Nero (1998 Folio Society edition) by Michael Grant is a meticulously researched biography that demystifies Rome’s most infamous emperor, separating myth from historical record. Grant, a renowned classicist, traces Nero’s rise to power at 16, his artistic ambitions, and the escalating tyrannies that led to the Great Fire of Rome (64 AD) and his eventual suicide. The narrative challenges caricatures of Nero as a mere monster, examining his patronage of the arts, administrative reforms, and the political machinations that framed his reign.
The Folio Society edition enhances Grant’s scholarly yet accessible prose with rich illustrations—including Roman busts, coinage, and frescoes—bound in a cloth-covered hardback with a slipcase. A balanced portrait of a complex ruler, ideal for historians and collectors.
