#7: Emperor Nero
Nero remains a symbol of decadent tyranny, and his reign included executions, confiscations, artistic vanity, and brutal repression. He did not fiddle while Rome burned; fiddles did not exist, and he was probably outside the city when the fire began. Ancient accounts indicate he returned, organized relief, and opened public spaces to survivors. Some Romans appreciated his entertainments and policies. None of this erases persecution or murder, but it complicates the cartoon of uninterrupted madness.
