Now, a young and vain ruler, Emperor Nero takes the throne. 10 00:00:47,660 --> 00:00:53,420 Quickly becoming obsessed, not only with the arena, but with one gladiator above 11 00:00:53,420 --> 00:00:54,420 all, 12 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,000 Spiculus. 13 00:00:56,980 --> 00:01:00,700 Spiculus was lavishly awarded by Nero. 14 00:01:02,030 --> 00:01:06,990 If you manage to become the favorite of an emperor, he can give you anything in 15 00:01:06,990 --> 00:01:07,990 his power, basically. 16 00:01:08,330 --> 00:01:14,830 The emperor's fixation catapults Spiculus into fame, bringing wealth, 17 00:01:15,010 --> 00:01:16,790 privilege, and celebrity. 18 00:01:17,650 --> 00:01:23,730 But this newfound fortune depends entirely on the whims of a man who can 19 00:01:23,730 --> 00:01:25,690 volatile and dangerous. 20 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:41,220 Gladiators have been entwined with politics long before Nero's rule. 21 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:47,700 Almost a century earlier, Rome was a republic governed by senators and an 22 00:01:47,700 --> 00:01:48,700 aristocratic elite. 23 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,960 Among them, an ambitious politician, Julius Caesar. 24 00:01:57,340 --> 00:02:03,080 In 65 BCE, Julius Caesar had a political position in Rome that meant part of his 25 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:04,840 responsibility was entertainment. 26 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,479 He'd really caught on to the fact that people had begun to really be interested 27 00:02:10,479 --> 00:02:11,480 in the games. 28 00:02:12,740 --> 00:02:16,500 And he realized, as being an ambitious person he was, and being such a good 29 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:21,020 marketer, that if he could put on the greatest show ever, that's going to 30 00:02:21,020 --> 00:02:22,020 reflect on him politically. 31 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,360 Julia Caesar puts on the biggest gladiatorial fight that anyone's ever 32 00:02:35,370 --> 00:02:39,190 and brings together 320 pairs of gladiators. 33 00:02:39,850 --> 00:02:45,550 He adds little touches, like, for example, he makes the armour silver or 34 00:02:45,550 --> 00:02:47,870 silver elements to it, so it really shines. 35 00:02:51,350 --> 00:02:54,530 He's going to put on probably the greatest games that Rome has ever seen. 36 00:02:55,090 --> 00:03:01,770 Over the next two decades, Caesar hosts increasingly lavish games, using their 37 00:03:01,770 --> 00:03:03,250 spectacle to build popularity. 38 00:03:04,110 --> 00:03:05,430 and political power. 39 00:03:08,130 --> 00:03:09,950 His strategy worked. 40 00:03:10,250 --> 00:03:17,250 By 44 BCE, he is named dictator for life, placing Rome firmly 41 00:03:17,250 --> 00:03:18,810 under his control. 42 00:03:21,170 --> 00:03:27,370 But Caesar's dominance sparks fear among rivals, who believe his power threatens 43 00:03:27,370 --> 00:03:28,530 the Republic itself. 44 00:03:32,990 --> 00:03:38,810 Determined to end his rule, a group of senators plot against him, leading to a 45 00:03:38,810 --> 00:03:44,610 violent betrayal as Caesar is stabbed to death by people he once trusted. 46 00:03:45,850 --> 00:03:51,350 The day that Julius Caesar gets assassinated was also, in some of our 47 00:03:51,350 --> 00:03:53,310 material, meant to be a day of spectacle. 48 00:03:54,950 --> 00:03:59,550 A little bit further down the road, gladiators are getting ready to put on a 49 00:03:59,550 --> 00:04:00,550 spectacle. 50 00:04:01,230 --> 00:04:07,730 And when they hear about the assassination of Julius Caesar, they 51 00:04:10,110 --> 00:04:14,950 Caesar was a man of the people and the gladiators held him in high regard. 52 00:04:18,190 --> 00:04:24,450 So Caesar's assassination is tied up in some respects in this really nice small 53 00:04:24,450 --> 00:04:28,230 little way with what is going on with the gladiators because they wanted him 54 00:04:28,230 --> 00:04:29,230 live. 55 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:36,960 After Caesar's death, power passes to his adopted heir, Augustus, who in 56 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:43,940 27 BCE becomes Rome's first emperor, transforming the Republic 57 00:04:43,940 --> 00:04:48,220 into an imperial monarchy ruled by a single man. 58 00:04:48,980 --> 00:04:52,620 This is the part which historians use to start referring to the period as the 59 00:04:52,620 --> 00:04:53,620 Roman Empire. 60 00:04:53,980 --> 00:04:58,520 He undertakes a spectacular rebuilding of Rome. 61 00:05:00,110 --> 00:05:04,750 He famously said, I found a city of clay, I made it a city of marble. 62 00:05:06,110 --> 00:05:10,450 And as part of that reinvention, he wants to show that he is giving the 63 00:05:10,450 --> 00:05:14,710 people of Rome their fair share of the spoils of conquest. 64 00:05:15,590 --> 00:05:19,330 And putting on dramatic games is a way that he can do that. 65 00:05:20,630 --> 00:05:24,670 And he wants to make sure that he's putting on bigger and better games than 66 00:05:24,670 --> 00:05:26,030 anyone has done beforehand. 67 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,960 to show that an emperor is a new kind of political power. 68 00:05:33,740 --> 00:05:40,380 In 14 CE, Augustus dies at the age of 77, and he is 69 00:05:40,380 --> 00:05:46,460 succeeded by his stepson Tiberius as the second Roman emperor, who in turn was 70 00:05:46,460 --> 00:05:51,840 succeeded by Caligula, who was succeeded by Claudius, who was succeeded by Nero, 71 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:56,340 who becomes the very last of the Julio -Claudian emperors, as they are known. 72 00:05:58,030 --> 00:06:01,950 In 54 CE, Nero ascends the throne. 73 00:06:03,630 --> 00:06:09,870 He is young, inexperienced, and ill -prepared for the immense power he now 74 00:06:09,870 --> 00:06:10,870 wields. 75 00:06:11,890 --> 00:06:18,410 Soon his immaturity and vanity will reshape Rome's relationship with 76 00:06:18,410 --> 00:06:22,350 gladiatorial combat in ways never before seen. 77 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,540 Nero is very young when he becomes emperor. He's 16 years old. He's the 78 00:06:28,540 --> 00:06:30,440 emperor up until this point. 79 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:36,540 He's grown up in the imperial family. He's someone who might not necessarily 80 00:06:36,540 --> 00:06:41,480 have expected to become emperor. His mother was not married to the previous 81 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:46,620 emperor when he was born, but he was still kind of very intimately connected. 82 00:06:46,620 --> 00:06:49,120 his mother was the great -granddaughter of Augustus. 83 00:06:50,410 --> 00:06:56,150 In terms of his character, he's interested in lots of pursuits and wider 84 00:06:56,150 --> 00:07:00,370 activities that other emperors before him haven't necessarily been too focused 85 00:07:00,370 --> 00:07:01,370 on. 86 00:07:01,850 --> 00:07:06,470 As an emperor, your interest should be the entertainment of other people rather 87 00:07:06,470 --> 00:07:07,830 than the entertainment of yourself. 88 00:07:08,770 --> 00:07:12,070 Whereas I think Nero was quite interested in the entertainment of 89 00:07:15,270 --> 00:07:18,470 Nero, driven by personal obsession. 90 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:24,920 assembles an elite troop of gladiators from the empire's finest warriors. 91 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:31,500 Emperors had close engagement with controlling how gladiators were schooled 92 00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:34,640 trained and controlling the gladiatorial troops. 93 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,720 So in this case, this was a group of gladiators attached to Nero and the 94 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:40,720 imperial family. 95 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:48,060 Nero's troop have the abbreviation NER and the graffiti in Pompeii which would 96 00:07:48,060 --> 00:07:51,360 have stood for Neronianus, a Neronian gladiator. 97 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:58,220 To be a Neronian meant that your fights were connected to the fame and glory of 98 00:07:58,220 --> 00:07:59,220 Nero himself. 99 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:03,580 So the emperor was invested in your training and the outcome of your fight. 100 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:09,140 In a sense, the gladiators would have been beneath his notice as individuals. 101 00:08:09,340 --> 00:08:11,740 They were enslaved persons, you don't know. 102 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,980 whether an emperor would have stooped to know his enslaved troop by name. 103 00:08:18,020 --> 00:08:24,120 Yet within Nero's troop, one gladiator in particular captures his attention, 104 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:26,160 Spiculus. 105 00:08:26,580 --> 00:08:31,800 One of the graffiti from Pompeii records a fight between a complete rookie, 106 00:08:32,059 --> 00:08:37,960 Spiculus, who'd managed to defeat a guy called Aptonitus, who had fought and won 107 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:39,080 16 times. 108 00:08:41,390 --> 00:08:44,410 It's pretty remarkable that he was defeated by a rookie. 109 00:08:45,490 --> 00:08:50,890 I think that Nero was drawn to someone who he sees as having talent. That would 110 00:08:50,890 --> 00:08:53,170 be what probably initially caught his attention. 111 00:08:53,650 --> 00:08:59,730 We can only imagine that Spiculus has drawn Nero's gaze because he is dazzling 112 00:08:59,730 --> 00:09:00,730 to watch. 113 00:09:01,990 --> 00:09:08,590 At Gladiator School, the Empire's finest trainers forge him into one of the most 114 00:09:08,590 --> 00:09:09,590 formidable fighters. 115 00:09:10,380 --> 00:09:12,340 the arena has ever seen. 116 00:09:16,620 --> 00:09:21,480 It doesn't surprise me that there would be a rookie performing in Nero's troupe. 117 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:27,160 If he had the right physique and the right mental attitude, I can imagine 118 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:30,180 he would have been trained up and would have had to start somewhere. 119 00:09:31,740 --> 00:09:35,700 We only have a few mentions of Spiculus, but certainly he's someone that Nero 120 00:09:35,700 --> 00:09:39,520 seems to have looked after personally and had a bit of a relationship with. 121 00:09:40,780 --> 00:09:45,440 We know there were men who really desired gladiators and other athletes. 122 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:51,640 We might imagine that Nero is one of these men who admires the physique of 123 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:56,260 gladiators like Spiculus, their combat, their prowess, and perhaps even desires 124 00:09:56,260 --> 00:09:57,460 to be like them. 125 00:09:58,620 --> 00:10:02,600 Now, Nero is ready to put his gladiators on display. 126 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,480 He announces lavish games. 127 00:10:08,050 --> 00:10:14,570 Grand spectacles designed to showcase his warriors and reinforce his own 128 00:10:14,570 --> 00:10:15,570 glory. 129 00:10:16,530 --> 00:10:21,250 Despite the games being performed under the name of Nero, he himself is not 130 00:10:21,250 --> 00:10:25,130 going to oversee the ins and outs of putting on a spectacle of this size. 131 00:10:27,150 --> 00:10:31,590 He will have an imperial administrative service that will do the work of making 132 00:10:31,590 --> 00:10:32,870 sure that the games are put on. 133 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:37,840 And ultimately, it is a spectacle that is entertaining for both the audience 134 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:38,840 for the emperor himself. 135 00:10:39,740 --> 00:10:44,860 They would have advertised them by hiring sign writers. And so they would 136 00:10:44,860 --> 00:10:49,320 signs, particularly onto the major thoroughfares where lots of people would 137 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,300 been passing to tell you what day the gladiatorial games were going to be 138 00:10:53,300 --> 00:10:55,000 thrown, who was throwing them, of course. 139 00:10:55,440 --> 00:11:00,320 And they would also probably have programs which would perhaps list who 140 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:01,560 going to be paired against whom. 141 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,900 A famous gladiator were going to appear in the shows. That would have been 142 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:07,140 known, that would have been advertised. 143 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,020 Everyone in Rome would know that Nero was putting on games. 144 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:21,040 Emperors would put on games for a variety of reasons. It might be as part 145 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,260 triumph to celebrate a big military victory. 146 00:11:24,340 --> 00:11:28,420 Generally, the different emperors would approach the games differently. 147 00:11:28,940 --> 00:11:30,840 Nero himself had a... 148 00:11:33,780 --> 00:11:39,480 Nero held game extravagantly and on many, many days throughout the year. 149 00:11:40,340 --> 00:11:43,980 Nero knows that spectacle has power. 150 00:11:44,420 --> 00:11:50,180 By feeding the public's appetite for blood and drama, he can keep attention 151 00:11:50,180 --> 00:11:56,280 loyalty focused on the arena and not the growing tensions elsewhere in Rome. 152 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:01,880 The games that were put on by the emperor Nero in Rome had to be bigger 153 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:03,720 better than any other games. 154 00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:09,180 The impetus would have been to put on things that are as novel as possible and 155 00:12:09,180 --> 00:12:11,900 as large as possible and as impressive as possible. 156 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,460 For Nero's games, spiculous was clearly the star of the show. 157 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:21,580 Having a great fighter like spiculous is one of the great draws of these games. 158 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,370 Spiculous would be pitched against... Another good fighter. 159 00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:33,770 I would imagine having an emperor intercede in your favor would mean that 160 00:12:33,770 --> 00:12:36,450 would only get the match -ups that you were open to having. 161 00:12:38,410 --> 00:12:44,010 Now, the Romans also liked to match equally skilled but opposite types of 162 00:12:44,010 --> 00:12:45,010 equipment. 163 00:12:47,230 --> 00:12:51,090 Gladiators usually fought somebody in a different style. 164 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,800 As the games went on, there was variations of the different types of 165 00:12:57,800 --> 00:12:59,440 to make the games more exciting. 166 00:13:01,180 --> 00:13:06,660 Each one is a variation, normally, of weapons and armor from the defeated 167 00:13:06,660 --> 00:13:07,660 enemies of Rome. 168 00:13:08,260 --> 00:13:11,220 You're taking weapons that the Romans would have encountered on the 169 00:13:11,500 --> 00:13:14,220 you're bringing them to the arena, and because they're different weapons, they 170 00:13:14,220 --> 00:13:15,260 have different styles to them. 171 00:13:15,660 --> 00:13:19,840 It's a bit really like MMA. You've got all these different versions of combat, 172 00:13:20,020 --> 00:13:21,360 of helmets and weapons. 173 00:13:22,510 --> 00:13:26,010 Disciples like the Thracian, the Retiarius, who has the net and trident. 174 00:13:26,950 --> 00:13:29,970 The Secular has a closed helmet with two small holes. 175 00:13:30,690 --> 00:13:35,250 A Murmillo is very heavily armed, so he's going to be in a more heavily built 176 00:13:35,250 --> 00:13:36,250 gladiator. 177 00:13:37,030 --> 00:13:39,990 And the Diplomacus is a different variation of a Thracian. 178 00:13:43,970 --> 00:13:49,030 Spiculus was a Murmillo. He would have had a big, heavy, rectangular shield and 179 00:13:49,030 --> 00:13:50,030 a straight sword. 180 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:54,840 So he was well -protected, whereas he would fight an aftermath who was also 181 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,480 heavily armed and well -defended. 182 00:13:58,420 --> 00:14:03,260 The Romans seemed to have liked to balance advantages and disadvantages on 183 00:14:03,260 --> 00:14:04,260 sides. 184 00:14:05,060 --> 00:14:11,120 They liked that kind of contrast of heavy, slow pondering versus light and 185 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:12,120 nimble, quick. 186 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:17,280 Spiculus is one of the most successful gladiators of his day. 187 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:19,600 And he's hugely popular with the crowd. 188 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,920 And this in itself makes him sort of attractive to the emperor. 189 00:14:24,420 --> 00:14:26,140 And the emperor befriends him. 190 00:14:27,540 --> 00:14:34,040 He's mentioned as receiving from Nero a wealth and estates worthy of a king. 191 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,060 To be a friend of the emperor, I mean, it's like being a friend of the American 192 00:14:39,060 --> 00:14:40,900 president. It affords you great privileges. 193 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,280 It probably means you're going to live a good life. 194 00:14:49,580 --> 00:14:54,020 Spiculus is a wealthy man with his own grand villa, and he's probably actually 195 00:14:54,020 --> 00:14:56,980 enjoying something of the life of the wealthy elite. 196 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:04,480 For the Romans, it's very odd that a gladiator, who is one of the lowest of 197 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,520 low, is able to live this life of luxury. 198 00:15:10,420 --> 00:15:13,420 There's a certain fascinating quality about the Romans. 199 00:15:14,140 --> 00:15:16,920 They admire, they adore the gladiator. 200 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:22,400 But the gladiator himself is seen as a figure of scorn, as part of a group of 201 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,320 very low social status known as infamia. 202 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:32,300 Infamia is a legal punishment that lowers your status, and it's applied to 203 00:15:32,300 --> 00:15:35,980 people who work in what elite Romans see as being... 204 00:15:36,590 --> 00:15:42,750 Unacceptable activities, such as prostitution, fighting as a gladiator, 205 00:15:42,750 --> 00:15:48,550 charioteer, all of these in elite eyes mean that you're no longer a sort of 206 00:15:48,550 --> 00:15:52,350 human being who is worthy of having full rights of citizenship. 207 00:15:54,010 --> 00:16:00,430 You are seen as one of the lowest members of society, but this is the 208 00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:01,470 that Nero is rewarding. 209 00:16:03,970 --> 00:16:10,020 Nero increasingly goes, off message and he gets used to the power that he has as 210 00:16:10,020 --> 00:16:16,560 emperor and he wants to take advantage of it as the scale of nero's games grows 211 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:23,400 ever more extravagant concern among the senate is mounting that the emperor 212 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:29,400 is getting carried away we have sea battles where they built lakes 213 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:34,240 within the city so that they could reenact battles with ships manned by 214 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,280 prisoners of war They were great group combat that were very bloody affairs. 215 00:16:40,340 --> 00:16:42,040 They'd be beast hunters. 216 00:16:42,340 --> 00:16:46,840 These were individualised, highly specialised events and each would have 217 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,080 specialised combat fighters who would have been trained for the specifics of a 218 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:52,340 spectacle they would have been part of. 219 00:16:53,460 --> 00:16:58,060 They would also put on stage shows and of course the regular favourite of the 220 00:16:58,060 --> 00:16:59,060 chariot racing. 221 00:16:59,690 --> 00:17:03,970 Chariot racing is certainly something that seems to predate gladiatorial 222 00:17:04,210 --> 00:17:08,329 and it is an extremely popular spectacle to go and see. 223 00:17:09,290 --> 00:17:13,930 Away from the arena, Nero's behavior turns even darker. 224 00:17:14,550 --> 00:17:21,430 Behind palace walls, he starts ignoring his job as emperor, choosing instead to 225 00:17:21,430 --> 00:17:23,150 indulge his own whims. 226 00:17:23,589 --> 00:17:26,089 So Nero loved performing. 227 00:17:26,780 --> 00:17:31,260 He becomes more interested in performance and more interested in 228 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:38,500 Nero sees himself as some kind of creative genius, I think. He plays the 229 00:17:38,620 --> 00:17:44,240 famously. He appears on stage, which is unheard of for an emperor to do. 230 00:17:45,020 --> 00:17:50,340 Which really put him in the realm of the actor, the musician, the gladiator. And 231 00:17:50,340 --> 00:17:53,120 this was quite an odd position for an emperor to be in. 232 00:17:54,540 --> 00:17:57,860 As an emperor, as someone who is supposed to have an administrative 233 00:17:57,860 --> 00:18:01,440 responsibility over the empire, as someone who is supposed to conduct 234 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,200 in a particular way, it's certainly not ideal. 235 00:18:05,700 --> 00:18:10,820 He gave far too much money that the state couldn't really afford to these 236 00:18:10,820 --> 00:18:15,480 of things and individuals as well. So he rewards theatre actors. He gives 237 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,420 citizenship on the basis of their performance at his games. 238 00:18:19,390 --> 00:18:24,330 And he gives far too much money or land to people who don't deserve it. 239 00:18:24,730 --> 00:18:29,730 And spiculous is one of the examples of that. A gladiator that Nero is 240 00:18:29,730 --> 00:18:35,370 particularly fond of and is given these huge rewards for doing his job well or 241 00:18:35,370 --> 00:18:37,210 for being noticed by Nero. 242 00:18:39,010 --> 00:18:45,390 Nero's behavior disturbs the Roman Senate, who can challenge his authority 243 00:18:45,390 --> 00:18:46,390 goes too far. 244 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:56,740 Yet despite growing unease, Nero presses on, and in 57 CE, he 245 00:18:56,740 --> 00:19:01,640 constructs a grand wooden amphitheater to throw even more extravagant 246 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:02,640 spectacles. 247 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,360 Nero wanted something that was a slightly bigger scale. 248 00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:10,940 He tried to make it the amphitheater par excellence in Italy. 249 00:19:11,460 --> 00:19:16,720 In fact, he suppressed local amphitheaters and made sure that the 250 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,420 quality fighting took place in Rome. 251 00:19:21,290 --> 00:19:25,050 A year later, the amphitheater is complete. 252 00:19:25,910 --> 00:19:32,310 Nero hosts lavish games with his prized fighter, Spiculus, at the center. 253 00:19:33,230 --> 00:19:40,230 The crowds roar with excitement, but will the loyalty of the people be enough 254 00:19:40,230 --> 00:19:41,830 hold the Senate at bay? 255 00:19:50,510 --> 00:19:53,670 Nero throws games at his new amphitheater. 256 00:19:55,590 --> 00:19:59,750 Crowds gather, anticipating a day of thrilling combat. 257 00:20:03,470 --> 00:20:08,730 Walking up to the gladiator games, you had vendors selling all sorts of wares 258 00:20:08,730 --> 00:20:15,250 from food and different souvenirs that had either gladiator statues, gladiator 259 00:20:15,250 --> 00:20:16,690 statuettes, gladiator lamps. 260 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,860 Almost certainly there were bets taking place. 261 00:20:22,700 --> 00:20:27,440 The kind of thing you would expect to see in a great entertainment spectacle 262 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:28,440 today. 263 00:20:29,580 --> 00:20:32,240 These games captivate all of Rome. 264 00:20:33,860 --> 00:20:39,560 Rich and poor flock to the amphitheater, swept up in the spectacle. 265 00:20:41,460 --> 00:20:45,620 Walking into the arena, we know that sound, the way it hits you like a wave. 266 00:20:49,830 --> 00:20:53,970 You were seated in the amphitheater according to your social status. The 267 00:20:53,970 --> 00:20:58,810 senators had the best seats up front. The equestrian class had the next 268 00:20:58,810 --> 00:20:59,830 rows around the arena. 269 00:21:00,090 --> 00:21:04,450 And then the rest of the amphitheater, the people were divided up into various 270 00:21:04,450 --> 00:21:08,910 groups. The emperor would have sat right in the front. 271 00:21:09,550 --> 00:21:13,650 He probably had a nice little canopy over his head so that he wouldn't get 272 00:21:13,650 --> 00:21:14,650 sunstroke. 273 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:22,540 The games start with a procession, a pompa as it's known, where all of the 274 00:21:22,540 --> 00:21:26,100 performers, all of the gladiators and indeed the giver of the games would 275 00:21:26,100 --> 00:21:31,200 process through the arena, giving everyone a chance to sort of see the 276 00:21:31,200 --> 00:21:33,380 fighters that they're going to enjoy later on. 277 00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:38,040 This is your chance to sort of interact, if you like, with your favourite. 278 00:21:39,220 --> 00:21:45,240 Everybody comes out in the dress that they're going to wear later on, does 279 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:46,540 parade around. 280 00:21:48,170 --> 00:21:52,110 and then you can start to feel the vibe building. 281 00:21:53,790 --> 00:21:58,950 There's every indication that it helps create a bond between the fans and the 282 00:21:58,950 --> 00:21:59,950 stars. 283 00:22:00,650 --> 00:22:04,970 Gladiators are the sports stars of their day. They would be recognized whenever 284 00:22:04,970 --> 00:22:06,790 they appeared in public. 285 00:22:07,250 --> 00:22:08,870 They had their own fans. 286 00:22:09,110 --> 00:22:13,870 They would put up graffiti where they would record their victories. They would 287 00:22:13,870 --> 00:22:15,690 buy models of them. 288 00:22:16,970 --> 00:22:21,510 We have a range of different types of fine glassware from France, which 289 00:22:21,510 --> 00:22:24,690 spiculous alongside a series of famous gladiators. 290 00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:29,310 Gladiators are the sexiest men in the whole empire. They're probably the most 291 00:22:29,310 --> 00:22:34,370 desired men sexually. There's no one else who elicits the kind of sexual 292 00:22:34,370 --> 00:22:35,370 that the gladiators do. 293 00:22:35,630 --> 00:22:39,850 They're symbols of the best that manhood could attain. 294 00:22:40,530 --> 00:22:43,010 Even though they were of low repute. 295 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:48,720 They were thought to embody things like virtue, courage, masculinity, 296 00:22:49,180 --> 00:22:53,180 fearlessness, all things that Rome was meant to celebrate. 297 00:22:56,400 --> 00:23:00,580 The procession ends and the gladiators retreat backstage. 298 00:23:01,860 --> 00:23:04,680 The crowd roars with excitement. 299 00:23:05,380 --> 00:23:10,920 Music swells, ushering in the next act of Nero's grand event. 300 00:23:12,300 --> 00:23:17,260 With Spiculus being such a famous gladiator, you probably would have had 301 00:23:17,260 --> 00:23:19,700 displays of combat coming on before Spiculus. 302 00:23:20,220 --> 00:23:24,860 You would probably start off in the morning with something like a beast 303 00:23:24,860 --> 00:23:26,280 a combat with wild beasts. 304 00:23:30,250 --> 00:23:34,250 And then once you get to around noon, that's when you see the executions 305 00:23:34,250 --> 00:23:38,290 happening. So that might be people who are criminals, who've been sentenced to 306 00:23:38,290 --> 00:23:40,630 die, for example, by wild beasts. 307 00:23:42,010 --> 00:23:46,390 And then in the afternoon, in that prime time slot, that is when you would see 308 00:23:46,390 --> 00:23:47,390 the gladiators. 309 00:23:50,570 --> 00:23:54,030 The progression is you start with the lesser -known guys, and you're basically 310 00:23:54,030 --> 00:23:56,170 slowly building up to the title fight. 311 00:23:57,490 --> 00:23:59,230 Everybody wants to see Spiculous. 312 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,020 That's going to be the closing fight of the games. 313 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,400 The Lesser Gladiators have fought, their combats are over, and eventually 314 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,120 Speculus will appear as the highlight of the show. 315 00:24:16,260 --> 00:24:20,860 Gladiator like Speculus would have had attendants who would have ensured that 316 00:24:20,860 --> 00:24:22,820 was in tip -top shape before every encounter. 317 00:24:23,620 --> 00:24:28,840 He would have had his own masseuse, his own servants, his own doctor. 318 00:24:29,580 --> 00:24:31,320 He would have had people who carried his armor. 319 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:37,380 Under the emperor Mero, the most theatrical of all Roman emperors, the 320 00:24:37,380 --> 00:24:42,560 the equipment would have been similarly glittery. At his level, he's going to 321 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:47,400 have a choice about what he wears. Not every gladiator gets those 322 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:53,420 Piculus as Mamillo had a very high -quality version of Mamillo armor. 323 00:24:53,900 --> 00:24:58,560 Perhaps the particularly iconic shield or helmet that marked him out from 324 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:00,160 of that type of gladiator class. 325 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:10,760 Ready for his contest, Spiculus strides into the amphitheater like a prize 326 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:12,360 -fighting boxer into the ring. 327 00:25:13,660 --> 00:25:18,280 The announcer would have said, and here he comes, people's champion Spiculus. 328 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:23,420 Out as he walked, there would have been music to his actual entrance. 329 00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:28,240 The crowd roars, his name is upon the lips of everybody. 330 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:34,260 When the emperor sees the crowd's adulation for this gladiator, well, he 331 00:25:34,260 --> 00:25:35,560 drinks in the atmosphere. 332 00:25:38,460 --> 00:25:43,680 Somebody like Spiculus is really going to lean in to the things that people 333 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:48,660 about him. They know he lives in an amazing house. They know he has the 334 00:25:48,660 --> 00:25:49,660 Nero. 335 00:25:49,900 --> 00:25:54,480 As if he's not going to parlay that into how he performs in the arena. He 336 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:55,480 definitely is. 337 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:01,180 The Speculoos, of course, has a lot riding on the fight, but Nero does as 338 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,600 because his job is to provide entertainment for the people. 339 00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:18,680 After a long day of fighting at Nero's games, it is time. 340 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:20,580 for the main attraction. 341 00:26:22,340 --> 00:26:24,400 Spiculus and his opponent emerge. 342 00:26:24,900 --> 00:26:28,520 His rival is matched in strength and trained to kill. 343 00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:33,120 But for Spiculus, this is more than a fight for survival. 344 00:26:33,740 --> 00:26:37,260 It's a battle to remain Nero's favorite. 345 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,400 With the gladiators in the arena, the fight can start. 346 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:45,020 Nero looks down upon them, and the battle begins. 347 00:26:46,860 --> 00:26:50,880 Spiculus would have been trying to parry with his opponent. 348 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:54,580 He would have been trying to dazzle the crowd with his moves. 349 00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:02,680 We have references in our sources to gladiators being trained to deliver 350 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:03,680 with grace. 351 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:11,520 It's like two prized fighters taking an opportunity to demonstrate the height of 352 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:14,280 their skill level in front of a live audience. 353 00:27:16,460 --> 00:27:20,060 We can imagine it would have been a display of extreme fear. 354 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,420 There could have been bloodshed involved. 355 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:30,740 Nero had been watching keenly, trying to see every little parry, every little 356 00:27:30,740 --> 00:27:33,340 jab, trying to see who's being injured. 357 00:27:34,900 --> 00:27:39,780 Spiculus shows once again why he's Nero's prized gladiator. 358 00:27:40,820 --> 00:27:43,560 He is a skilled and brilliant fighter. 359 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,900 In the arena, Few can touch him. 360 00:27:48,340 --> 00:27:53,960 If a gladiator were wounded in the fighting, he could signal submission by 361 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:54,960 holding up a finger. 362 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:59,360 And then the referee steps in, stops the fight, and separates the two 363 00:27:59,360 --> 00:28:00,360 gladiators. 364 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,720 Spiculus has won. He's overcome his opponent. 365 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:11,940 And his opponent has asked for mercy. 366 00:28:13,900 --> 00:28:18,560 At that point, it's up to Nero, the giver of the games, to consult with the 367 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,780 people and then decide what happens to that gladiator. 368 00:28:24,820 --> 00:28:29,320 He holds your life in his hands. All he has to do is turn the thumb. 369 00:28:31,980 --> 00:28:37,040 Nero may look around to the crowd and try and figure out what it is they want 370 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:38,040 him to do. 371 00:28:41,740 --> 00:28:42,740 The crowd. 372 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:47,480 can directly communicate with powerful people in their society, including 373 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,980 like the Emperor Nero, and make their feelings known. 374 00:28:51,340 --> 00:28:55,940 The crowd are shouting out, you know, either let him go or kill him. 375 00:28:57,860 --> 00:29:03,780 We can imagine that the people want Spiculus' defeated opponent to be 376 00:29:07,380 --> 00:29:09,040 And Nero gives it to them. 377 00:29:12,460 --> 00:29:18,740 You can imagine there'll be a deathly quiet descend on the arena as everyone 378 00:29:18,740 --> 00:29:23,960 focused on this sort of fate, this moment of death, this poor fallen 379 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:32,060 If he had a helmet, he was expected to take it off so that everyone could see 380 00:29:32,060 --> 00:29:33,980 all of the emotion on his face. 381 00:29:35,940 --> 00:29:39,120 The gladiator has been taught how to face death. 382 00:29:40,910 --> 00:29:47,050 They were expected to expose their throat, to stare ahead blankly, to show 383 00:29:47,050 --> 00:29:53,190 emotion, to be tough right until the final moment. 384 00:29:56,190 --> 00:30:00,950 And then the victor would plunge his sword down and through the throat and 385 00:30:00,950 --> 00:30:01,950 the heart. 386 00:30:07,570 --> 00:30:13,000 When a gladiator appears to have died in a fight, A man dressed as Charon, god 387 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,560 of the underworld, comes on and actually checks that he's dead. 388 00:30:16,860 --> 00:30:21,660 Charon hit the person with a hammer, and then his body was dragged out with a 389 00:30:21,660 --> 00:30:23,340 hook and dragged out of the arena. 390 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:34,620 The victory strengthens Nero's bond with Spiculus, and the emperor is eager to 391 00:30:34,620 --> 00:30:35,660 show his gratitude. 392 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,080 The winning gladiator would have been given gifts and prizes. 393 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:43,160 He will have been given a share of prize money. 394 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:45,760 And then he'll leave. 395 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,260 The games have dazzled the crowds. 396 00:30:51,780 --> 00:30:57,380 But Nero has one final thrill, designed to capture the hearts of the people. 397 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:03,240 The emperors in Rome are supposed to be making sure that the people of the 398 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:05,660 empire have the things that they need. 399 00:31:06,510 --> 00:31:09,570 but also to be seen as the person who gives it to them. 400 00:31:10,210 --> 00:31:12,970 So the emperor is a gift giver. 401 00:31:14,250 --> 00:31:18,430 One of the things the emperor would do for the crowd is known as a spartio. He 402 00:31:18,430 --> 00:31:22,210 would actually throw out kind of lottery tickets and on it you would sort of be 403 00:31:22,210 --> 00:31:28,290 given anything from perhaps some slaves or to some furniture or even a villa. 404 00:31:28,730 --> 00:31:31,050 So it was a way that you could kind of get rich quick. 405 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:37,300 The people have enjoyed the games. They appreciate Nero for having given them a 406 00:31:37,300 --> 00:31:39,560 day of entertainment that they love. 407 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,840 And they return home to their families. They return to the pub. 408 00:31:44,980 --> 00:31:48,820 Even though Nero's games have inspired the people, have caused the people to 409 00:31:48,820 --> 00:31:53,300 fall in love with Nero, his style of ruling will soon be his downfall. 410 00:31:55,280 --> 00:32:01,680 While the crowds revel in Nero's games, the Senate sees a different picture. 411 00:32:03,210 --> 00:32:08,910 Nero is distracted by spectacle, neglecting the serious business of 412 00:32:09,890 --> 00:32:12,990 The nation is running out. 413 00:32:28,220 --> 00:32:31,680 A big event happens in Rome that really has helped to shape the way we 414 00:32:31,680 --> 00:32:33,080 understand Nero's reign. 415 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:37,840 And that's the fire. 416 00:32:38,940 --> 00:32:44,480 So in the summer months, Rome does catch on fire a fair amount, but this is 417 00:32:44,480 --> 00:32:48,940 huge. Our sources say a number of the districts in Rome are affected and some 418 00:32:48,940 --> 00:32:50,120 are destroyed completely. 419 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:57,420 And burned down a big portion of Rome's most prestigious neighborhood, the 420 00:32:57,420 --> 00:33:02,000 Palatine. And also a big chunk of Nero's own imperial palace. 421 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:07,960 Out of Rome's 14 districts, 10 are quite badly affected and 3 are completely 422 00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:08,960 destroyed. 423 00:33:09,500 --> 00:33:14,620 This is a huge conflagration. It destroys a massive chunk of the city. 424 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,300 Lots of people died in this fire. 425 00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:29,340 The number of dwellings, small businesses, temples that must have been 426 00:33:29,340 --> 00:33:32,660 destroyed, you can imagine the devastation this would have caused. 427 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,020 It displaced tens of thousands. 428 00:33:38,820 --> 00:33:43,700 It's something that really kind of stands as a point in Nero's reign that 429 00:33:43,700 --> 00:33:47,480 extremely significant both politically but also in terms of sort of his 430 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:48,540 relationship with the city. 431 00:33:50,860 --> 00:33:53,280 How many people must have suffered so extremely? 432 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:59,440 And this generated huge resentment of the safety and luxury within which the 433 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:00,440 emperor was operating. 434 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,120 When the fire breaks out, Nero is not in Rome, he's in Antium. 435 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:17,480 Perhaps the best -known phrase associated with Nero is that he fiddled 436 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:18,480 Rome burned. 437 00:34:19,020 --> 00:34:23,040 This is anachronistic in some ways because the fiddle wasn't invented, but 438 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:28,719 playing the lyre while Rome burned is something that our sources are a little 439 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:29,719 bit split on. 440 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:36,020 And Nero realizes that with almost all of Rome burned to nothing, he can start 441 00:34:36,020 --> 00:34:40,840 again and he can build a huge palace that's far bigger than anyone else has 442 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:41,840 before. 443 00:34:41,929 --> 00:34:46,370 This is the Domus Aurea, which is named the Golden House for the amount of 444 00:34:46,370 --> 00:34:49,530 beautiful gold and other precious materials that are used in it. 445 00:34:50,050 --> 00:34:56,370 The Domus Aurea, as impressive as it must have been, it surely caused a 446 00:34:56,370 --> 00:34:57,370 revulsion of feeling. 447 00:34:58,070 --> 00:35:02,870 At a time when so many of the citizens have been made homeless because of the 448 00:35:02,870 --> 00:35:06,830 fire, he is there building himself this enormous great palace. 449 00:35:07,890 --> 00:35:11,030 Honestly, I don't imagine people will all be terribly impressed. 450 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:15,780 with the building of a giant villa in the aftermath of a destructive fire. 451 00:35:16,700 --> 00:35:20,380 It was clear to pretty much everyone, especially Rome's Senate, that he was 452 00:35:20,380 --> 00:35:21,680 really losing his grip. 453 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:28,200 The rumour starts, well, he's taking such advantage of it, it must be because 454 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:30,400 started the fire so that he could do this. 455 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:36,400 A lot of our sources do say that it's his agent who sets the fire, not him 456 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:37,960 personally, obviously, that would be crazy. 457 00:35:39,540 --> 00:35:43,580 However, Nero's actions afterwards, he does seem to be really concerned and he 458 00:35:43,580 --> 00:35:47,720 does instantly set about trying to help as many people as possible. 459 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:55,060 It seems like Nero was trying to rebuild the city after the fire in a way that 460 00:35:55,060 --> 00:35:58,260 would make that kind of event happening again less likely. 461 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:14,260 Nero chases pleasure and indulges in his personal amusement. 462 00:36:20,860 --> 00:36:27,040 Nero's popularity is certainly taking a hit. He's not the kind of man that most 463 00:36:27,040 --> 00:36:29,300 Romans would respect as their emperor. 464 00:36:30,740 --> 00:36:35,620 And it's partly because of his over -the -top interest in things like chariot 465 00:36:35,620 --> 00:36:37,300 races, identified for theatre. 466 00:36:39,850 --> 00:36:43,230 They're not the kind of pursuits that you really want your emperor to have. 467 00:36:44,870 --> 00:36:49,730 You want him to be more focusing on military conquest, for example, and what 468 00:36:49,730 --> 00:36:50,730 happening politically. 469 00:36:53,750 --> 00:36:58,290 He's too close to the people. He's not sort of paying enough attention to the 470 00:36:58,290 --> 00:36:59,290 senators. 471 00:36:59,430 --> 00:37:03,270 And that's the point where the Senate declare Nero as a public enemy. 472 00:37:08,230 --> 00:37:12,970 With the Senate's condemnation, Nero's grip on power crumbles. 473 00:37:15,210 --> 00:37:21,910 And showing loyalty to the fallen emperor is dangerous, even for 474 00:37:26,770 --> 00:37:32,230 Nero, the most powerful man in Rome, has been denounced by the Senate. 475 00:37:32,830 --> 00:37:36,170 He is unable to contain the storm around him. 476 00:37:37,060 --> 00:37:39,400 Nero realises that the game is up. 477 00:37:40,060 --> 00:37:43,760 Once Nero has been declared a public enemy, the options for him are very 478 00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:44,760 limited. 479 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:48,700 All he has left is a few loyal attendants. 480 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:56,780 As he hears that the Praetorians are on their way to kill him, and he realises, 481 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:00,820 once he's been declared a public enemy, that the death is particularly brutal. 482 00:38:01,020 --> 00:38:03,860 He'll be beaten and flogged and dragged through the city. 483 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:10,920 He realizes that really the only option is for him to take his own life. 484 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:17,500 There are so many instances of Romans, in defense of their honor, committing 485 00:38:17,500 --> 00:38:22,040 suicide. And committing suicide with a sword, falling on their sword, or 486 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:24,540 stabbing themselves with a sword, is a horrifying way to die. 487 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:33,360 But he's too scared to kill himself, so he calls on Spiculus to do it for him. 488 00:38:33,900 --> 00:38:38,040 The fact that Nero wanted to be killed by Spiculus, his favorite gladiator, 489 00:38:38,120 --> 00:38:41,260 could suggest that he wanted to die quickly and well. 490 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:46,080 And perhaps there's also that sort of case of notoriety where the emperor of 491 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:49,600 Rome was killed by the most famous gladiator of the arena. 492 00:38:50,780 --> 00:38:55,600 He needs to know someone he can trust, I think. So here's someone that he can 493 00:38:55,600 --> 00:39:01,560 trust to do the job as efficiently as possible. 494 00:39:05,740 --> 00:39:07,340 Spiculus, though, can't be found. 495 00:39:08,200 --> 00:39:12,400 Whether he was sort of deliberately keeping out of harm's way, or whether he 496 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:16,300 really had just abandoned Nero like everyone else, we don't know. 497 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,260 Spiculus, his prized gladiator, is missing. 498 00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:30,100 Nero turns to another member of his inner circle. 499 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:37,960 He leans on and relies on a freedman named Epaphroditus. 500 00:39:41,300 --> 00:39:45,560 Then, with Epaphroditus' help, Nero commits suicide. 501 00:39:51,580 --> 00:39:54,200 Nero is only 30 years old. 502 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:59,200 His death ends a 14 -year reign. 503 00:39:59,720 --> 00:40:02,420 marked by self -indulgence and spectacle. 504 00:40:04,320 --> 00:40:07,900 When Nero dies, there's very much a mixed reaction to his death. 505 00:40:08,540 --> 00:40:14,340 Some of the individuals who partook in the entertainment mourn Nero's death. 506 00:40:15,140 --> 00:40:18,320 When Nero dies, he is given a public funeral. 507 00:40:18,840 --> 00:40:23,180 The ordinary people of Rome, they were there at his graveside. They didn't see 508 00:40:23,180 --> 00:40:25,840 this as the good thing that the senators thought. 509 00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:32,000 After Nero's death, There's a clear out, if you like, of Nero's supporters. 510 00:40:34,100 --> 00:40:36,700 And Spiculus has been too close to Nero. 511 00:40:37,820 --> 00:40:42,300 And it's reported that he's actually crushed beneath various statues of Nero 512 00:40:42,300 --> 00:40:44,120 that are pulled down in the forum. 513 00:40:49,900 --> 00:40:54,640 Nero's reign and its chaotic end is something of a cautionary tale about the 514 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:55,640 excesses of power. 515 00:40:56,920 --> 00:40:58,020 He's also... 516 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:03,140 always sort of doomed to go down in history as an absolutely terrible 517 00:41:03,140 --> 00:41:05,900 because he is the last of the Julio -Claudians. 518 00:41:06,540 --> 00:41:10,580 And this makes him the last of the first dynasty of emperors in Rome. 519 00:41:10,920 --> 00:41:15,600 When he dies, there is no heir. He has had children, but they haven't survived. 520 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:22,680 So after Nero's death, we have the year for emperors in which individuals rise 521 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:24,600 to claim the mantle of emperor. 522 00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:30,200 Until Otmi will be left with Vespasian, the last man standing, who will initiate 523 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:31,760 the Flavian dynasty. 524 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:38,940 That dynasty, and Vespasian in particular, decides what he's going to 525 00:41:38,940 --> 00:41:41,680 separate himself in every way that he can from Nero. 526 00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:50,140 Vespasian, the new emperor, is determined to erase all traces of Nero's 527 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:54,360 Starting with the opulent palace. 528 00:41:55,790 --> 00:42:02,230 built as a monument to Nero's ego in the ashes of the great fire of Rome. 529 00:42:02,790 --> 00:42:06,870 Nero's golden palace becomes a symbol of everything that's wrong with his reign. 530 00:42:07,010 --> 00:42:10,450 It's excessive, it's overly focused on Nero himself. 531 00:42:11,510 --> 00:42:16,690 Vespasian wants to wipe the slate clean and build something that is a people's 532 00:42:16,690 --> 00:42:19,970 palace, not just a palace for a single emperor. 533 00:42:22,290 --> 00:42:24,330 Vespasian, take the opportunity. 534 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,920 to demolish large parts of the Domus Aurea. 535 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:35,560 And on the site, part of it, he starts to construct the Flavian amphitheater. 536 00:42:36,300 --> 00:42:41,420 It was the most strident way, the most powerful way. He could say that we're 537 00:42:41,420 --> 00:42:43,020 under a new regime, a new dynasty. 538 00:42:44,460 --> 00:42:50,880 Vespasian decides to build Rome's first large -scale permanent amphitheater on 539 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:52,260 the site of Nero's gardens. 540 00:42:53,770 --> 00:42:56,930 And that is the amphitheatre that we now know as the Coliseum.