Roman Urban Living – Claudius and Nero

“That doesn’t work for an Emperor – you’ve got to be popular!”

In this final episode looking at the Julio-Claudians’ impact on urban living in Rome, Andrew considers how Claudius had to fight to reject the ‘loser’ label and his building of the Portus, and weighs up Nero’s popularity with the masses with his poor PR and lack of an heir. 

Prof. Andrew Wallace-Hadrill (formerly University of Cambridge and Director of the British School at Rome) is an eminent archaeologist, broadcaster, director of the Herculaneum Conservation Project and former Master of Sidney Sussex College.