Latest / Nero: Mad Tyrant or Misunderstood Emperor? — Fexingo History / Nero's Eastern Policy: The Parthian Settlement of 66 AD
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to Fexingo History. I'm Lucas, and with me as always is Luna. Today we're picking up a thread that ran through some of our earlier episodes on Nero, but we've never really zeroed in on it: his Eastern policy, specifically the remarkable diplomatic settlement he reached with Parthia over Armenia in 66 AD. Luna: That's the one where he actually closed the Temple of Janus, right? As a symbol of peace? Lucas: Exactly. That was a huge deal. The Temple of Janus in the Roman Forum was only closed when Rome was at peace everywhere — it had only happened a handful of times in Roman history. Augustus did it three times, Nero did it once, and then it was closed again under later emperors. So for Nero to claim that distinction in 66 AD, after decades of conflict in Armenia, was a major propaganda win. But it was also genuinely earned. Luna: Okay, so what was the situation before 66? Armenia had been a bone of contention between Rome and Parthia for a long time. Lucas: Right. For centuries, Armenia was a buffer kingdom, and both Rome and Parthia wanted a friendly ruler on its throne. Since the time of Augustus, there had been a tacit agreement: the king of Armenia would be from the Parthian Arsacid dynasty, but he had to be approved by Rome. That broke down under Claudius, and by Nero's reign, the Parthian king Vologases I had installed his brother Tiridates on the Armenian throne without consulting Rome. Nero couldn't accept that — it was a direct challenge to Roman prestige. Luna: So Nero sent Corbulo to deal with it. We talked about Corbulo in the Armenian Crisis episode. Lucas: Yes, Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo was Nero's top general, and he had been waging a series of campaigns in Armenia since 58 AD. He captured the Armenian capital Artaxata and the stronghold of Tigranocerta, and replaced Tiridates with a Roman puppet king, Tigranes VI. But that only led to a Parthian counter-invasion, and the whole region descended into a stalemate. By 63 AD, both sides were exhausted. Corbulo and the Parthian general Monaeses met at Rhandeia and negotiated a compromise: Tiridates would lay down his crown, symbolically acknowledging Roman supremacy, and then travel to Rome to receive it back from Nero himself. Luna: Wait — Tiridates actually went to Rome? That's a long journey from Armenia. Lucas: He did. And it was a massive undertaking. Tiridates traveled with a huge retinue — his wife, his children, a contingent of Parthian nobles, and hundreds of horsemen. They took the overland route through Anatolia, crossing into the Roman provinces. Cassius Dio tells us that the journey took nine months, and the Roman government footed the bill — it cost the treasury an enormous sum, something like 800,000 sesterces a day to support the entourage. Nero wanted to make sure Tiridates was impressed by Roman wealth and power. Luna: And when they finally got to Rome, what happened? Lucas: The coronation ceremony was held in the Forum, but the main spectacle was in the Circus Maximus. Nero staged a huge public event — the whole city turned out. Tiridates approached the emperor's tribunal, knelt, and made a formal speech acknowledging Nero as his master. Then Nero placed the diadem on his head and proclaimed him King of Armenia. The crowd roared. It was a masterstroke of political theater, and it cemented Nero's reputation as a diplomat — at least for a time. Luna: So this was a genuine success for Nero. Why doesn't he get more credit for it? Lucas: Because it happened right before his downfall. Just two years later, in 68 AD, Nero was overthrown by Galba and committed suicide. The new regime had every reason to downplay his achievements. Also, the ancient historians — Tacitus, Suetonius, Cassius Dio — were all writing from a senatorial perspective that was hostile to Nero. They preferred to emphasize his extravagance and tyranny rather than his diplomatic victories. So the Parthian settlement got buried in the narrative. Luna: But it wasn't just propaganda — the peace actually held, right? Lucas: It did. Tiridates ruled Armenia for the next twenty-odd years as a loyal ally of Rome. The arrangement Nero set up — a Parthian king approved by the Roman emperor — became the standard model for Armenian succession for decades. It was a pragmatic solution that avoided the endless cycle of invasions and counter-invasions. So in terms of realpolitik, it was a very smart move. Luna: Did Nero have any other diplomatic achievements in the East? Lucas: He tightened Roman control over the client kingdoms of Cappadocia and Galatia, incorporating them into the imperial province system. He also reorganized the defenses along the Euphrates, which became the main frontier with Parthia for centuries. His policy was essentially one of consolidation — he didn't try to conquer Parthia outright, which would have been impossible, but he stabilized the border through a combination of military deterrence and diplomatic engagement. Luna: So the conventional image of Nero as a madman obsessed with art and debauchery doesn't really fit here. Lucas: No, it doesn't. Nero was deeply interested in Greek culture and performance, yes, but he was also a capable administrator and strategist when it came to foreign policy. The Parthian settlement shows that he could think long-term and was willing to compromise for the sake of stability. It's one of the reasons some modern historians argue for a more nuanced view of his reign. Luna: I'm curious — did Nero himself take credit for the peace? Or did he give Corbulo the credit? Lucas: That's a good question. Nero certainly took credit publicly. He had coins minted with the legend 'Pace Populo Romano' — Peace for the Roman People — and the closed Temple of Janus was a powerful symbol. But Corbulo was also honored: he was given the title 'Imperator' and became a hero to the army. However, Nero may have felt threatened by Corbulo's popularity. In 67 AD, just after the settlement, Nero recalled Corbulo from the East and forced him to commit suicide — or so the story goes. It's a tragic end for the general who made Nero's triumph possible. Luna: That's a dark twist. What happened to Corbulo exactly? Lucas: According to Cassius Dio, Nero summoned Corbulo to Greece, where the emperor was performing in the Olympic Games. When Corbulo arrived, Nero greeted him warmly, but then had him escorted to the coast, where he was told to kill himself. Corbulo reportedly took the sword and exclaimed, 'I deserve it!' — a grim acknowledgment of the fate that often awaited successful generals under paranoid emperors. But some historians doubt that Nero directly ordered it; it might have been a move by Nero's inner circle to eliminate a potential rival. Luna: So even a triumph like the Parthian settlement had a dark side. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's what makes Nero's story so complex. He achieved real diplomatic success, but his personal flaws and the toxic politics of the imperial court undercut it all. The Parthian settlement was a genuine accomplishment, but it couldn't save his reputation — or his life. Luna: It's fascinating how history can reduce a multifaceted figure to a caricature. Thanks, Lucas — I think I'll look at Nero a little differently now. Lucas: That's what we're here for. So next time you hear someone say Nero was just a madman, you can remind them: he also closed the Temple of Janus and brought peace to the Roman East. Not bad for a guy who supposedly fiddled while Rome burned. Luna: Thanks for listening to Fexingo History. We'll see you next time.