Theatrics and excesses seem to run in the family of Nero, the emperor of Rome – that is, according to ancient authors such as Tacitus and Suetonius. Nero’s grandfather, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, once staged a gladiatorial contest with such savagery that Emperor Augustus was forced to release an edict to restrain his excesses. Nero's father, Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, murdered a boy, deceived bankers, and was charged with treason and incest. Seemingly preparing the public for the next generation of the Ahenobarbus family, Nero’s father allegedly stated shortly after Nero's birth that any son born of Agrippina (Nero’s mother) and himself would be an abomination and a public nuisance. The Love Affair of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and the Handsome Antinous Read moreSection: Ancient WritingsNewsAncient PlacesEuropeHistoryAncient TraditionsFamous PeoplePremiumPreviewRead Later