Both Uses
Nero
in
The Picture of Dorian Gray - 13 chapter version
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- Where the huge velarium that Nero had stretched across the Colosseum at Rome, on which were represented the starry sky, and Apollo driving a chariot drawn by white gilt-reined steeds?†
Chpt 9 *Nero = Roman Emperor notorious for his monstrous vice and fantastic luxury (37-68 AD)
- and had peered through a clear emerald at the red shambles of the Circus, and then, in a litter of pearl and purple drawn by silver-shod mules, been carried through the Street of Pomegranates to a House of Gold, and heard men cry on Nero Caesar as he passed by;†
Chpt 9
Definitions:
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(1)
(Nero as in: the Roman emperor) the Roman emperor who famously may have "fiddled while Rome burned" during the great fire of AD 64 (CE 64) --- known for cruelty, extravagance, and persecution of Christians (37-68 AD)Nero became emperor as a teenager and was initially guided by advisors, but he later descended into tyranny. He was blamed for the killing of his own mother and rivals, and for wasting massive amounts of money on luxuries.
After the great fire of Rome in AD 64 (aka Common Era 64)—which destroyed much of the city—rumors spread that Nero played the lyre (a small harp, not a fiddle) and sang while watching the devastation from his palace. He needed a scapegoat, so he unjustly blamed the fire on the rapidly growing Christian community and began persecuting them mercilessly. Consequently, Nero's name has come to stand for a cruel, self-serving, and irresponsible ruler. - (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)