Nero has long been remembered as the tyrant who killed his mother and played sweet music as the city of Rome burned.

However, Nero has also been described as a populist leader, and many Roman citizens loved him. He laid on festivals, took part in chariot racing, played the lyre and even acted on stage.

Why then is Nero renowned almost exclusively for his cruelty and not remembered in the way the citizens saw him? Who was Nero really? Where does the truth lie? How ancient is propaganda and fake news and what comparisons can we draw with contemporary politics?

Join our chair Charlotte Higgins, chief culture writer at the Guardian, and expert panelists Catharine Edwards, Tom Holland and Will Davies to find out.

This event was part of the public programme accompanying Nero: the man behind the myth (27 May – 24 October 2021).

More information about the exhibition can be found here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/nero-man-behind-myth

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Image credit: Marble bust of Nero, AD59–98 with later restorations. Roma, Musei Capitolini; Archivio fotografico dei Musei Capitolini. © Roma, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali. Photo © Zeno Colantoni.

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