Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Notes on Contributors -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: The Neronian (Literary) ``Renaissance'' -- The Neronian Literary Triad: Seneca, Lucan, and Petronius -- Conclusion -- References -- Part I Nero -- Chapter 1 The Performing Prince -- The Training and Pastimes of Princes -- Music and Musical Performance in Nero's Rome -- Acceptable Diversions / Voluptates Concessae -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 2 Biographies of Nero -- The First Assessments -- Cassius Dio -- Tacitus -- Suetonius -- Conclusion -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 3 Nero the Imperial Misfit: Philhellenism in a Rich Man's World -- Breaking with Tradition -- Greek Culture at the Imperial Court -- Caesar Omnia Habet: It's a Rich Man's World -- Like the Gleaming Sun -- Greek Theatrical Culture in Rome -- Lord of the Golden Age -- Festival Victor and Benefactor of all Greeks -- The Last Act: Triumph and On-Stage Death -- Further Reading -- References -- Part II The Empire -- Chapter 4 The Empire in the Age of Nero -- The Principate -- Governing the Provinces -- Power and Privilege in the Roman Empire -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 5 Apollo in Arms: Nero at the Frontier -- The Western Empire -- The Eastern Empire: The Black Sea and Armenia (see Map 1) -- Plans in Ethiopia and the Caucasus -- Conclusions -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 6 Domus Neroniana: The Imperial Household in the Age of Nero -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 7 Religion -- The Emperor and Religion -- Nero's Priestly Offices -- The Worship of the Imperial Family in Rome -- Emperor Cult outside Rome -- Literary Representations of the Dichotomy Religion/Superstition -- Religion and Superstition in the Satyrica -- Conclusion -- Further Reading -- References.

Chapter 8 Neronian Philosophy -- Introduction -- Cornutus -- Musonius Rufus -- Seneca -- De Clementia -- Conclusion -- Further Reading -- References -- Part III Literature, Art, and Architecture -- Chapter 9 Seneca, Apocolocyntosis -- Menippean Monarchy -- Who's Laughing Anyway? -- De-deification -- Problems with Praise -- Conclusion -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 10 The Carmina Einsidlensia and Calpurnius Siculus' Eclogues -- Carmina Einsidlensia -- Calpurnius Siculus, Eclogues -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 11 Seneca's Philosophical Writings: Naturales Quaestiones, Dialogi, Epistulae Morales -- Introduction: The Writings of Seneca the Younger -- One's Place In The Universe: Naturales Quaestiones (Natural Questions) -- How To Be ''Indifferent'' Towards Politics, Friends, and Family: Dialogi (Dialogues) -- The Care of the Self, unto Itself: Epistulae Morales (Moral Letters) -- L. Annaeus Seneca, Stoicus Sui Generis -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 12 Senecan Tragedy -- Preliminaries -- Tragedy and Philosophy -- ''Let no new thing arise'': Senecan Intertextuality -- The Politics of Senecan Tragedy -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 13 Lucan's Bellum Civile -- Lucan as Epic Successor and Innovator -- The Bellum Civile and the Aeneid -- Roman Values -- Caesar, Pompey, Cato -- The Narrator's Voice, The Reader's Gaze -- The Cloud of Unknowing -- Pathos, Hyperbole, Paradox -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 14 Petronius' Satyrica -- Cast of Satyrs -- Petronius and the Picaresque Novel -- Filling in the Gaps -- Through the Peep holes -- Looking down on Trimalchio -- Making Virgil Blush -- Audience Responses -- Eumolpus and Educational Guidance -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 15 Persius -- Further Reading -- References.

Chapter 16 Columella, De Re Rustica -- Background -- Columella - The Author -- Genre -- Work -- Sources -- Style -- Mos Maiorum and Columella's Contemporary Readers -- Reception -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 17 Literature of the World: Seneca's Natural Questions and Pliny's Natural History -- Roman Writing about Nature -- A Moral Universe: Luxury and Extravagance at Rome -- Nero and the Natural World -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 18 Greek Literature Under Nero -- Two Influential Starting Points -- From Rhetoric to Philosophy -- True philosophy to be looked at: the Tabula Cebetis -- Philosophy for the Soul / Medicine for the Body -- Science and Mechanics: Heron of Alexandria -- Seasoning Literature with Wit: The Epigram -- The Beginning of Something New: Christian Theology and the Letters of Paul -- Conclusion -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 19 Buildings of an Emperor-How Nero Transformed Rome -- Public Buildings and their Function -- Nero's Palace Complexes in Rome -- Conclusion -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 20 Portraits of an Emperor-Nero, the Sun, and Roman Otium -- Nero's Portraits -- Memoria Damnata. The Removal of Nero's Portraits after his Death -- The Comparison of Nero with Apollo and the Sun God -- Sculptures of the Neronian Period? -- Interpreting Nero: Past and Present Scholarship -- Interpreting Nero in Context -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 21 Neronian Wall-Painting. A Matter of Perspective -- Nature and Space: Beyond Trompe-L'Oeil -- Space and Narrative: The Theater as Perspectival Tool -- Narrative and Perception: The Theming of Space -- The Domus Aurea: The Art of Pervasive Confinement -- Neronian Wall-Painting in Perspective -- Further Reading -- References -- Part IV Reception.

Chapter 22 Nero in Jewish and Christian Tradition from the First Century to the Reformation -- Nero in Jewish Tradition: Destroyer of the Holy Nation, Father of Rabbis, Redivivus -- The Number of the Beast: Nero as Persecutor, Heretic, Antichrist in Earliest Christianity -- The Great Presumption of Interpretation: Nero in Early Christianity -- Nero's Long Shadow: The Life and Times of a Tyrant in Medieval, Renaissance, and Reformation Tradition -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 23 Haec Monstra Edidit. Translating Lucan in the Early Seventeenth Century -- The Shadow of Scaliger -- Lucan among the Protestants -- Lucan in the Netherlands -- Grotius' Lucan and the Twelve Year Truce -- Lucan in Dutch -- Lucan's Challenge -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 24 Haunted by Horror: The Ghost of Seneca in Renaissance Drama -- Further Reading -- References -- Chapter 25 ``Fantasies so Varied and Bizarre'': The Domus Aurea, the Renaissance, and the ``Grotesque'' -- ''Breaking our Backbones on our Knees'' -- Seeing Beyond the Vanishing Point -- From Margins to Centre -- A Visually Mediated Discourse of Renaissance Visuality -- Further Reading -- References -- Epilogue -- Chapter 26 Nachwort: Nero from Zero to Hero -- Nero the Hero -- Reasons for the Change in Attitude: Visual Interests -- Theatre in Particular -- Further Reasons: Greek Identity under Roman rule -- Further Reasons: Politicians and Spin -- Nero the Showman in the Ancient Historical Sources -- Tacitus in Particular -- The Pace of Tacitus' Narrative -- Nero in the Fictional Dialogue Nero -- References -- Index -- Supplemental Images.