Remorse of nero

It is an alternative image of him as melodramatic and not victorious. The Remorse of Nero was a poignant reminder that the Roman Empire was not all glory — and neither was England's. How do the colors, especially Nero's red toga, reflect meaning and irony in the painting? Why might Nero's laurel wreath — bestowed for fine musicianship — be seen as ironic?

Questions Does the painting depend more on detail or its sole subject to convey its meaning? References Trippi, Peter. London: Phaidon, Victorian Web. Through the founding myths of Rome, popularized by Virgil in his epic poem, the Aeneid , the Julio-Claudians not only traced their roots back to the earliest families of Rome but also to Romulus and Remus, the legendary twins who established the city. They were even traced to two deities , the goddess Venus and the god Mars. Venus was said to be the mother of the Trojan hero Aeneas.

Virgil tells that in the aftermath of the destruction of Troy, Aeneas escaped and fled across the Mediterranean, pursuing his destiny to found the greatest civilization in history. After years of wandering, he landed in Italy. By way of war and marriage, the Trojan wanderers combined with the Latins and founded Alba Longa.

In the classic model of myth, the king of Alba Longa feared that the twins would be a threat to his rule, so he ordered them killed. The interference of the river god of the Tiber saved them from an early demise.

They grew up suckled by a female wolf near the site of Rome then adopted by a local shepherd. After helping to restore their deposed grandfather to the throne of Alba Longa, they set out to establish their own city, and so founded Rome.

The historian Tacitus , though notoriously Republican and anti-emperor, was not altogether wrong in the above quote. The first five emperors of Rome operated by an extraordinarily frail balance, unable to claim the office of a ruler for fear of assassination, yet still making decisions in that capacity and having to hold onto power or risk another devastating civil war.

The resulting tension meant that they were frequently quick to punish and even execute those that saw to be a threat to their power, leaving a lot of hatred behind them. For all that, the Julio-Claudians did produce some good rulers.

Augustus was an immensely capable and cunning emperor. The creation of his position as princeps was done masterfully using his charisma and skill, as well as military victory and intimidation. He also had an exemplary support team whom he trusted, headed up by his closest friend and right-hand man, Agrippa.

Succeeding Augustus, Tiberius continued many of the policies begun by his step-father and enjoyed successful rule, though he seemed to despise it. He eventually withdrew from active rule to enjoy his own pleasures at his spacious villa on Capri, a contributing factor in his poor reputation. It seems that it may have only been a physical deformity of some kind, but it was enough that he was initially rejected as a candidate for princeps.

He proved a capable one, though later paranoia blackened his reputation as well. Perhaps two of the most infamous names of Roman history also emerged from the Julio-Claudian dynasty, those of Caligula and Nero. Data successfully added to your Wish List! Would you like to publicly share your opinion of this painting? Be the first to critique this painting. The Necklace.

The Rose Bower. The Shrine. Both of his parents were painters, and he lived there, absorbing the culture, the history and a love of art for the first six years of his life. Waterhouse studied only under his father until he entered the Royal Academy in His first attempts to gain admission to the RA were rejected, but he finally did gain admittance in the school of sculpture under the sponsorship of Pickersgill.

Pickersgill, a painter himself, encouraged young Waterhouse to return his attention to painting. Waterhouse was also greatly influenced by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, whose love of classical backgrounds and Roman history and legends greatly appealed to him.