Latest / Nero: Mad Tyrant or Misunderstood Emperor? — Fexingo History / Nero and the Rhodian Fishermen: The Colossus That Never Was
Transcript
- Lucas: By 66 AD, Nero had spent over a year in Greece, performing at every major festival, collecting victories, and generally having the time of his life. But one stop on his Grand Tour often gets overlooked: Rhodes. Luna: Rhodes—the island with the Colossus, right? Lucas: Exactly. Though by Nero's day, the Colossus had been lying in ruins for almost 300 years, since the earthquake of 226 BC. But Rhodes was still a major cultural center—famous for its school of rhetoric, its maritime law, and its fiercely independent spirit. Luna: And Nero just showed up and said what, 'Hey, I'm emperor, show me around'? Lucas: Pretty much. But here's where it gets interesting. According to Suetonius, Nero was so charmed by a local fisherman who presented him with a huge fish—or maybe a pearl, the sources are fuzzy—that he declared Rhodes tax-exempt for a whole year. That's the kind of impulsive generosity that made Nero either beloved or reviled, depending on who you ask. Luna: Wait, he just waived taxes because a guy gave him a fish? Lucas: That's the story. But there's more context. Rhodes had been a free city under the Republic, technically allied with Rome rather than conquered. Over time, its privileges eroded, and by Nero's reign, it was paying tribute like any other province. Nero's gesture might have been a genuine philhellenic impulse—he loved Greek culture—but it also served a political purpose: winning over a key island in the eastern Mediterranean. Luna: So it's both personal and calculated. That sounds very Nero. Lucas: Exactly. And the connection goes deeper. While Nero was in Greece, he left a freedman named Helius in charge of Rome—a Rhodian by birth. Helius was ruthless; he executed opponents, confiscated property, and generally kept the city in line until Nero returned. So in a way, Rhodes had its man at the heart of the empire. Luna: Helius—I've heard that name. He was the one who sent the alarming messages that cut Nero's tour short, right? Lucas: Yes. The Gallic rebellion of Vindex was brewing, and Helius rushed to Greece to personally beg Nero to come back. Nero sailed from Corinth to Rome in a storm, barely surviving. But before he left, he made a spectacular announcement: he granted freedom to the entire province of Achaia—all of Greece—exempting it from taxation and Roman governors. Luna: That must have gone over well in Rhodes. They'd been free once, and now their hero emperor was freeing the whole neighborhood. Lucas: Exactly. And there's a fascinating coda. Cassius Dio mentions that the Rhodians planned to erect a colossal statue of Nero to rival the original Colossus. It was never completed—the project was abandoned after Nero's death and the damnatio memoriae that followed. But imagine: a Colossus of Nero on Rhodes, bronze and towering, a symbol of his patronage. It would have been the ultimate fusion of his artistic pretensions and imperial power. Luna: So the Colossus of Rhodes almost had a sequel. Lucas: Exactly. And it's a reminder that Nero's relationship with the Greek world wasn't just about singing competitions and building projects. It was a calculated cultural diplomacy that bound the eastern provinces to him personally. When he fell, that bond fractured—and the Rhodians, like many Greeks, had to navigate a new world under the Flavians. Luna: You know, it's interesting how this episode connects back to the theme of the show. We've talked about Nero's megalomania, his artistry, his cruelty—but here we see him as a savvy diplomat, using his personality to win loyalty. Lucas: And that's exactly why we love exploring these corners. There's never just one Nero. Which brings me to something I want to mention. Luna: Go ahead. Lucas: We deliberately keep this show ad-free. No sponsors, no commercials, no interruptions. That's a choice we made because we want these conversations to feel like a genuine exchange between two people who love history, not a vehicle for selling something. And the only reason that works is because some listeners choose to support us directly. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way of keeping the show exactly what we want it to be. If that's something you value, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, no perks—just knowing you're part of keeping this independent. Lucas: And that support lets us dig into stories like Nero and the Rhodian fishermen, or the Colossus that never was. So, back to that statue… Luna: Right—what happened to the bronze that was meant for it? Lucas: We don't know for sure. Some scholars think it was melted down for coins or weapons during the civil wars that followed Nero's death. Others suggest it was quietly repurposed into a statue of Vespasian—a common damnatio memoriae practice. But the fact that the Rhodians even considered such a monument tells us how deeply Nero's influence reached. Luna: And how quickly it could be erased. Lucas: Exactly. Which is a perfect note to end on. Thanks for stepping into history with us.