Editing Nero (section)

==Pursuits==

Nero studied poetry, music, painting, and sculpture. He both sang and played the ''[[cithara]]'' (a type of [[lyre]]). Many of these disciplines were standard education for the Roman elite, but Nero's devotion to music exceeded what was socially acceptable for a Roman of his class.{{sfn|Griffin|2002|pp=41–42}} Ancient sources were critical of Nero's emphasis on the arts, chariot-racing and athletics. Pliny described Nero as an "actor-emperor" (''scaenici imperatoris'') and Suetonius wrote that he was "carried away by a craze for popularity...since he was acclaimed as the equal of Apollo in music and of the Sun in driving a chariot, he had planned to emulate the [[Labours of Hercules|exploits of Hercules]] as well."<ref name=champlin/>{{rp|53}}

In AD 67 Nero participated in the [[Ancient Olympic Games|Olympics]]. He had bribed organizers to postpone the games for a year so he could participate,<ref>{{Cite book|title=The ancient Olympic games|last=Judith.|first=Swaddling|year=1984|orig-year=1980|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0292703735|edition= 1st University of Texas Press |location=Austin|oclc=10759486}}</ref> and artistic competitions were added to the athletic events. Nero won every contest in which he was a competitor. During the games Nero sang and played his lyre on stage, acted in tragedies and raced chariots. He won a 10-horse chariot race, despite being thrown from the chariot and leaving the race. He was crowned on the basis that he would have won if he had completed the race. After he died a year later, his name was removed from the list of winners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhistory.com/history-of-olympic-controversies.html|title=Going for Gold: A History of Olympic Controversies|website=www.randomhistory.com|access-date=11 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180112042909/http://www.randomhistory.com/history-of-olympic-controversies.html|archive-date=12 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Champlin writes that though Nero's participation "effectively stifled true competition, [Nero] seems to have been oblivious of reality."<ref name=champlin/>{{rp|54–55}}

Nero established the Neronian games in AD 60. Modeled on Greek style games, these games included musical, gymnastic, and equestrian contests. According to Suetonius the gymnastic contests were held in the Saepta area of the [[Campus Martius]].<ref name=champlin/>{{rp|288}}